Queen s Consulting Guide

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The inaugural edition of the QCA Guide Book was composed for the 2011 recruiting cycle with the aim to fill an obvious void in the arsenal of consulting resources available to Queen’s students. While other business schools offer a school-specific case prep booklet of sorts for their students, Queen’s students were lacking such an item. However, the executive decided to take a slightly different approach and instead of publishing a collection of cases and potential interview questions, a broader-level guide book was written.

The purpose of this guide book and the value it brings is therefore different from the traditional case booklet. We realized that there is no shortage of resources when it comes to mock cases, market sizing

scenarios, and behavioural questions. Instead of reproducing something that already exists, our guide is intended to help candidates maximize their utility of such resources. The executive hopes that the QCA Guide Book will essentially serve as the seminal read for any Queen’s student interesting in working in consulting before the recruiting process begins, and then to serve as a walkthrough throughout the preparation and recruiting periods. To achieve such an aim, the guide book comprises advice and information tailored specifically to the recruiting process at Queen’s.

Hence, extensive portions of the Guide Book were written with information collected via interviewing key industry professionals. Consultants at the Toronto offices were contacted to write firm profiles. Key

human resources individuals and heads of recruiting were interviewed to attain a granular

understanding of the actual processes conducted during Queen’s OCR. Alumni at all the firms, from post-undergrads to post-MBAs, were asked to share their recruiting “stories” and career experiences to date.

Throughout last year’s recruiting season, we received a lot of feedback on the Guide Book, both positive and constructive, and we’ve updated this year’s edition accordingly. We’ve added a new firm profile by Hugessen and the remaining firm and industry profiles have been updated. Following the executive team’s internship experiences in the industry over the summer, key takeaways were incorporated into the prose. Finally, alumni were re-contacted to either update or contribute new alumni stories. At the

end of the day, this book has essentially done the majority of the research and networking involved with the recruiting process for you.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the read,

Zeya Yang and Advait Bopardikar, 2012-2013 Co-Chairs

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INTRODUCTION TO CONSULTING

What is QCA?

The Queen’s Consulting Association promotes the consulting career path for students in every year of study within the Queen’s School of Business. Our mandates are to raise awareness of the consulting profession, develop consulting education at QSB, and to prepare our students so they are the best candidates through every step of the industry’s challenging case interview process.

Awareness

Development

Preparation

Action Plan Action Plan Action Plan

• Assuming the position of

internal QSB consulting communication lead

• Committing to acquiring QCA

membership

• Promoting ComSoc consulting

opportunities

• Creating easier ways for

firms to recruit at Queen’s

• Networking with recent

consulting graduates

• Fostering Queen’s talent

• Working closely with the BCC

and alumni

• Hosting case interview

preparation session

• Creating a Queen’s

consulting guide with tips, firm overviews, industry primers, general structures and alumni stories

Deliverables Deliverables Deliverables

• QCA Kickoff and launch during

career launch and ComSoc fair

• Two QCA Consulting Panels:

September and March

• Partnering with firms to host

coffee chats

• QCA promotion of info

sessions and firms

• QCA website and umbrella

branding (Comm 504, APSC 400 TEAM, Comm 132, Q3C, Creo, QNP)

• QCA Case Interview

Preparation Sessions running Sept 9 – Oct 14

• QCA Consulting Guide

• Partnering with firms to host

case prep workshops

Co-Chairs

Advait Bopardikar ([email protected]) Zeya Yang ([email protected])

QCA Executive:

Alessia Vettese, Marketing & Membership Coordinator Andrew Witzke, Case Preparation Coordinator

Betty Lu, QSB Consulting Network Coordinator

Danielle Amirault, QSB Consulting Network Coordinator Jacob Trenholm, Alumni & Industry Coordinator

Jaril Valenciano, Queen’s Consulting Guide Coordinator Jason Liu, Case Preparation Coordinator

Josh Levitan, External Faculties Specialist Talon Lloyd, Alumni & Industry Coordinator Yifan Zhou, Queen’s Consulting Guide Coordinator

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What is Consulting?

The Vault Career Guide to Consulting provides the following definition of consultants:

“Consultants offer skill in assessing and solving business problems, and are hired by companies who need their expertise, fresh outside perspective, and/or extra set of hands. Some management consulting firms specialize in giving advice on general business strategy questions, while others are known as technology, marketing, finance, operations or human resources specialists. Some concentrate on a specific industry area, like financial services or retail, and still others are more like gigantic one-stop shops with divisions that dispense advice on everything from top-level strategy, to choosing customer account management software, to saving money on paper clips.”

During normal business processes, problems often arise that companies do not have the resources or sufficient time to answer. At this time the organization will outsource that problem to a consulting firm. The job of the consultant is to analyze the data provided by the organization and deliver an analysis of the situation along with a recommended course of action to the client. Consulting is a field which requires both analytical and interpersonal skills in order to succeed.

Consultants can be thought of as “doctors for business”. Just as a doctor would identify the disease causing your runny nose or dry throat, consultants look at the symptoms of a company, such as lack of sales or decreased market share, and attempt to find the cause. Consultants then recommend a cure, or course of action, which may alleviate the symptoms and bring a company back to a healthy state. Like doctors, consultants are valued members in the business community because of their expertise and influence.

