Training · CO-1 · Lesson 00 of 06
Introduction
The rule
Consulting hiring asks whether you can take a messy problem, give it structure, and stay likable while doing it. The case tests the first two; fit tests the third.
What consultants do
Management consultants help organisations solve problems they cannot or prefer not to solve alone: entering a market, cutting costs, merging two companies, reorganising, setting strategy. They bring structured problem-solving, outside perspective and capacity for intensive analysis.
What the interview tests
Two things: can you solve a business problem in a structured way (the case), and would a client trust you in a room (fit). Both count equally at most firms; a brilliant case does not survive a weak fit round.
- ·Structured thinking under ambiguity.
- ·Comfort with numbers and quick estimation.
- ·Clear communication and synthesis.
- ·Leadership, drive and teamwork evidence.
The recruiting timeline
Most firms recruit on campus in a concentrated period, with two or three rounds over a few weeks. Experienced hires and non-target candidates apply through networking and referrals.
- Application + resume screen
- Week 0
- Online test (some firms)
- Week 1–2
- First round: 2 cases + fit
- Week 3–4
- Final round: 2–3 cases + fit
- Week 5–6
- Offer
- Within days
How to prepare
Plan around forty to sixty practice cases with partners, plus mental maths drills and a set of polished fit stories. Quality of feedback matters more than volume: practise with people who will tell you specifically where your structure broke.
The mindset
Think like a consultant already: hypothesis-driven, numbers-based, client-focused. Every answer should end with 'so what' — what the finding means for the client's decision.
Hold onto this
- ·Two interview types: the case and the fit, and both are scored.
- ·Structure beats insight — a clear framework with a mediocre answer outperforms a clever guess.
- ·Everything is practisable, including the part that feels like personality.
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Education, not financial advice. Figures may be simplified for illustration.