Case Interview Preparation & Management Consulting | Strategy | Critical Thinking
StrategyTraining.com & FirmsConsulting.com
Firmsconsulting maintains a 80% success rate at placing clients within McKinsey, BCG and Bain. This is the highest in the industry and the rate is higher if we include other firms. We achieve this rate because we only use former partners from McKinsey, BCG et al to develop our clients. This makes us unique. We never use analysts, associates, engagement managers or associate principals. We also carefully select and develop clients on their communication, image, technical and case interview skills. This podcast channel describes our lessons from training our clients.
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www.strategytraining.com
www.firmsconsulting.com
www.strategytraining.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 28, 2011 • 24min
13: Consulting Culture
This is a topic which is very dear and close to me. In fact, it is why we started Firmsconsulting and run it the way we do. Very, very few people truly understand the culture of management consulting. Many existing consultants also struggle to understand the culture. Consultants are professionals, not business people. I would strongly urge you to listen to this podcast.
May 22, 2011 • 15min
12: McKinsey, BCG etc. exit opportunities exaggerated
This is an important podcast because it explains how a consulting career should fit into your overall career planning. Most candidates want to work at BBM because everyone says they should. They also think they know the exit opportunities but have a very weak, and sometimes fantasized, view on exit options.
May 16, 2011 • 9min
11: Fatal brainstorming mistake made by all
You are unlikely to pass a McKinsey case interview unless you can brainstorm. Consulting interviewers are ALWAYS testing for poise, confidence, structure and logic in your response. Most candidates do this well everywhere – except when it comes to brainstorming. Learn how "not" to brainstorm. This podcast looks at one of the most common brainstorming problems. A problem so common, that many simply assume it is the way to brainstorm. Fixing this problem can improve your brainstorming skills by between 5% to 30% percent.
May 10, 2011 • 17min
10: The Strategy Study
McKinsey, BCG et al engagements are very different from the stories typically depicted on blogs etc. Too often the writer seems intent on explain how long the hours are and the need to do analyses. That is part of the picture but far from the entire story. Many of these stories are also written bottom-up with an associate or analyst seeing things from their relatively narrow view without a proper feel for the higher level discussions.
May 4, 2011 • 19min
9: The Impossible Candidates Lessons
Here we talk about the unusual tactics we used to place a musician into BBM Europe who had just a master's degree in music, from an elite institute and 4 years of experience in the Arts. Lacking a business background she decided to make the transition after her marriage. The tactics are not surprising, but the execution is.
Apr 28, 2011 • 20min
8: Lessons in not placing a successful Wharton MBA
Having a brilliant profile and credentials is good, but not great. In this podcast we discuss the hurdles which caused a brilliant Wharton MBA to stumble during their interviews. Much came down to the candidate simply not understanding the consulting culture and not acting on feedback. Moreover, McKinsey, especially BCG, look for reserved leaders versus over-confidence. That balance is crucial.
Apr 22, 2011 • 14min
7: English-speaking offices
Aspiring consultants typically struggle at this selection and arrive at the wrong strategy. When you live in a country with just one BBM office, like most countries, how do you select a 2nd, 3rd or 4th choice? How many options do you realistically have and how do you size them up? Are the UAE and Singapore your only options? This podcast addresses these issues.
Apr 16, 2011 • 17min
6: Advice on speaking like a consultant
If you read forums worldwide everyone is obsessed with cracking the case. Yet, most people cannot communicate like a consultant. We hope by reading this post, candidates spend an equal, if not more, time focusing on their communication skills as well. If you cannot speak like a consultant, you cannot be a consultant.
Apr 10, 2011 • 17min
5: Families and McKinsey
No one will say this, but you should not be planning a family in the formative/early years of McKinsey or BCG. While firms go to great lengths to extol the virtues of their family friendly cultures, at the end of the day, the numbers say otherwise. It is very difficult to balance family demands and the pressures of a McKinsey engagement. It is best to select phases in your life, and early in you career, focus on career building. Related: - The Consulting offer 2: The Challenges of A Chinese female PhD Purusing Consulting - Quarterly Article: Why there are so few female management consulting partners
Apr 4, 2011 • 21min
4: Anatomy of a McKinsey Networking Event
The most important piece of feedback for a McKinsey, BCG et al networking event is to do nothing. You actually want to draw as little attention to yourself as possible. Networking events are really formats where consulting firms market themselves. There are obviously exceptions, but rarely is this going to be a moment for you to market yourself. For one, there is too much happening around you and you will almost never get an opportunity to dazzle anyone. Related: The Consulting Offer season 2, Episode 1 Partner Networking and Resume Feedback Quarterly article: Networking with Management Consulting Partners