THE INDUSTRY

Consulting Finance Accounting Marketing Hours 50 – 60 regular,

80+ when busy 70 – 90 regular, up to 120 in investment

banking when busy

40 regular, 60+ when busy (end of fiscal year/income tax season) 40 – 50 regular, 70 – 80 during important projects Travel Up to 4 days a week when on a travel case

A lot when pitching

and on road shows Variable on client site involved Variable

Culture Collegial Hierarchical Social; systematic Team focused

Compensation (Ballpark) $65,000 – 75,000 base, $10,000 bonus iBanking: $70,000 – 85,000 base, $50,000 bonus $45,000 base,

$3,000 bonus $50,000 base, Variable bonus

Career

Opportunities Management level in industry, Private Equity

Corporate Finance and Industry, Asset Management, Private Equity Industry, Entrepreneurship, Finance Industry, Consulting, Entrepreneurship

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THE FIRMS

There are three main types of consulting firms: 1. Large Diversified firms

2. Medium sized management consulting firms 3. Boutique firms (niche areas of expertise)

There are also organizations with internal strategy teams: • Loblaws, Target, Sears, Loyalty One etc.

There are also consulting arms of broader organizations, namely professional services firms such as the Big 4:

• Deloitte Consulting, E&Y Advisory, KPMG Management Consulting, PwC Consulting The following pages offer a general overview of some of the global consulting firms that recruit at Queen’s:

• Accenture • AT Kearney • Bain & Company

• Boston Consulting Group • Deloitte Consulting • Hugessen

• McKinsey & Company • Monitor Group • Oliver Wyman • Secor

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Accenture (145 King Street West, Toronto)

Size: Large

200 offices in 53 countries 249,000 employees worldwide 120 employees in Toronto office

Canada Office Locations: Calgary, Edmonton, Mississauga, Montreal, Niagara Region, Ottawa, Toronto West, Toronto, Vancouver

Description:

Hires for – Management Consulting Development Program (Business Analyst)

Points of Difference:

Leaders in technology services and outsourcing One of the largest global consulting firms

Industries: communications and high tech, banking, capital markets, insurance, health and public

service, products, air freight and travel, automotive, infrastructure and transportation, retail, resources, media and entertainment, chemicals, energy, natural resources, utilities

Services: business performance management, customer relationship management, finance and

performance management, process and innovation performance, risk management, strategy, supply chain management, sustainability, talent and organization performance

Compensation: 1st_{year out of Undergrad for 2013 in Canada} Base Performance Salary: $ 68,000

Signing Bonus: $10,000

Performance Bonus: up to $5,000

What to expect for the interview?

First Rounds – 2 standard case based and behavioural interview Second Rounds – 30min behavioural phone interview

Third Rounds – Three interviews in the Toronto office including one case and two behavioural interviews with more senior consultants.

Tips:

See Accenture’s website to get a better idea of their industries, case studies, research and numerous publications. Plus make sure to attend Accenture’s networking events – they take notice.

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A.T. Kearney (20 Queen St. W, Toronto)

Size: Medium

57 offices in 39 countries 3,000 employees worldwide 50 employees in the Toronto office Canada Office Locations: Calgary, Toronto

Description:

Hires for – Strategy Consulting (Business Analyst) Points of Difference:

Leaders in operations consulting (Toyota way) Supply chain specialists

Large focus on client success & implementation

Industries: aerospace and defense, automotive, communications and high tech, consumer products and

retail, energy and process industries, financial institutions, pharmaceutical and healthcare, public sector, transportation and utilities

Services: capital projects management, complexity management, cost management, innovation,

manufacturing, marketing and sales, mergers and acquisitions, organization transformation, procurement, strategic IT, strategy, supply chain management, and sustainability

Compensation: 1st_{year out of Undergrad for 2012 in US}

Base Performance Salary: $65 -70,000 (will not increase until approx. 1.5 years of starting full time) Signing Bonus: $5,000

Relocation Assistance: up to $3 - 10,000 depending on distance between school residence and office Performance Bonus: up to $9,750 (15% of base salary)

Profit sharing: up to $6,500

Retirement Contribution: 10% of base + 5.7% of bonus

First Rounds – standard case based and behavioural interview

Second Rounds – three 45min case interviews with more senior partners. Expect to be able to discuss recent news headlines.

Tips:

See AT Kearney’s website to get a better idea of their industries, case studies, research and numerous publications. Additionally touch up on your market sizing skills.

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Bain & Company (2 Bloor Street East, 29th Floor, Toronto)

Size: Medium

48 offices in 31 countries 5,000 employees worldwide 80 employees in the Toronto office Only Canadian office located in Toronto

Description:

Hires for – Strategy Management Consulting Points of Difference:

Bain is the youngest of the MBB, founded in 1973 by seven former partners of BCG. Despite that, Bain has been named “Best Firm to Work For” by Consulting Magazine for ten consecutive years.1_{Bain also} maintains a monthly Bain Insights newsletter publication. Bain Capital Private Equity was founded by former Partners of Bain & Company, but the firms bear no affiliation aside from that.

#1 “Best Firm to Work For” by Vault2 #1 “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor3

Bain encourages continued learning for its employees through various diverse experience opportunities. These include international transfers (to another Bain office for a certain amount of time), externships (to an industry organization for 6 months) and private equity rotations (to gain experience in all aspects of the private equity practice). The Toronto office works very closely with the Chicago office, so

consultants in the Toronto office can get exposure to US clients.

