Individuals looking to fast-track their careers frequently find themselves lured by the exciting world of consulting in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business environment. Beyond the veneer of prestige and a lucrative 6-figure salary, however, lies a highly intense and competitive industry, leading naturally to a high turnover rate as many choose to exit this […]
Tag: networking
Traditionally, consultants come from backgrounds in finance, strategy, economics, or business management. Top firms tend to recruit graduates from target business schools, and the industry is notoriously quantitative and analytical. Fortunately, there’s growing recognition that individuals from different backgrounds can offer a unique perspective coupled with logical thinking. In this blog post, we’ll explore how […]
A common adage within business states that “it’s not about what you know, but who you know”. While consultants do need strong analytical skills, the latter half of this saying holds true; you need to network. As any aspiring management consultant knows, networking is both an art and a science. It combines organic relationship-building as […]
Networking with industry professionals is a key strategy for anyone looking to break into the consulting field. Building relationships with experienced consultants and other industry experts can help you gain valuable insights into the profession, learn about job opportunities, and gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Here are 5 tips for networking […]
Ever felt guilty for engaging in networking? Remember the pit in your stomach for getting to know someone at a target firm when you know that “getting the referral” or “getting the job” is your real motive? We’ve all done it, and it is not uncommon to feel ingenuine while networking. However, networking has always been […]
One of my biggest fears when I first gained an interest in consulting was that I was simply ineligible as a non-business student. Fortunately, this is not the case. Breaking into the consulting industry with a non-business degree can be challenging as a sizeable portion of hires are from top business schools, but non-business hires […]
Networking during college can be a daunting task, but it is also an incredibly valuable opportunity to connect with others and establish relationships that can benefit you in your future career. Whether you’re looking for internships, job opportunities, or simply want to expand your professional network, there are a number of ways you can go […]
MBA programs typically have an orientation day. Some have an entire week dedicated to orientation. This program is meant to help students get to know each other before the official start of the program. In addition, that crucial week will give you time to set up your apartment, learn the transportation system, open a bank […]
Charles R. Swindoll wrote, “first impressions never have a second chance”. The first time you interact with an individual they will form a perception of you. Although this opinion may be biased and untrue, once established it takes on a life of its own, and will require a lot of time and effort to change. […]
Networking is a key part of obtaining your first job after graduation. You connect with company recruiters, university alumni, and your peers and classmates to build a vast community of connections. You exchange business cards, connect on LinkedIn, and fill your phone with contacts so that you can reach out to any person at any […]
The first time I attended a large financial institution’s information session at my university, I showed up in casual clothing and stood in the back of a sea of blue and black suits. After an introduction speech all the employees spread around the room and crowds of students formed around them. The room became remarkably […]
Each industry, company, and project team consists of people doing specific types of work. As you join a new firm or a new group within that firm you will need to leverage what you already know and be prepared to learn new things. You will have some time prior to accepting a new position when […]
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Your Network is Your Net Worth
If you choose to pursue an MBA, you will surely learn a lot. One of the most consistent lessons that you will learn from the first to the last day of your MBA is the power of networking. From classmates to professors, guest lecturers, alumni, and LinkedIn connections – your duty is to increase and […]
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Networking: If You Wait, You Are Late!
