Dos and Donts for the Consulting Interview

Dos and Donts for the Consulting InterviewDos and Donts for the Consulting InterviewThe search for a job, whether youre coming out of college or a senior executive, is never easy. It is a venture into the unknown, and that can be scary and daunting. But fret not While a healthy respect for the interview process should always be maintained, there are some tips that can help make your day go much more smoothly.Make a solid introductionAs my parents always said on the first day of school, you only have one chance to make a first impression After a few years, my siblings and I often jokingly recited these pearls of wisdom before they had a chance to tell us. And its advice that will last a lifetime. The introduction is a major step in the interview process, and there will be a lot of them to make. While it may seem obvious, there are a few simple steps to ensure that you always make a good first impression.- The handshake didnt develop into an almost universal gesture due to its lack of importance. Be firm, make direct eye contact and keep a smile on your face. Make the interviewer know that you are here to perform right off the bat. If you are waiting in a room for the interviewer arrive, try to keep an eye out and make sure you are standing up right away nobody likes a seated handshake- Say your name clearly Interviewers may see 10-15 people each day during the height of the recruiting season. So, while you might be about to produce the best interview responses they have ever heard, it wont help if they dont remember your name.- Dress to impress, but please, keep it professional. Consider the setting where you are interviewing. While you might look absolutely stellar in your ball gown or your faux-snake-skin suit, perhaps its not the right time to break those styles out of your closet (there are plenty of social events down the road to win the best-dressed trophy). Appropriate garb leaves the interviewer distraction-free, with full attention on your responses to the questions at hand. Remember, its your responses that will make or break your interview.Know your storyNobody knows your life better than you do (OK, maybe your family has memories from when you were too young to remember), but if somebody asks you question about what defines you as a person?, will you have a well thought-out answer ready or will you flounder your way down memory lane? Common interview questions on your background are just that, common, so prepare for what they might be.Practice, practice, practiceThere is no better advice for case interview preparation than to practice general interview and case questions. When you think youve practiced enough, convince a friend or family member to help you practice again. One key to case interviews is to realize that they are all basically Mad Libs question where the interviewer asks candidates the same questions, and looks to you to fill in the blanks and stand out in your answers.Youll have a good chance to make a strong show ing in the case question if you have a process for dissecting the case question into logical parts, think through your response, and drive toward the best answer in a logical, step-wise fashion. It doesnt matter if youre estimating the market size of meerbusen carts or nail clippers, practice is the key to successArrive armed with questionsThere is usually time at the end of the interview to ask questions. The best advice is to know your audience. If you have time for two questions, try to make one about the firm in general, and make one about the interviewers experiences. Doing homework in advance is always a smart move, and you can ask very targeted questions based on each interviewers background.Areas of cautionJust as there are two sides to every coin, the same is true for interview topics. There are certain subjects that you probably want to avoid when youre in a professional setting, especially when interviewing.- Social life What you do in a social setting should NEVER be dis cussed (outside of volunteer work or related activities). And never ask about the interviewers personal life.- Sob stories While there may be many defining moments in your life, many interviewers may view this as a guilt trip.- Applications at other jobs Sometimes you may be asked where else are you interviewing? The best response is to keep things at a high level. Dont lie, but dont get into specific firms. Remember, the only place you want to work is L.E.K.- Compensation and benefits Focus on getting a job offer first. Without the offer, it doesnt really matter what the compensation is. And you will always find out upon receiving the offer.- Overselling Tread lightly on using past internships or jobs to describe your industry expertise. Especially for those interviewing for the Associate role, know your limitations. While you can bring some experience to the table, you will be amazed at how much you will learn within the first week on the job.Lets face it, job interviewing can be tough While it is never without some level of stress, keep in mind these simple tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible.Good luckby Will G., L.E.K. ConsultingFor more on the consulting lifeincluding interview tips and advice on life inside a leading firmcheck out L.E.K. Consultings blog The Advisor. A version of this post also appears there.