Industries: airlines and transportation, consumer products, financial services, healthcare, industrial

goods and services, media, metals and mining, oil and gas, private equity, retail, social and public sectors, technology, telecommunications, and utilities and alternative energy.

Services: performance improvement, organization, information technology, corporate renewal, private

equity, customer strategy and marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and results delivery.

Compensation: 1st_{year out of Undergrad for 2013 in Canada} Base Performance Salary: $66,500

Signing Bonus: $5,000 Relocation Assistance: $4,700 Performance Bonus: up to $6,000 RRSP Contribution: 10% of compensation 1_{http://www.consultingmag-digital.com/consultingmag/201208?channel=?channel=20120817_CMAGALERT#pg12} 2_{http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/rankings/individual?rankingId1=248&rankingId2=-1&rankings=1&regionId=0} 3_{http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm}

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First rounds – two 30-45 minute case interviews

Second rounds – two to four 30-45 minute case/experience interviews with managers and partners Bain cases will feature a special “analytics” portion that will focus on numbers.

Tips:

See Bain’s website for some of their own practices cases. Specifically practice valuation and M&A type cases with financial focus.

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Boston Consulting Group (181 Bay Street, Toronto)

Size: Medium

More than 74 offices in 40 countries 4,500 employees worldwide, 150 employees in Toronto

Canada Office Locations: Montreal, Toronto

Description:

Hires for – Business Analyst in Strategy Consulting for BCOMM grads Points of Difference:

#3 “Best Firm to Work For” by Vault4

Ranked 2nd_{best company to work for by Fortune}

Large emphasis on ideas, creativity and strategy

Industries: automotive, biopharmaceuticals, consumer products, energy and environment, engineered

products and project businesses, financial institutions, health care payers and providers, insurance, media and entertainment, medical devices and technology, metals and mining, private equity, process industries, public sector, retail, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation travel and tourism

Services: corporate development, corporate finance, globalization, growth, information technology,

innovation, management in a two-speed economy, marketing and sales, operations, organization, post-merger integration, strategy, sustainability, transformation, turnaround

Compensation: 1st_{year out of Undergrad for 2012 in US} Base Performance Salary: $72,000

Performance Bonus: up to $16,200 (22.5% of base salary)

Profit sharing: up to $4,400 (Expected to be 5% of sum of base salary and performance bonus) Retirement Contribution: 15% of base + bonus

First Rounds – two standard case based and behavioural interview plus a “questions for BCG” interview Second Rounds – two additional 45min case interviews with more senior partners. Expect to be able to discuss recent news headlines

Tips:

BCG offers practice case studies on their website. Touch up on your mental math and market sizing; BCG loves numbers, handouts and graphs.

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Deloitte Consulting (30 Wellington Street West, Toronto)

Size: Largest Global Consultancy

Offices in 160 countries 15,000 employees worldwide

440 consultants in the Toronto office Points of Difference:

Management consulting, enterprise transformation

Focused on differentiating in three areas – strategy, human capital and technology #5 Best Firms to Work For – Consulting Magazine 2011

#1 Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s Best Places to Launch a Career, (2007, 2009)

#1 Supply Chain Management (SCM) Consultancy based on 2009 revenue in Kennedy’s Supply Chain Management Consulting Marketplace Report 2010-2013.

#8 Top 50 Companies for Diversity5

Industries: aerospace and defense, automotive, banking and securities, consumer products, federal

government, health care providers, insurance, life sciences, media and entertainment, oil and gas, power and utilities, private equity, hedge funds and mutual funds, process and industrial products, real estate, retail and distribution, state government, technology, telecom, tourism, hospitality and leisure

Services: management consulting, operational consulting, strategy consulting, human capital consulting,

human resources consulting, systems integration consulting, technology implementation consulting, technology strategy consulting

Compensation: 1st_{year out of Undergrad for 2013 in Canada} Base Performance Salary: $56,000 + $42/hour during overtime Signing Bonus: $2,000

Performance Bonus: no formal bonus

First Rounds – 1 hour case and behavioural interview in person or over the phone

Second Rounds – Two 30 minute behavioural interviews at the Toronto office with Senior Partners.

Tips:

Understand the company and why Deloitte. Work on creating concise answers to a number of behavioural questions.

Kent Kirch, Head of Recruitment at Deloitte, divides interviewing into four buckets; the four P's of interviewing: 1. Preparation 2. Practice 3. Personal presentation 4. Pertinent questions 5_{http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Services/consulting/index.htm}

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Hugessen Consulting (200 Bay St., Toronto, ON)

Size: Boutique

Offices in Toronto and Calgary (30 Employees)

Description:

Hires for –Executive Compensation Consulting

Hugessen Consulting is a leading advisor to the boards of directors of major public and private companies, providing independent consulting services on executive compensation, performance measurement, corporate governance, and related regulatory and shareholder issues.

Hugessen designs programs that ensure each client's value-creation strategy will be reliably executed by its management team. We do this through a combination of performance measures and incentives developed with careful attention to the client's competitive, financial, strategic, governance, shareholder, regulatory, and media contexts.

