Management Consultancy Interview Guide

Giving an organisation the competitive edge is what makes Management Consultancy tick. A successful candidate will be the person who demonstrates an ability to make the right decisions. Having the skills to bring about positive change will put you in good stead. But performing well at interview is crucial.

What will an employer be looking to establish in the Management Consultancy interview? In this guide, we will walk you through the interview process. We will clearly outline the key areas an employer will focus on. By studying our advice, you will be able to attend an interview better prepared and more confident.

Because an employer will focus on four main areas, we outline them below in stages. This will give you an opportunity to fully absorb the requirements of each.

 

What’s Your Motivation?

Firstly, why are you looking for a career in Consultancy? More specifically, why do you want that career to be with the organisation you have applied for?

Secondly, the employer will be looking to understand how you are likely to behave in different types of situations. They will also want to  know whether this matches both the requirements of the role and culture of the organisation.

Thirdly, if there are specific technical skills that are needed for the role, the employer may use the interview to explore these.

Lastly, they will be looking to understand how strong a communicator you are – this is particularly important for a Management Consultant role.

It is important to find out as much as you can about the organisation before the interview. Carry out thorough research. This will help you explain why you have applied for a role. It will demonstrate that you know and understand the nature of the business. And it will also ensure you can explain how your skills will be a good fit for both the organisation and its culture. What can you bring to the business?

Confidence is going to be everything during the interview. You need to ensure that you come across as a strong communicator. In particular, you need to demonstrate the ability to make the right decisions and be able to communicate them effectively.

If you think you may needed extra help with preparation, then why not get one of Shortlist.Me’s experts to review your practice interview.

 

What Specific Behaviours are they Evaluating?

There are a variety of competencies, or behaviours, that an employer may be looking to evaluate during the interview.  Eight key competencies that are typically required for Management Consultant roles are listed below:

 

Commercial Awareness – this is key in any Management Consultancy role as you will need to understand your client’s industry, landscape and business model and be able to identify ways they can improve and become stronger.

Building Relationships – you will need to build relationships quickly and effectively with both clients and colleagues to perform well in a management consultant role.  Clients must trust you and you must be able to elicit information from them and get them to open up to you.

Analytical Thinking – in your client work you will need to logically analyse the information available and come up with effective solutions.

Courage  – you will need to challenge your clients and question their thinking and will need to be comfortable and confident to do this in a non-confrontational manner.

Initiative – as a Management Consultant you will spend significant portions of your time on site with clients.  You must be comfortable and confident to act on your own initiative and work independently.

Flexibility – Consultancy is a fast-paced, changing world and it will be important that you are comfortable with change and react positively as priorities and workload shift.

Resilience – you may at time feel under pressure in your role as a Management Consultant.  You will need to be able to handle the unpredictability of the work and respond positively to pressure.

Communication – communicating clearly and persuasively and putting your arguments across effectively is key to this role.  All employers will assess your communication skills within the interview.

 

Example Questions 

To answer any competency question, there are a variety of experiences you can draw on. Consider your past work placements or jobs, university life and projects, sports clubs, hobbies etc.

 

Question 1 (Courage)

Give me an example of a time when you have challenged someone because you felt their views were wrong.  Why did you feel this was necessary and what approach did you take?

In this question the employer is looking for evidence that:

• You have the confidence to challenge someone on their thinking
• You use sound judgement when deciding when it is appropriate to challenge
• You have thought through logically how you are going to challenge
• You have logical, strong arguments to support your challenge
• You use a sensitive, considered approach

Question 2  (Initiative)

Tell me about a time when you have had to complete a task or project independently.  How did you feel about this and how did you approach the task or project?

In this question the employer is looking for evidence that:

• You can work independently with confidence
• You feel positive about working without close supervision
• You have clear strategies for approaching your work

Question 3  (Building relationships)

Tell me about a time when you have needed to build a relationship with someone new. How did you feel about this and what specifically did you do?

In this question the employer is looking for evidence that:

• You are confident building relationships with others
• You use a range of strategies to support your relationship building e.g. asking questions, finding common ground etc.
• You are able to build effective relationships
• You understand why building relationships is so important

 

Build Up Your Confidence

Because Management Consultancy relies on confidence, you need to be confident. Not just in your approach to an interview but in how you perform when answering questions. You won’t get a second chance to impress an employer, so it pays to get it right first time.

You can improve your confidence and learn how to present yourself as an effective thought leader. Shortlist.Me offers Management Consultancy candidates interview training. This allows you to answer the questions you are likely to be asked in a realistic setting. You can review your own performance and get feedback from experts.

Shortlist.Me helps you better prepare for an interview in private. You won’t have to asks friends or family to assist you; you will be helped by recruitment specialists.