Strategy Simplified

Send us Fan Mail Accenture is the 600K-person behemoth of a consulting powerhouse with reach in seemingly every corner of society. Want to get a job there? You gotta go through the Accenture interview gauntlet. Today, we're revealing the 7 most common Accenture interview questions and how to answer them. Why Accenture? (2:04) Why the role? (3:15) Walk me through your resume (4:12) What is you...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we're bringing you an engaging conversation with Daniel Liu, Managing Director for Career Education & Coaching at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin - one of the top business schools in the U.S. We discuss career strategies (4:53), how to know if an MBA is right for you (7:20), how to get the most out of an MBA program (10...

Send us Fan Mail Consulting firms do NOT view online MBAs as favorably as on-campus MBA programs.  While online MBAs are a convenient way to earn a business degree, if you're getting your MBA as a means to break into consulting, you should take pause. In this episode, Jenny Rae - ex-Bain consultant and Columbia Business School grad - gives three reasons why not to get an online MBA. Here are...

Send us Fan Mail Nare Israelyan's journey into consulting was not a cookie-cutter one. It started at a non-target (for consulting) school, continued with multiple internships, including with the NFL, and eventually, led to BCG to solve problems for the world's most influential companies. Now? She's storming Hollywood as an actress, stuntwoman, and model.  Tune in to get all the good...

Send us Fan Mail There are 7 questions you need to prepare for, no matter the role, if you're interviewing at Deloitte. In this episode, we walk you through all 7 questions and how to prepare your answers for each. Why Deloitte? (2:40) How will you manage multiple tasks and assignments? (3:46) Walk me through your resume (4:30) What is your greatest weakness? (5:13) What are your greatest str...

Send us Fan Mail Alvaro joins us to share his takeaways from Strategy Sprint, Management Consulted's 1-week virtual consulting project. Listen to learn how he and his MBB-led case team collaborated to build a strategy to help their client achieve its goal to double revenue in 12 months. You'll hear about the training Alvaro's team received (3:16), what the consulting engagement look...

Send us Fan Mail When considering a career in consulting, McKinsey, Bain, and BCG aren't the only options. Major companies like Disney, Google, Capital One, and Dell have internal consulting groups that have advantages over traditional external consulting roles. In this episode, we compare and contrast the two types of consulting to help you make an informed decision about your career. Additi...

Send us Fan Mail KPMG is the smallest of the Big 4 firms, but touts its culture, benefits, and employee loyalty as reasons it is the better place of work compared to its Big 4 rivals. What's the hype all about at KPMG? What is the interview process like? What can you expect to be paid? We cover all these questions and more in this episode. Additional Links Join Black Belt, MC's case prep...

Send us Fan Mail BCG Unlock is a chance for first year MBA candidates to get a head-start on the consulting recruiting process. In this episode, Stephanie chats with BCG’s MBA recruiting leader, Jeff Kovick, about the summer program, who is eligible, why to apply, how the firm is thinking about talent acquisition more broadly, and more. The deadline to register/apply is May 2, 2022 (links below)....

Send us Fan Mail In this mock case interview, Marco tackles a public sector issue. Stephanie Knight, an ex-McK EM, takes the lead in the interviewer-led case. Listen (and follow along) for quality, free case practice, and keep listening as Stephanie dissects Marco's performance and shares opportunities for growth. Additional Links Join Black Belt, MC's case prep program: BLACK BELT Acces...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we hear from Grace about her journey into strategy consulting at BCG. She shares the tactics she used to break in, including her best case prep tips, and why she decided to transition out of the Big 4. Grace is originally from China and shares tips that will help anyone in a similar position navigate the consulting recruiting process. Additional Links Join Black B...

Send us Fan Mail The Big 3 (McKinsey, Bain, and BCG), along with a few boutiques, are preparing their pre-MBA programming for this summer. If you're an incoming first year MBA, this is a great opportunity to get a headstart on the consulting recruiting process. Today, Stephanie shares an overview of the MBA consulting recruiting landscape (1:47), what these pre-MBA programs are (4:43), pros a...