Points of Difference:

Leading independent consulting firm in executive compensation advisory in Canada Board-side consultancy

Work is focused more on performance, compensation and regulatory issues rather than pure strategy Fast growing consultancy with an expanding international footprint

Industries: Financial Services, Oil and Gas, Metals and Mining, Telecommunications, Sports and

Entertainment, Consumer Goods, Retail, Private Equity, Asset Management and Pension Funds, Energy and Utilities, Chemicals, Aerospace and Defense, Real Estate, Transportation, Pharmaceuticals, Crown Corporations

Type of Work:

Analysts work in project teams and are exposed to a wide variety of industries and projects, including financial and performance analysis, industry research and comparator set development, proxy analysis, incentive design, and pay and policy benchmarking.

Compensation:

Competitive with major management consulting firms

First rounds – Candidates are interviewed by two Associates (30-minutes each, back-to-back). Expect compensation related case questions as well as behavioural questions.

Second rounds –3-4 back-to-back interviews with Associates, Principals, and Partners at the Toronto office. There is usually only one case during the final round, and more emphasis is put on “fit” with the firm. This is typically followed by a group dinner with candidates and firm consultants.

Tips:

Business sense, quantitative aptitude, and communication skills are essential traits

Visit Hugessen’s website for articles and White Papers that will help you better understand the type of work and issues that the firm deals with.

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McKinsey & Company (110 Charles Street West, Toronto)

Size: Large

99 offices in 45 countries

17,000 employees Worldwide (9,000 consultants) 250 employees in Toronto office (170 consultants) Canada Office Locations: Calgary, Toronto, Montreal

Description:

Hires for – Management Consulting Points of Difference:

#2 “Best Firm to Work For” by Vault6

McKinsey has produced more CEO’s than any other company with 70 CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies. McKinsey operates under an “up-or-out” policy, meaning that consultants are expected to move up within the organization within a reasonable amount of time (typically 2-3 years) or work in industry. McKinsey is employed by a significant number of governments, and was involved in advising insurers and the government after the hurricane Katrina disaster.

Primary Industry Services Offered: Advanced Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and

Assembly, Chemicals, Consumer Packaged Goods, Electric Power and Natural Gas, Financial Services, Healthcare Systems and Services, High Tech, Infrastructure, Media and Entertainment, Metals and Mining, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products, Private Equity and Principal Investors, Public Sector, Pulp and Paper/Forest Products, Retail, Social Sector, Telecommunications, Travel, Transport and Logistics

Performance Bonus: Up to 30%

Retirement & relocation: 12% of total annual compensation

All interviews are one-on-one, comprised of a mix of behavioural, fit, and a live case First Rounds – two interviews with senior associates or engagement managers on campus

Second Rounds – four one hour interviews with senior engagement managers/partners. One of these will likely be videoconferencing with a partner that is not from the Toronto office. In the 2010 season, only three rounds of interviews were conducted because of the volume of candidates.

Tips:

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Keep up to date on the publications released by McKinsey; McKinsey Quarterly, What Matters & read McKinsey Mind

McKinsey has a mandatory Problem Solving Test (PST) for math computation, data interpretation and logical thinking

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Monitor Group

(100 Simcoe Street, Toronto)

Size: Small

26 offices in 16 major cities worldwide 1500 employees worldwide

48 employees in Toronto office Only Canadian office is Toronto

Description:

Hires for – Strategy Consulting Points of Difference:

Michel Porter is one of the founding members (Porters 5 forces, value chain etc.) 85% of Monitor’s revenues are repeat clients

Industries: pharmaceuticals, public sector, industrials, telecom, media etc.

Services: strategy, marketing, pricing, innovation, product development, organization, leadership,

economic competitiveness. At Monitor you will take part in advisory projects, capability building programs and financial advisory services.

Compensation:

Base Performance Salary: $67,000 Signing bonus: $5,000

Performance Bonus: Up to 12% of base salary

First Rounds – two case and behavioural interviews, and one fit interview. Case interviews include a brief written case with exhibits. You will be asked to answer three questions:

1. Quantitative (Revenue, Profit, Market Sizing), 2. Make a recommendation, 3. Qualitative question. Second Rounds – Expect a full day of case and fit interviews. You will do around two case interviews, 3 – 5 role play and fit interviews with more senior partners, and a group interview will all the applicants where you will be asked to focus on one particular aspect of the case and present your

recommendation.

Monitor is different than other top consulting firms in that their cases are not administered orally. Monitor cases are entirely written (similar to an HBS or Richard Ivey case). The case includes three questions that the candidate must answer for the interviewer. The candidate is given 30 minutes to read the case in private and is given a calculator to use.

The questions asked generally fall into three categories. One question will be financial in orientation. It could involve determining which of the potential investments highlighted has the greatest ROI, or what is the expected EBITDA for a business segment a corporation is considering launching. Information required to answer this question will be scattered throughout the case, including in the exhibits and sometimes even in footnotes. The candidate is expected to be able to put the pieces together.

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The second question is typically strategic in nature. The candidate can leverage concepts like Porter’s Five Forces in their response, but this is not an explicit expectation. More than anything the interviewer is trying to determine the depth of the candidates strategic thought. Do they make insights that are valuable or are they misguided and illogical.

The final question is generally sales and marketing focused. A company could be selling a consumer product and the candidate could be asked what marketing mediums they would think would be most successful in generating optimal sales for the product

Tips:

Practice doing cases under a time limit.

