Preparation 

Essentials

Familiarize yourself with the industry and consulting lifestyle through research and informational interviews: Carefully analyze where your skills and experiences are most valuable and determine the firms and practice areas you will target in your job search.

A targeted resume, cover letter, and networking strategy: Your research will allow you to present your relevant skills and experience in the language of consulting, which is especially important if you are a career switcher. The more feedback you receive on your resume and cover letter from career advisors, peer advisors, classmates, and alumni with industry experience, the stronger your applications will be. 

Case Interview preparation: Consulting firms utilize rigorous case interview processes to assess communications skills, business acumen, problem-solving, and self-confidence. The case interview gives you an opportunity to find out what it would be like to work through a business problem with a potential co-worker.  Refer to the Timeline for guidance on when you should begin your preparation.

Case Interview and Preparation Tips

• McDonough Career Center Case Preparation Videos: Check out these great tips from former peer advisors Paul Sturrup and Jim Hilk!

• Case in Point: Complete Guide to Case Interview Preparation by Marc Cosentino is an excellent resource to build a foundation for further development of case interview proficiency.  It is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

• FirstHand guides to case interviews and practice cases are available for immediate download. 

• Firm websites provide overviews on case interviewing and practice cases - including McKinsey, Bridgespan, BCG, Bain, and Deloitte.

Enjoy the ride!  

• Your rapport with the interviewer is very important; treat them as you would a manager or senior client. They want you to succeed and can share a great deal of guidance and information to help as you work through the case.

• The case structure you create in the beginning is like the executive summary, and can be used to establish credibility and guide the entire case discussion.

• The quantitative portions of the case test your poise, analytical skills, and business insights.

• The interviewer may question assumptions and calculations to see how you respond.

Other Preparation Tips

• Look at examples of job descriptions that interest you and familiarize yourself with the specific skillsets, strengths, and competencies that are in demand for the roles you seek.

• To stay on top of the industry, make it a habit to read trade publications and popular websites. Websites such as The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are good resources, even if you’re not interested in finance. Many firms like McKinsey and Deloitte regularly publish white papers, which can be a great way to get a pulse on industry trends as well as the firm’s approach to solving problems. 

• Networking to deepen knowledge of a target firm, build relationships and demonstrate your strengths as a candidate is required to attain an internship or full-time position.  Many firms know who they want to interview before the resume drop even occurs.

• Firms commonly track you from your first interactions with the firm.  Firm representatives and alumni visit campus and meet with students to identify top talent long before the formal resume submission. Every informational counts!  

• Modeling skills are a tremendous advantage in certain types of consulting.  If you have not done any financial modeling prior to business school, you will be required to demonstrate an aptitude – high GPA/test scores, coursework, Training the Street, maybe an internship.

• Be prepared for very specific questions about your background and technical skills in all interactions, including informational interviews.

• For MBAs: High GPA & GMAT levels are very important (i.e., 3.5+/700+) for some firms, especially strategy consulting, but for most, they are two of many factors considered.  If you have a weak GPA, for example, be prepared to point to other areas of intellectual achievement and/or extraordinary extracurricular activities. (Note: Georgetown McDonough adopted a Grade Nondisclosure Standard for full-time MBA students in October 2019).