Send us Fan Mail Just got a notice that you'll face a case presentation interview (sometimes known as a written case interview)? You're in luck. In this episode, Stephanie covers everything you need to know about the presentation case interview, including: What it is (0:26) What skills it tests for (2:13) How to succeed (5:38) How to prepare (14:46)  A myriad of consulting firms employ t...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we hear from Kit O'Connor, an accomplished member of MC's coaching staff. In chatting through his career journey - Financial Services > Columbia Business School > Deloitte Internship > McKinsey > Tech - you'll discover: How he broke into consulting (1:37) Why he chose McKinsey over Deloitte (4:53) His reasons for staying at McKinsey for 4 years (5...

Send us Fan Mail Click 'play' to learn what's great - and not-so-great - about working for an MBB firm. What makes MBB the undisputed leaders in management consulting? What are the pros and cons of working for an MBB firm? Is consulting at MBB a smart career move? All those questions get answered in this episode. Additional Links Join case prep program: LEARN MORE Apply to Strategy...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Strategy&'s Paul Leinwand and Matt Mani about their new book, Beyond Digital .   The experienced consultants pull from years of research to share insights that leaders can use to transform their organizations and create sustainable competitive advantage. Additional Links Buy Beyond Digital: How Great Leaders Transform Their Org...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, a PhD candidate (Gurrein) tackles a pharma case led by an ex-BCG consultant (Ryan). Gurrein demonstrates poise under pressure and powers her way to a strong finish. It's a great example of a first round case and a performance that would warrant a "pass" in an MBB interview. Additional Links Apply to Strategy Sprint, the 1-week consulting project: AP...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we catch up with Tara Russell, CSO at Photon Marine (an accelerator-funded green energy start-up). She shares how a Strategy Sprint case team from Management Consulted provided critical insights that led to an uber successful VC pitch. Click 'play' for the full story - and apply to Strategy Sprint to be staffed on a real-world consulting project and driv...

Send us Fan Mail Xi is an MBA candidate at the University of Toronto and future Kearney consultant. Listen for insights from Xi's journey into consulting - for case prep, networking, and dealing with self-doubt in the recruiting process. You'll come away from the discussion feeling inspired and equipped. Additional Links Join Black Belt, MC's structured case prep program: LEARN MORE...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Namaan and Stephanie cover the 5 golden rules of networking for consulting. You'll walk away knowing: The importance of networking Who to reach out to When to reach out What NOT to do It's a can't-miss episode if you're at all serious about breaking into consulting. Additional Links Work with an MBB coach to build a personalized networking stra...

Send us Fan Mail L.E.K. Consulting is hiring now for a number of positions in life sciences strategy consulting. In this episode, we're joined by Managing Director Matt Mancuso to talk through current opportunities the firm has for Advanced Degree Candidates through the Link to L.E.K. summer program. Listen to learn about life sciences strategy consulting, Link to L.E.K. (who it's for, h...

Send us Fan Mail In this bonus episode, we're talking about becoming a more effective communicator at work. Listen as Stephanie and Namaan share communication best practices based on the Pyramid Principle. Want more? Register for the Impactful Communication Bootcamp taking place on March 16 from 6-9PM ET. Additional Links Sign up for the Impactful Communication Bootcamp: REGISTER Connect With...

Send us Fan Mail If you have a case interview coming up and you don't have weeks or months to prepare, this episode is for you. We go over exactly what you can - and should - do to get ready for an interview next week. Listen to the end where we answer two listener questions:  If I make a single math error, will I make it through the interview? What is the right amount of case practice? Is it...

Send us Fan Mail Is your talent acquisition strategy working? If you don't have an effective talent acquisition strategy - or worse, no strategy at all - this episode is for you. We share 7 top tips to upgrade your talent acquisition strategy. Need help filling open roles? We can help. We work with a number of organizations to fill their talent pipeline with the best of the best. Reach out fo...

Send us Fan Mail Kicking off a new series of interviews is Yusuf Shaikh. He broke into BCG right out undergrad, then leveraged that to move into Private Equity. Now, Yusuf advises South Africa's leading FinTech on business strategy, M&A, and corporate development. Listen for some incredible tips for transitioning into finance after consulting, the importance of your network, and the proce...