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Oliver Wyman (161 Bay Street, Toronto)

Size: Medium

58 offices worldwide in 25 countries 3,000 employees worldwide

55 people working in the Toronto Office Locations in Toronto and Montreal

Description:

Hires for – Management Consulting Points of Difference:

Oliver Wyman is an established leader in the Financial Services consulting industry and was formed recently in 2007 through the merger of: Mercer Oliver Wyman, Mercer Management Consulting, and Mercer Delta by Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC) which is Oliver Wyman’s parent company. Mercer Oliver Wyman specialized in banks and the financial services industry, Mercer Management Consulting was spread across all industries, and Mercer Delta had a focus in organizational

transformation, leadership effectiveness, and human resources. Thus the combined Oliver Wyman participates in servicing virtually every industry worldwide.

Oliver Wyman is unique from the other top consulting firms in a variety of ways. It is currently the fastest growing consultancy of the top ten global management consultancies. Oliver Wyman has very flexible work life options as it provides 10/11 month work years and allows sabbaticals to pursue other interests. Perhaps the most significant differentiator for Oliver Wyman is its international staffing model that allows consultants from the Toronto office to be staffed anywhere in the world.

Industries: automotive, aviation, aerospace and defence, communications, media and technology,

energy, financial services, health and life sciences, industrial products, retail and consumer products, and surface transportation

Services: actuarial services, business and organization transformation, CEO effectiveness, corporate

finance and restructuring, risk management, leadership development, marketing and sales, operations and technology, strategy.

Compensation: 1st_{year out of Undergrad for 2011 in Canada}

Oliver Wyman has one of the best first year compensation packages available from the major firms. Base Salary: $75,000

Signing Bonus: up to $10,000

Performance Bonus: up to $15,000 (20% of base salary)

Undergrads recruit for the “Consultant” Position.

First Rounds – two 30 minute case interviews held by the Oliver Wyman recruiting team

Second Rounds – four 30 minute interviews (three case and one case + experience and fit) held by partners at the firm

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Oliver Wyman has a math test that consists of 30 questions in 20 minutes.

Expect significant variety from case to case in the interviews. Some will be very heavy quantitatively while others will test your reasoning skills.

Tips:

Oliver Wyman has a better idea of their industries, case studies, research and numerous publications. Be sure to do your best to attend the Oliver Wyman info sessions and their networking events as they do take note of who attends.

Prepare for a wide range of questions, and hone your mental math and analytical thinking. The cases in 2010 were quite condensed so make sure you don’t spend too much time covering the breadth of the case, while discovering the key problem in each. Use the interviewer as your guide and as with any case stay composed.

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Secor Consulting (390 Bay Street, Suite 2400, Toronto)

Size: Boutique

6 offices in 3 countries – 4 offices in Canada Less than 200 employees worldwide

Approximately 50 employees in the Toronto office

Description:

Hires for – Strategy Management Consulting

** Note: Secor Consulting was bought out by KPMG LLP in July of 2012 Point of Difference:

SECOR is one of the few Canadian-based international strategy consulting firms. It was founded in 1975 by three eminent management academics. It is now the leading consulting firm in Quebec and the largest independent strategy consulting firm in Canada.

The firm identifies four key ways in which it differentiates itself:

• SECOR works in high impact, experienced and credible task teams of typically three to five consultants for strategy, who immerse themselves into executive groups to promote knowledge transfer and discipline, all the while understanding the full range of business issues required to ensure success.

• SECOR leverages from within by fully applying existing resources and know-how before looking for expensive outside solutions.

• SECOR is bottom-line focused and aims for concrete results with an entrepreneurial drive marked by objectivity and accountability.

• SECOR builds rapport by combining candour and openness with a unique ability to respectfully challenge the status quo and reach the optimal solution.

Each of SECOR’s offices has differentiated characteristics that attune them to their local market. Despite its size, SECOR consultants are heavily involved in academic publications and books. The firm also publishes regular newsletters.

Industries: financial services, energy and resources, healthcare, telecommunications and media, retail

and consumer goods, manufacturing, transportation, public sector

Services: strategy, corporate finance, sales and marketing,organization design, leadership and culture, post-merger integration, operations and supply chain, technology strategy

First rounds – two one on one case interviews

Second rounds – panel case, where candidates have time alone to prepare a brief presentation before meeting with members of the firm

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Candidates will also meet with member of the senior leadership team to discuss their background and opportunities at SECOR.

Tips:

As a boutique firm, fit with the firm may be a more important factor than is the case with larger firms. Secor will do mock interviews on campus during Career Launch, so take this opportunity to learn more about the firm. Secor has posted resume tips at:

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Resumes and Cover Letter Tips

Cover Letters

A critical first impression that you make within a firm comes from your cover letter. It is important not to underestimate what these few sentences can do for your chances in getting a job and kick-starting your career. It can identify you as a candidate with great potential but can also diminish your chances of getting an interview. Therefore, it is important that you take your time in creating a cover letter that is well thought-out, professional, and effective.

Your cover letter should address the three questions: Why, What, and How? The Why asks:

Why are you writing to this specific person?

• Reference a mutual acquaintance that referred you to the person receiving your cover letter • Reference a time you’ve encountered this person

Why do you believe you should be applying?

