Management Consulting: What does an interviewer look for in a candidate?

This article is from a series of articles on management consulting. You can access the previously published resources at:

• Management Consulting: What does it hold for you?

• Management Consulting: The Recruitment Process

• Management Consulting: What to expect in your interview?

This article focuses on what the interviewer looks for in a candidate specifically while solving a case/guesstimate.

While solving a case in a consulting interview, candidates are tested on their:

• Problem-solving skills

• Ability to structure and break down a problem into its individual components

• Ability to prioritize and efficiently solve a case

• Analytical Skills

• Basic quantitative skills (and comfort with numbers)

• Business acumen

• Good communication skills and clarity of thought

• Ability to keep the interviewer engaged throughout the process

• Asking the right questions at the right time

Bear in mind, if you are applying as an undergraduate student for an entry-level role, you do not require any specific technical or industry-specific knowledge. Any case that you are given, you are expected to solve it based on general principles, logic and common sense, and not on the basis of any pre-existing industry-specific knowledge. It is not expected of you, however, if you already possess any such knowledge, you can definitely use it.

Keep in mind that the interviewer is focusing on the process and the approach taken by you to solve the case (or guesstimate). The end result isn’t as important as the process itself. It is also important to keep confirming with the interviewer if you can proceed with the approach you have in mind.

While breaking down a problem, a key skill that you need is called ‘MECE’ - Mutually Exclusive and Cumulatively Exhaustive. This means that when you break down anything into smaller constituents, the smaller units should be mutually exclusive (no overlaps) and cumulatively exhaustive (should sum up to the original piece).

You now understand an interviewer’s point of view in a consulting interview. As you prepare, you should practice all the above-mentioned skills that an interviewer looks for.

In the next article, we will look at how to strategically prepare for your consulting interviews and what resources to use.

Further Reading: How to build a professional CV

Further Reading: How to crack your interviews

Further Reading: How to land an internship

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