Consulting Job Guide 2021

The easiest and most efficient way to land an offer (in my opinion)

The inspiration for this guide

A little story

During my first year of yeshiva, I met a fellow student who recently accepted an offer from Mckinsey. Being interested in consulting myself I inquired into how he prepared. He said two words.

“victor chang”

“that’s it?”, I asked

“yup”, he responded

For those of you that don’t know, Victor Chang is the author of Case Interview Secrets, a very popular case prep book, second only to classic Case in Point by Marc Consentino. It is wildly popular and somewhat controversial for its “simple” approach toward case frameworks.

As I started to delve more deeply into the consulting prep world I began to believe that he was not telling me the whole story. Consulting prep is its own industry. With starry-eyed students often paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the countless programs and resources that promise to give them a leg up on the competition. Surely reading one short book is not going to be enough.

So I took the “safe route”, going far beyond just reading _Case in Point, I _engrossed myself in a plethora of other resources that I believed would provide me the “full” set up of skills that I would need to land a competitive job.

However, after having gone through the process and securing a position at a top firm, I now realize that he was actually telling the truth, the “whole truth”.

The problem

The internet is an amazing resource. Providing us more information at the tips of our fingers than ever before. But it also comes with downsides. By providing us with so much accessible information it can actually lead to a lot of misinformation and wasted time. Add to this that people are always trying to sell us stuff it can also lead to wasted money.

Consulting prep is not easy, it requires serious effort to solidify your resume and become competent in case studies. However, the process itself does not need to be intimidating or confusing. It’s actually quite straightforward and easy to understand. It’s really a matter of getting the right information and grinding.

So, can you really land a job by just reading Victor Chang?

Yes.

Should you?

No

I have a more comprehensive yet still simple method for getting an offer.

Welcome to the Consulting Job Guide 2021

---

What differentiates this guide from all the others?

1. I am not trying to sell you anything

This guide is pretty much a transcription of the advice that I provide to intersted students when they LinkedIn request me. Unlike other guides that can be found online, you will not find here any offers to buy any services from me. The only resources here that are not free are a couple of books that I highly recommend. I gain nothing from you buying them :)

2. I don’t provide any shortcuts or hacks

Other guides often make promises that sound too good to be true. They are. The only shortcut in job preparation is to realize that there are no shortcuts and thus get grinding.

3. Comprehensive

This guide is short and sweet. But don’t be fooled. It is fully comprehensive. In here lies everything that you need. I truly believe if you provided this guide and the resources I mention to a complete novice to the subject and locked them in a room they would come out fully prepared.

How to get the most out of this guide

Stick to the Pareto (80/20 rule)

Ever heard of Tim Duncan i.e. “The Big Fundamental”

During his Hall of Fame basketball career, Tim Duncan earned the nickname because his signature shots were as mundane as they were effective. Although Tim was a boring player, he was a vicous scorer that players dreaded guarding. His success was a direct result of his mastering of the fundamentals.

“the Big Fundamental”

Tim could have focused his efforts on learning new moves and working on different type of shots. But that would only distract him from honing on what made him such a good player. His mastering of the fundamentals. The fundamentals were the **20% **that contributed to **80% **of his success.

Consulting positions are competitive with some firms having lower acceptance rates than Harvard. However, consulting interviews are not testing for anything fancy. They are not looking for half court shots and windmill dunks.

A big way to differentiate yourself is by mastering the basics. By mastering the fundamentals you automatically place yourself among the top candidates.

Although this guide is comprehensive I focus on the fundamentals. As you prep I urge you to do the same.

---

Ok intro finally over

Let’s get started!

There are two components to land a consulting job

1. Getting Interviews
2. Passing Interviews

_ _

---

Getting Interviews

The best way to get an interview is through a referral

This is critical.

46% off all hires at top performing firms are referrals.

This is probably even higher in consulting.

Applying to job posts without a refferal is usually a waste of time.

A 4.0 Harvard resume won’t impress anyone if it is not read because all the interview spots have already filled filled with referral candidates. Students with strong resumes are the most likely to make this mistake.

Getting referrals in 2 steps

1. Reaching out
2. Calling

For many of us this can be the most nerve racking part of the recruitment process. Reaching out to a complete stranger especially for a request can be quite uncomfortable especially for those of us who are shy.

Unfortunately, there is no way to circumvent this component

For me this was most hardest part of the process. At least in the beginning. However, over time I became more comfortable and I actually started enjoying the networking. Each call provided me another opportunity to improve my elevator pitch and learn from interesting people.

If you also dread this I suggest that rather than looking at it as a burden look at it as an opportunity to improve. You will need to do this on a frequent basis as a consultant so you might as well get comfortable now.

Reaching out is actually quite simple

1. Sheduling the call