Impress your consulting interviewers

Each consulting organisation will have a slightly different applications process, but whatever the finer details, there will be one or more interviews you’ll need to attend and every employer will be on the lookout for similar kinds of information. For interview success, do some background research on the consultancy and the role you are applying to, come with a clear idea of what you can offer to the firm, and prepare yourself for typical questions and scenarios you will face.

First-round interviews

If your application has caught the consulting employer’s eye, you will probably be invited to a first-round interview, either in person or on the phone. This will be an information-gathering exercise to find out whether you possess the competences they are looking for and to explore your motivations for applying to the firm and for the particular role.

Before the interview, look through your written application and pick out several achievements and experiences that you can use to demonstrate you have the consulting skills they are looking for. You should also expect to be quizzed on your knowledge about the employer, so make sure you know what kind of consulting they focus on, the types of clients they work with, and how they are different from their competitors.

You will certainly be asked why you would like to work for them, so spend some time thinking about an answer that does not rely on clichés or flattery! According to recruiters, the best candidates are those who can show they really understand the job and explain why they want it.

Make a good impression

Try to build a rapport with interviewers without being over familiar. Maintain eye contact as much as possible and, if it is a panel interview, look at all the interviewers when you are answering a question. 'Demonstrate a high level of personal impact,' says Emma Harper, gradaute recruitment manager at McKinsey & Company. 'At interview, demonstrate how you have successfully built relationships or managed conflict to bring about change.'

Make it easy for the interviewers to imagine you working confidently with one of their clients.

Listen to the questions carefully, don’t interrupt, ask for clarification if you need it, and make your answers clear and concise. If you are having a telephone interview, prepare as thoroughly as you would for a face-to-face one. It can be harder to engage with an interviewer over the phone. Convey your enthusiasm as much as you can, speak slowly and clearly, and try to keep the conversation flowing. 'A key interview skill', says David Rogers, senior consultant at FTI Consulting, 'is the ability to talk with passion about a topic.'

Case study interviews

These are business-related scenarios that form part of many consulting firms’ recruitment processes. 'To stand out at interview, you will need to demonstrate creativity and problem-solving ability when faced with an unfamiliar case study,' says Shane Richardson, EMEA recruitment manager at Oliver Wyman. Read our advice on approaching case study interviews.