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Moreover, organizations of all types and sizes across the world hire management consultants to help them be more efficient or to help them address certain issues. Also, management consulting is known as one of the most lucrative professions in the U.S.
Therefore, it's not surprising that many professionals and students are contemplating to break into this field. The financial reward, intellectual challenge, coupled with the opportunity to learn, self-satisfaction and prestige are more than enough motivation to enter this field.
However, it's not that easy to land a job as a management consultant. The job market is quite competitive as the field tends to attract smart individuals. You need to have the right skills, contacts and strategies to make it in this industry.
Create a List of the Firms You Wish to Work For
The first part of your strategy is to create a list of firms you'd like to work for. Research the firms by popular opinion or consider the firms that are in line with your area of expertise or geography.
Get Ready for the Job
Make sure to equip yourself with the required and recommended skills to be successful in consulting. Some of the key skills include problem-solving, communication, leadership, and computer/presentation skills.
Continuously educate yourself about the industry. Follow the news and consistently learn about new ways to solve business problems.
Prepare Your Consulting Resume and Cover Letter
Crafting application documents for a consulting role is very much different from writing an application for any other position. Keep in mind that top firms are after people with impressive and quantifiable achievements. Make sure your resume and cover letter efficiently convey your pertinent work accomplishments as well as your skills that are important to consulting. Also, ensure to keep your cover letter to one page only, and your resume to a maximum of two pages. Be clear, concise and relevant.
Take Advantage of Campus Recruiting
Many firms organize the recruiting process in selected campuses, particularly in the top 20 schools. If you happen to study in a campus that is chosen by top firms to run their recruiting process, take advantage of it. The programs generally start around late fall up to around February. Firms typically organize informational sessions, case workshops, company chats, and interviews.
Make sure you participate in these events so you can acquire knowledge about your target firm. Not only will this show your genuine interest in the industry, but it can help you formulate intelligent questions to ask during the interview. Importantly, submit your resume for the campus recruiting on time.
Be Active in Off-campus Recruiting Too
If your campus is not lucky enough to be chosen by top firms to have their recruitment programs, you can still submit your application through the online systems. You may also make an effort to contact the recruiters in the organizations that you are interested in and inquire on how to apply.
However, the best off-campus application strategy would be through referrals. If you can find a consultant in the firm you want to work for or perhaps anyone higher, then you can get a good referral in that firm. Having these kinds of connections will help in the evaluation of your background and importantly, can help ensure that your resume lands on the right desk. And you can only achieve this if you efficiently do the next step.
Network Like You've Never Networked Before!
Reach out to as many school alumni contacts as you can, particularly those who are currently in the consulting industry. You may also network with your current or former work colleagues.
It is important to think beyond your circle. Yes, you can ask your family and your friends for help too. However, you need to know more people. The more you know, the higher your chance of being referred to HR contacts or current consultants.
If you're an undergraduate, you may try to attend to some MBA job fairs to further establish your contacts. You can get a few business cards there and even submit your resume. If you're already an MBA student, you may try to look into job fairs for nearby MBA programs.
Promote Yourself Online
It is critical to establish yourself as an expert in the field. And you can effectively promote yourself online. You may blog about your consulting specialty or join professional networking sites like LinkedIn to further grow your network. You may also join forums or group discussion to showcase your knowledge and to get potential contacts as well.
Prepare Hard for Interviews and Case Studies
Even if you have the perfect resume and cover letter, or even if you have the best of the best in the industry to refer you, it only takes a single interview to derail your chances to land a consulting job. So make sure you study for your interview and case interviews well. Conduct mock interviews with qualified professionals to gauge your performance. Although you may study by yourself, it is recommended to practice with someone to help you spot your weaknesses and really improve.
For more insights about the consulting industry and how to successfully break into it you can check out Consultingfact.com.
Consultingfact.com is an online resource for aspiring management consultants. We provide comprehensive guides on the entire consulting recruiting process - from writing applications down to networking and case interviews.
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