Congratulations on securing those interviews. In answer to your questions, my views are as follows:[quote]- will they be expecting knowledge of the 'classic' frameworks (Porter's 5 forces etc?)[/quote]In my experience how you interact with the interviewer, how good you are at asking questions and soliciting information, how effective you are at working with the interviewer to reach conclusions, etc. are far more important than the models / frameworks you use for arriving at a conclusion. All the top firms will put you through a rigourous training programme when you first join, where you'll learn all this stuff; so these things they can teach you, what is harder for them to teach is what you are actually like interacting with other businesspeople and that's what really marks out the wheat from the chaff in case interviews. [quote]- are my cases likely to be FMCG related or are they likely to just pick anything?[/quote]I would say you'll face both. If you're being hired as an experienced hire in a particular sector / practice area then the team are going to want to probe your expertise in that sector. But a lot of this will be in your regular interviews, not just in the case interviews. Most consultancies will also want to see how you cope being thrown into a case environment in a sector that you don't know well - as this is likely to be the reality at some point in your first 12-18 months on the job (it's unusual for projects to be secured such that you only ever work on retail / FMCG assignments). Plus this is a function of the interviewers - interviewers invariably present you with cases that they personally have worked on (albeit with data and client names modified to protect client confidentiality). Given that - for purely practical reasons - you're likely to be interviewed by some consultants from outside the FMCG / retail practices then cases with those consultants are likely to be based on sectors outside FMCG / retail. [quote]- I presume standards and expectations will be higher as I am experienced. What 'extra' can I bring to the table to show them that I have truly developed a lot in the last 3 years? What can I do to ensure I surpass their expectations?[/quote]The main considerations in my view will be i) are clients going to be impressed by the sector expertise you have built up in FMCG / retail (as this is what clients are going to be paying for); and ii) have you got a full understanding of what a consulting career involves and are you ready to be moulded and be adaptable to fit in with the needs of the business?So in answer to your question you need to think about what aspects of your career to date have given you insights or project experience or sector exposure that would make you a valuable resource for other clients in the sector - and to be able to convey this in a compelling way to interviewers. Plus you need to be well versed in how consulting firms work, the importance of utilisation rates, the realities of working on a consulting assignment and the peaks and troughs in pressure and work/life balance that there will be, etc. The firms will be very alert to the danger that they might hire someone who finds the consulting lifestyle doesn't agree with them once they've been immersed in it for a few months, so your interactions in the interview need to reassure the interviewers that you are well versed in these matters and enthusiastic about the challenges that this will represent. I hope this helps and good luck in those interviews.RegardsTony RestellTop-Consultant.com