• Explain in one or two sentences why you should be considered for the position Example 1 (Mutually known reference):

John MacDonald directed me to you when suggesting I should apply for the position of associate at Boston Consulting Group. Having recently found myself in the leadership position of several consulting initiatives, I am certain that I can contribute to your team.

Example 2 (Introducing yourself):

Please accept my application for the Associate position posted on the Queen’s Career Portal. Having recently found myself in the leadership position of several consulting initiatives, I am certain that I can contribute to your team.

The What asks:

What skills and experience do you bring?

• Name relevant skills and be able to prove them • Reference your relevant achievements

What evidence is there that this candidate has proven potential?

• Quantify your impact

Example 1 (Introducing experience and distinction):

I worked as a consultant for a small Swedish textile manufacturer. Although the youngest on the team, I was quickly designated a leadership role for my ability to convert raw and abstract ideas into tangible recommendations. As the leader of an international team, I was responsible for facilitating discussions between clashing cultures and personalities. To mitigate this issue, I implemented a feedback system recommended by a former consultant and professor.

Example 2: (Providing Metrics and Resolution)

The team, in my opinion, provided exceptional value to the client and they now have projections of increasing sales by 120% by the end of 2012 and increasing ROS from 17% to 30%. Although my

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responsibility with this firm is at an end, I sincerely hope that they achieve these lofty projections, and I have offered myself to assist with the implementation going forward.”

The How asks:

How will you follow up?

• Reference the next course of action you will take in reference to the process • At Queen’s, this should be a one sentence closer

• For more experienced positions, you are expected to make follow-up arrangements Example 1 (Standard Close):

Thank you for your time in reviewing my application. Please let me know anything I can do and I look forward to hearing from you.

Example 2 (Following Up): (Do not use this for the majority of applications directly from undergrad as there is a large pool of applicants and you do not want to monopolize the time of recruiters at this stage)

I would very much like the opportunity to interview with you and your team, and will follow up with a call between 3pm and 4pm on Monday the 15th_.

It is important that your cover letter does not just repeat what your resume states. Your cover letter gives you a chance to make a more personable impression.

Resumes

There is no distinctly correct way to craft a resume, as there will be different interpretations of your resume in different industries and by different people. The following assumes your understanding of resume templates and focuses on more specific pointers while creating your resume:

• During the completion of your undergraduate degree, most resources agree that your resume should be limited to a single page.

• Ensure you list each bullet in the following format: what you did, how you did it, what was the result

• When listing achievements and experience, explain your personal role and contribution • Use an active verb when stating achievements (i.e. Planned, Managed, Presented) • Sometimes less is more – it makes analysis of skills easier

• Quantify your accomplishments and make them easy to understand

• Previous strategy consulting experience is an asset; try to determine where you may have used strategy consulting skills and highlight those experiences (from Secor Group Resume tips)7 • Use dollar figures to demonstrate size and scope of projects that you worked on (from Secor

Group Resume tips)

• Avoid jargon (especially technical jargon) that your potential employer might not understand • Using pronouns is redundant: Take out “I” or “me”

• Write out number numerically eg. “3” not “three” • Focus on results rather than roles

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• Do not overcrowd your resume, if the recruiter is interested, he/she will ask questions

• Sharing your resume with your peers, the BCC, the Queen’s Writing Centre, and your professors can help you get valuable critiques and feedback before sending it out to those assessing it. A very interesting three step process for first impressions from http://managementconsulted.com

(Recruiter’s point of view):

1. You look for the specific consulting skills that are needed in the job

2. You read the Interests/Hobbies section because, let’s admit, it’s the most interesting part! 3. You do an overall review of the resume’s professionalism, paying attention to alignment,

grammar, and typos

Sometimes it may seem difficult to properly include interests and hobbies in your resume. Since it’s generally the most interesting part, make sure it’s well written and clear. The two most common mistakes that occur when writing this section are lacking specificity and rambling.8

Good Example Bad Example

Specificity Competitive tennis player Enjoys playing lots of sports

Use of Language Avid hiker Loves hiking Finally, two rules that you can either choose to follow at your own discretion:

1. Everyone seems to disagree on whether our age group should be including high school information or not. If you have impressive high school information – probably include it, and if not, probably forgo it. 2. There is a standard ‘rule of 3’, which specifies 3 major experiences with 3 major bullet points in your work experience and in your extracurricular experience. You can follow this if you would like, but as long as you are not including information that is superfluous it is not critically important to follow.

For both your resume and cover letter, the number one rule is always to edit, edit, edit. Even if you are the perfect candidate for the position, no company wants to hire someone who is careless. Don’t let silly spelling and grammar errors be a road block on your path to success.

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Networking

Networking will come naturally to some people. There are those that can talk easily and are easy to talk to and there are those that dread nothing more than meeting new strangers who they desperately want to impress. Networking advice can seem like common sense, but please take the time to go through each of the following steps and make sure you can be the best networker you can be.

The following is a top 5 list of some rules of networking:

• Ask for introductions: Knowing one person that you know is comfortable making introductions can be the crucial step to getting an “in” with someone you would like to talk to. These

introductions could occur at a recruiting session or at a summer barbeque – make sure you seize all the opportunities you can.

• Be Prepared: This will count especially when networking with those who have considerable experience. You don’t have to seem like a stalker, but you should have knowledge of their position and perhaps some of the work they have done in the past.