What You Should Not Write in a Cover Letter

What You Should Not Write in a Cover LetterWhat You Should Not Write in a Cover LetterWhile the resume is a tried and true method for communicating important skills and experience to a prospective employer, a few short lines, dates and one line accolades can only go so far in flushing out your personality and qualifications. For this reason, many employers or job applications also ask for some gestalt of a cover letter.From the traditional, three-paragraph formatted introductory missive to mora detailed call and response narratives that answer an employers specific question, cover letters provide a more the in-depth cover letter to help narrow down their list of candidates. A knack for successful communication is key in pretty much any position or field, making a cover letter a useful tool and mastering the art of crafting one essential to a candidates chances at scoring a position. Before you go running out to draft up a pages long narrative, however, there are a few things you shou ld know about cover letter creation. Read on for our mobiltelefon list of what you should never write in your cover letter.Improper Spelling and GrammarWhether its on your resume proper or your cover letter, hiring managers have no bigger pet peeve than distracting errors in your job application. Spelling mistakes are easily caught and corrected with most faulen word processing programs. Grammatical slips are often harder to catch but preventable with a good proofread.Having these types of obvious errors in your cover letter indicates that youre not big on attention to detail a pretty large turn off for most modern employers. Before submitting your cover letter, be sure to look the document over one or two more times. Having a trusted friend or professional colleague review with a fresh pair of eyes also isnt a bad idea since theyre likely to find any errors you may have missed on the first go round.An old-fashioned salutationWhile your grandmother, grade school teacher or that clas sic miss manners book may have instructed you in the art of old-school opening salutations, your modern and professional cover letter isnt the place to put these pieces of sage advice into action. Dear Sirs or To Whom it May Concern may tick off the politeness boxes, but the salutations wont score you many points towards getting your application a second look.Take some time to research for a recruiter or hiring managers individual personenname in order to provide a more personalized address. Job openings will often list a position title of the person youll be reporting to but may leave off contact details. A little thoughtful internet research will help avoid your cover letter coming off as old-fashioned and may even set you apart from the crowd by drawing attention to your resourcefulness and professionalism.Overused ClichesSure, you may be goal-oriented and professionally driven towards career success but when it comes to communicating vital information to a prospective employer, its often difficult to translate colloquialisms into relevant descriptions that help set you apart from other candidates. Being a team player is a great thing, but much more impactful would be discussing how youve successfully led multi-person teams to achieve company milestones or how you coordinated that large project last year that earned industry recognition. Remember that in your cover letter cliches are, well, cliche and can quickly become overused and help you blend in with the application crowd rather than make your candidacy stand out.As a closing note for cover letter dont guidance, remember that the document is geared towards being a descriptive snapshot of your candidacy. As such, your cover letter should get down to facts quickly and convey the important aspects of your skills, experience, and personality that may be difficult to explain in the more concise resume. Think of the cover letter as your professional pitch to a potential employer and youll be well on your way to seeing dividends in the way of a callback or job offer.

Job Interview Question Are You Interviewing With Other Companies

Job Interview Question Are You Interviewing With Other CompaniesJob Interview Question Are You Interviewing With Other CompaniesInterviewing necessitates preparation on multiple frontsfrom buying nice clothes to researching the company and rehearsing answers to interview questions. But regardless of how well-prepared you may be, there are some dimensions of the interview process that always give candidates auszeit for example, it always feels a bit uncomfortable to discuss your other prospects. For that reason, this question is always complicated to field With what other companies are you interviewing and at what stage are you in their interview process?Of course you want to make it clear that you are a hot prospect who is in demand, but it is also important to be honest with your potential employers. Dont say you are currently interviewing if you are notlageits not the right way to start out your relationship with a potential employer. If you are interviewing, be upfront about timel ine details the interview team needs to aid them in their decision-making, but also be strategic about what you want to share and what you would prefer to keep private.Some consideration and practice will help you handle this question in a way that makes you feel comfortable and in control. Consider these approaches for each scenario in which you might find yourselfYou are interviewingSometimes it seems like interviews come in waveslike you wont get a single call for two months, and then you will receive two in a week. So lets say you had an interview earlier that week, and it went great and you are excited about it. Now in a subsequent interview that you are a bit less excited about, they pop the question Are you interviewing anywhere else? How do you respond?First of all, you want to be honest and upfront about the details of that process and how it impacts your subsequent interviews schedule-wise. Also, remember, you cant trust yourself in an interview to make decisions about the big picture. Even if you think you are leaning more towards one job than the other, the interview is not the place to decide that, so be on guard against disclosing too much about how you feel about your final decision. It is fair to say I interviewed earlier this week at xyz company, and I feel it went well.At this point it would be a good idea to restate your interest in the job and company where you are currently being interviewed and let the team know that you will inform them if there is a development with xyz company and then move the conversation forward. You indicate that you will relay any developmentsenough said. If they should ask more about the xyz company or position, it is fair to move the focus back to the job you are interviewing for and your enthusiasm around that opportunity. You are the one who gets to compare these two offers, not them.They may ask you what factors would be fruchtwein attractive to you as counter offerssuch as salary, paid time off, etc., and th at is fair game. Think carefully about what matters most to you, so that if this comes up, you know what elements of a compensation package are most important to you, and you can respond strategically.You are not currently interviewingThis is nothing to be ashamed of youve secured an interview, and you have to give yourself credit for that. Your resume rose to the top of scores of others. So feel confident you are already turning heads with your credentials.You do not have to inform them of interviews that you had but that didnt pan out. That is your private information, and your dont have any obligation to mention it. You do have to be honest, but you dont have to disclose all the details of your job search. Prepare an answer to the question that is honest, classy and strategic.Here are some ideasI am just beginning my search, and I am thrilled to say that this is my first interview since I started looking for increased responsibility in my field.I am very pleased to have the chanc e to interview for this position, and although I am actively looking for opportunities, this is the only position for which I am currently interviewing.Stick to your BoundariesYou have power in this conversation, and while those interviewing you have the chance to ask you a lot of questions, you have the authority to set your boundaries. The details of your job search are your private business. Be honest. Be prepared. Be confident and stick to your boundaries.Check out how to answer other common job interview questionsWhat Motivates You?What Major Challenges and Problems Have You Faced? How Have You Dealt With a Difficult Customer?Do You Have Any Questions For Me?Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? What Are Your Salary Requirements?Whats Your Greatest Career Accomplishment?