Whether you are an undergraduate social sciences major, an MBA candidate, or a doctorate engineer, it is never too early to start networking. Many students spend too much time focused on the present: whether it’s homework assignments, working a part time job, or looking forward to the weekend. While those may be important, being a […]
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Early Career Tips for Success
Starting out in any profession is difficult. Starting out and standing out simultaneously is even harder. In this article, we will look at some of the things I learned from my experience interning at a range of consulting firms this summer. 1. The power of networking Although networking is a widely cited element of success […]
If someone is willing to give you 20 minutes of their time, what is the most value you can extract from that conversation? I networked my way to an interview. I cold messaged over 200 people on LinkedIn and had 50+ conversations with current consultants. The conversations not only helped me get referrals but also […]
You might have a picture-perfect resume. You might satisfy all the basic qualifications. Your credentials might even get past the robotic sorters looking through thousands of resumes for specific “buzz words”. But at the end of the day, if you are just a name on a job application, you might not get invited to that […]
Not all schools have a consulting club, extensive alumni networks in consulting firms, or recruiters that come to their campus looking for top applicants. If you are at one of these schools you may find yourself at a disadvantage (to be honest you probably are) but people do still get into firms from non-target schools. […]
Due to COVID-19 and the lack of physical interaction the “virtual coffee chat” has become a thing. I receive 2-3 LinkedIn messages per day asking to schedule a call so that I can share my personal experience in consulting, answer recruiting-related questions, and sometimes even review a resume on the spot. However, due my busy […]
Everyone I know in consulting entered it in large part as a means of career advancement, be it through the ranks of the consulting industry or with the intention to pivot into a different career down the line. Yet, what does it mean to get the most out of the consulting experience for career advancement? […]
I don’t remember anyone talking about it back when I was recruiting for consulting, but I have noticed that one major contributing factor to consulting workplace satisfaction is having friends at the firm. By friends, I don’t mean the typical “workplace friends” that you get along with at work, get coffee with, and maybe go […]
Networking is a normal part of student life. The term networking nowadays usually connotes interacting with business people with the goal of achieving a professional outcome, and this becomes increasingly important as the academic journey comes to an end. In the consulting industry networking is more than just gaining a few names and LinkedIn contacts, […]
You might have been given an opportunity to have a coffee chat with a firm representative or with a Partner at your dream consulting firm. However, one observation that I have made as both a potential hire looking for a job and as a consultant guiding others is that oftentimes, we are not prepared for […]
Applications can be a stress inducing process when pursuing a consulting career or opportunities from consulting firms as a student. Especially when you are competing against your peers who offer a diverse pool of skills, experiences, and backgrounds for consulting firms to cherry pick from. Selection criteria for candidates may differ from firm to firm […]
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4 Top Tips for Networking at Any Event
Networking can be a frightening process but a necessary one since it gives you a chance to meet new people who are the biggest asset you can have in life. Through successful networking one gains a multitude of benefits such as strengthened business connections, introduction to fresh ideas, access to jobs opportunities, more confidence and […]
The question of how to join a management consulting firm as an experienced hire from another industry or another consulting firm is one that is often asked. The traditional route is to apply and go through the standard interview process as an MBA summer intern or post-MBA consultant. However, there aren’t a lot of sources […]
One of the more memorable parts of the consulting recruiting process was witnessing people attempting to network with consulting firms. What stood out was that people didn’t seem to have a commonsense understanding of networking best practices. Consequently, I witnessed some networking maneuvers that were simply bad form. I thought I had buried those amusing […]
In the previous article on ‘The Smart Intern’, we explored the reasons for networking during the internship including to pursue the goals of understanding the full-time hiring process, achieving visibility, and creating advocacy within the organisation for your full-time hire. In this article, we will take a deep-dive into this goal-based networking process, explore other […]
If you think that you can relax after getting that fabulous MBA internship offer from your dream company, then you are partly right. While it’s important to relax after your internship hunt marathon, the smartness doesn’t lie in dealing with things as they come. It lies in planning in advance and dealing with deviations from […]
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7 Networking Mistakes to Avoid
When it comes to recruiting the three big criteria are: networking, application package (cover letter, resume, and transcript), and interview. Even after you get a job, networking is still one of the most essential life skills to have. Either we shy away from it and allow ourselves to be outshined by others, or we grab […]
So, you’ve put together your blog or product website – now all you need is visitors. You blast your website on social media pages, telling your friends to share and subscribe. Your views … trickle in. Slowly. This won’t cut it. How do other blogs get so much traffic so quickly? Easy: They’re being more […]
If you are going to university, it is likely that you will attend a corporate networking event at some point. Whether you want to form connections with your dream employer, find out about a specific company or industry, or simply go because that’s what all of your friends seem to be doing, these events can […]
I spend a large chunk of my daily life attached to technology. I wake up courtesy of the alarm on my phone and as I turn it off I am greeted by the notifications that have reached me overnight. Fantastic, one of my friends on Instagram has posted for the first time in a while. […]
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Building Consulting Relationships
(Source: Flickr) This post considers how to build consulting relationships. Some people appear to believe that the goal of attending networking events is to collect as many business cards as possible. This was always the wrong approach, however in a world with LinkedIn, it is also absurd since a person’s business card will contain much less information than […]
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Gaining Consulting Contacts
(Source: Flickr) AS an aspiring consultant, the purpose of networking is to gain industry contacts, learn about your target firms, and obtain names that you can use in your application cover letter (e.g. “I am applying to Bain following my discussion with your Associate John Citizen at the recent New York University careers fair.”). There are various ways to […]
THERE MAY be a business school bubble for other people, but not for you. Whether you are buying into a bubble depends on whether the cost of what you are buying significantly exceeds its intrinsic value. For most assets, you can find the intrinsic value by looking at the expected return – the more money […]