• Don’t Apologize: Some people start a networking session feeling like they are just imposing on the other’s time. The people you will be networking with know that you are a talented individual that may be able to help them in the future. Don’t apologize for asking questions and wanting to learn more.

• Listen Intently: If you can show that you listen intently, people will be happy to be around you. The main reason for this is that people genuinely love to talk about themselves when they know others are listening and are impressed. You can also mention parts of the discussion that you had in your follow-up e-mail.

• Follow Up: If you don’t follow up, your networking is for nothing.

Another thing to be noted is that your web presence can be seen by almost anyone -- recruiters

included. If you’re using social networks like Facebook and Twitter, be careful of what is being displayed about you. Chances are, pictures that you don’t want your mom seeing, you don’t want recruiters to see either. Take a minute to make adjustments to your profile or privacy settings and ensure that your personal life is kept personal. That being said, social media can be an excellent way to connect on a professional level – take advantage of networks, like LinkedIn, and make yourself accessible to recruiters.

It’s also important to not try too hard. Please take a look at this networking video by networking expert Keith Ferrazzi on how to not be a networking jerk: http://www.keithferrazzi.com/page/6/

THE WISDOM OF DALE CARNEGIE IN FIVE BULLET POINTS

Finally here is an interesting excerpt from the rules of Dale Carnegie (taken from CIO.com) – considered once to be the foremost expert on networking9_:

Dale Carnegie literally wrote the book on networking in 1936. How to Win Friends and Influence People demystified the process of making friends out of strangers and inspired legions of business coaches to carry on Carnegie's message. Peter Handal, the chairman, CEO and president of Dale Carnegie & Associates, shared some of Carnegie's rules for meeting new people:

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Smile: "This is such a simple, basic rule, yet people just don't think about it," says Handal. They're so

focused on needing to network at a conference that they don't realize they're walking around with a scowl on their face. Scowling, serious, expressions are forbidding, says Handal. People are more likely to warm up to someone who says good morning with a broad smile than they are to someone with a dour countenance.

Ask a question: Joining a group engaged in conversation can be awkward. The best way to do so is to

pose a question to the group after getting the gist of the conversation, says Handal. "You build your credibility by asking a question, and for a shy person, that's a much easier way to engage than by barging in with an opinion," he says.

Listen: One of the most profound points Carnegie made in How to Win Friends was that people love to

talk about themselves. If you can get people to discuss their experiences and opinions—and listen with sincere interest—you can have a great conversation with someone without having to say much at all.

Business cards: Always have them handy, says Handal. "They're an effective way for you to leave your

name behind so that people remember who you are."

Say the person's name: "People like to hear their own name," says Handal, pointing to another one of

Carnegie's basic principles—that a person's name is the sweetest sound to that person. So when you meet someone, use his name in conversation. Doing so makes the other person feel more comfortable, like you really know him and he knows you.

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Preparing for Case Interviews

(

See the PREPARATION section for more details on how to prepare)

Case Preparation is arguably THE most important part of your interview. This is something very hard to do on your own – so make sure to practice with other people.

QCA hosts weekly case prep training sessions and competitions to help you network with other students going through the process and to provide tips on how you can improve for the real deal. We also have special guests come from QSB, Alumni and Industry to give feedback and guidance.

Case prep Session Dates: September 2012

September Case Prep Sessions

Sept 9 Introduction & What To Expect In Recruiting Sept 11 Philosophy of Case Interviews

Sept 13 Mental Math & Market Sizing within Cases Sept 18 Summer Intern Panel

Sept 23 Behaviour Interviews Sept 25 Industry Specific

Sept 27 Reading/Working Around Slides Sept 30 Q&A

October Case Prep Sessions

Oct 2 Open Session Oct 4 - 14 Firm Specific

Information Sessions (2012)

Info Sessions - Tentative Schedule

Date

Time

Company

Target

Sept 10

5:00 PM

Oliver Wyman

Graduating & Summer

Sept 10

7:00 PM

AT Kearney

Graduating (maybe summer)

Sept 11

5:00 PM

Accenture

Graduating & Summer

Sept 12

5:00 PM

Deloitte Consulting

Graduating & Summer

Sept 12

7:00 PM

Bain and Company

Graduating & Summer

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Sept 13

7:00 PM

McKinsey & Company

Graduating & Summer

Sept 13

7:00 PM

Bell Canada

Graduating

Sept 14

5:00 PM

Trindent Consulting

Graduating (maybe summer)

Sept 18

5:00 PM

Secor Consulting

Graduating & Summer

Sept 18

7:00 PM

Towers Watson Consulting

Graduating (Maybe Summer)

Sept 19

6:30 PM

Pricewaterhouse Coopers Consulting Graduating & Summer

Sept 20

5:00 PM

Monitor

Summer

Sept 20

5:00 PM

Mercer

Graduating & Summer

Sept 20

7:00 PM

Monitor

Graduating

Application Timelines

Applications consist of a resume, cover letter, unofficial transcript and, in McKinsey’s case, a leadership essay that asks you to describe a time where you worked with a difficult team member.

Applications are usually due anywhere from the day after to one week after the information session. Give yourself lots of time to prepare these documents and use the BCC as a resource to help you edit and prefect them. Sign up for a resume review on MyCareer.

