Interview questions can range far and in between a large range based on the person, company, and level you are interviewing for at a consulting firm. First round of interviews are probably one-on-one interviews and it is best to prepare ahead of time. Let us look at some popular Interview Questions for Entry Level Consultants and Consulting and strategies on how to best answer them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the classic and most common opening question in all\ninterviews. First impressions mean a lot in all interviews and consulting is no\ndifferent. Be ready to answer this question in some form or fashion. Start with\na quick mention of your education but no need to get into the details of each\nof the classes you took. Only mention when you graduated and why this is\nrelevant to your interview. For example, you can say you obtained an MBA last\nFall since you wished to grow your career and enter the world of consulting for\nthe interesting and challenging opportunities it provides. Mention your\nprofessional work history from your resume and highlight as many relevant\nbullet points that can relate to consulting. Do not deep dive any, as if the\ninterviewer is interested, they will ask you to explain more later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not spend too much time getting into your hobbies or\nanything unrelated to the position early on. The first question is to determine\nif you are the right fit before digging further into the details and whether\nyou play hockey on the weekends is irrelevant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This question is asked to see if you have really done your\nhomework into how a consulting organization works and operates. It is a good\nthing you have read this book! You are well on your way. The interviewer wishes\nto know not only how well you understand consulting, but also how you plan to\nhandle the potential negatives such as long hours, travel, and difficult\nclients. Try to focus your answer on the learning opportunities that only\nconsulting can provide. Explain your interest in opportunities and ability to\nlearn quickly, take on interesting challenges, or how you wish to become a\nsubject matter expert and a trusted advisor in one area. Try to pepper in past\nanecdotes of experience you may have had that prove you are being genuine in\nyour answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid answers such as \u201cI want to travel or have my food expensed\u201d. These are not valid reasons you would want to join a firm and show short-sightedness and immaturity in the toll consulting can take.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interested in a career in consulting? Be sure to pick up my book An Introduction to Consulting<\/a> available now!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter what level you join a consulting firm, leadership\nis a primary skillset you must have. In consulting you will spend a lot of time\nworking in teams to plan, execute, and implement solutions for clients and\nthose all require some degree of leadership. For this answer, have one prepared\nthat highlights a time you had to step up to be a leader and help solve a real\nproblem from your past experiences. Outline how the different efforts you made\ncontributed to the overall success of the problem at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This question is like the leadership question and should be answered in a similar format. Instead of a scenario of where you had to be a leader, this one is more open-ended to any problem you may have had such difficult teammates, changing deadlines, etc. Have an answer prepared that starts with the issue that had occurred, your role in identifying it and the steps you took to cause a successful resolution.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interested in a career in consulting? Be sure to pick up my book An Introduction to Consulting<\/a> available now!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This question is designed to test your knowledge of the\nconsulting industry and your motivation for picking a specific firm. Highlight\nsome of the key reasons for your interest in the specific firm you are\ninterviewing with. Do your research before going into the interview. Figure out\nwhat areas this firm focuses on and excels in. Be sure to mention those and how\nthose align with your goals and career aspirations. Mention how not only how\nthe company can help you grow and obtain your goals but also how you can help\nthe company grow and obtain theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another\ncommon question across many industries. For this question, have 2-3 of each\nstrength and weakness prepared. For the strengths, it is important to show\nconfidence but not arrogance. The goal is to highlight qualities such as focus,\ndedication, creativity, and relate to how you apply them to your day to day\ntasks, especially at work. The interviewer is looking to see if what you bring\nto the table is going to be a fit for the role they are hiring for. In\nconsulting, strengths such as leadership, work ethic problem solving,\nhard-working are usually ideal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nweakness portion of the answer is always a little trickier. You want to appear\nself-aware of your flaws but not list out items that will eliminate you as a\ncandidate. It is also easy to see through \u201cweakness as strength\u201d answers such\nas \u201cI work too hard\u201d. Try to be honest about your answers and mention\nshortcomings that are not critical and how you have begun to take steps to grow\nand evolve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Logical\nquestions are usually theoretical or analysis driving questions. The purpose of\nthese questions is not to see if you get the exact right answer but to evaluate\nyour thought process and methodology of problem-solving. Now is not the time to\nbe quiet. Be sure to talk through your solution and draw out your answer as you\nprocess the solution. It ok to backtrack if you have gone down a path that does\nnot make sense. Just be sure to show why you feel you made an error and how to\ncorrect it. Visuals will be your friend if you have access to a whiteboard or\nnotepad. Here are some sample questions to give you an idea of what to expect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\nis a list of more common questions you may see in an entry-level interview. Be\nsure to practice with a friend and have answers to many of these ready before\nyou show up to your interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\nTell me about a time you displayed leadership?<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tell me about a difficult problem you occurred in the\npast and how you overcame it?<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why do you want to work for this firm?<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are your strengths and weaknesses?<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Logical Thinking Questions<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
More Questions for Interview Questions for Entry Level Consultants and Consulting <\/h2>\n\n\n\n