TIP: Send your Resume, Cover Letter and Transcript in one PDF instead of multiple attachments. This makes it easier for the recruiter!

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Interviews

What to wear:

Men

• Business formal: black or grey dress pants and matching blazer, black socks, black dress shoes, black leather belt, dress shirt (light or medium blue, avoid banker shirts – white collar and coloured shirt), conservative tie (avoid bold or dramatic patterns – this is not the time to be a fashion guru), no cufflinks

• Make sure everything is ironed and dry cleaned • A watch and minimum jewellery

• Tidy hair, away from the face

• Clean shaven or well-groomed facial hair • Very light to no cologne (but wear deodorant!) Women

• Business formal: black or grey dress pants and matching blazer, nude tights (women), black dress shoes, dress shirt (pale blues or greys), wear an undershirt and avoid low neck tops • A watch and minimum jewellery

• Manicured/clean nails

• Tidy hair, pinned back and away from the face • Very light to no perfume (but wear deodorant!) What to Bring:

• Pens

• Blank Paper • Business Cards • Watch

• Copies of your Resume • Bottle of water

• Business portfolio to hold everything The Day of:

• Try your best to relax

• Quickly review the daily news

• Warm up your voice – talk to someone or yourself • Warm up your brain – do some easy math calculations • Use the washroom

• Have a light snack to make sure you can sit through 3 hours of interviewing • Take a look in the mirror, smile and go for it!

First Round Interviews

First round interviews will usually be conducted on campus in Gordon Hall or Goodes Hall. Arrive at least 15 minutes before your interview to give yourself time to relax and absorb your surroundings. There will usually be seats set up for waiting, and at times, there will be a company representative in the waiting

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area to talk to and calm your nerves. Wait in the waiting room until a consultant comes and calls you into the interview room. Interviews are generally 30 – 45 minutes each. Most firms have two case interviews with behavioural included. For more specific details on what to expect for first round interviews by firm, see the firm description.

Second Round

After your first round interview you can expect to hear back from one of your interviewers within a few days, sometimes a few hours. In this conversation they will let you know whether or not you have received an invitation to second rounds. Whether you move on or not, this is a good opportunity to request feedback. It is a good idea to ask about your greatest strengths and weaknesses in order to improve your interviewing skills for the next round, next firm or in general.

Invitation to Second Rounds: Congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment. Second round interviews

are generally the final rounds and are hosted at the Firm’s office. Firms will generally take care of all of your expenses including train tickets, accommodation, meals and taxis (keep receipts and you can submit them for reimbursement after). Usually a firm will pair you up with a mentor at this point to help guide you through the process and allow you to ask questions or even complete a mock interview. Mentors usually have little to no weigh in on the hiring decision so are a great resource to use for questions. You can expect dinner and cocktails the night before the interview to meet firm employees and other candidates. Although this is not considered part of your interview, you will likely meet people who will be interviewing you the next day. This is a great time to make a good first impression and highlight good client skills.

Second round interviews: Second rounds are generally more intense. You will likely meet with senior

partners within the firm and may have a full day of interviews rather than the 3 hours in the first rounds. Senior partners are looking for the full package. They look for the same clear logic and comfort with quantitative analysis as they do in the first round. However, they also expect you to drive the interview, remain composed and to be able to talk about the news and topics of interest. In this way, the

behaviour component is much more significant. They want to see if you are someone they could work with!

Like first rounds, successful and unsuccessful candidates will be notified over the phone by one of the interviewers within a few days, maybe as soon as the day of.

Job Offers

Congratulations! Outstanding candidates will be extended an offer to join the firm for either the summer of full time. A partner will likely call to extend the offer and provide general information then will mail a contract with more details. They will likely understand that you are interviewing with other firms so take your time. At this point the firms will give you all the information you need to make a decision and will often invite you to an offer party to meet other employees and candidates in order to make the decision easier.

Contingency Plans

Not receiving an offer can be extremely frustrating and demotivating. If you were unable to secure a first round interview, set up a meeting with the BCC to review your resume and cover letter. Try to make

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improvements where you can and really tailor your application to each firm. Networking can also be useful to help better understand the firm and tips to be successful. Be realistic about your expectations. Most firms may require applicants have at least an 80% average and only around 10 offers are extended each year by the big firms.

If you were able to secure an interview know that this is a great accomplishment! The best thing you can do is to ask for feedback to determine where you could have performed better. Ask for specific feedback and examples. Use this in your next interviews, or for summer applicants, full time. Going through this process has expanded your networks and tremendously improved your interviewing skills.

Unsuccessful Summer Recruits:

• Use this as a learning experience for full time, feedback will help you highlight which areas to focus your prep on most

• There are more firms and more positions offered for full time

• Successful summer candidates have usually accepted positions already

• Talk to someone – QSB and Queen’s have dedicated resources and counselling for all students.

Book an appointment @ www.commerce.queensu.ca under “Counselling Sessions”

Unsuccessful Full time Recruits:

• Research boutique consulting firms or internal strategy teams – if you are really passionate about consulting there is still an opportunity to find a career in the industry

• Talk to the BCC about Alumni in medium-small sized firms

• The big global firms generally only extend around 10 positions for full time – set realistic expectations

• Talk to someone – QSB and Queen’s have dedicated resources and counselling for all students.

Book an appointment @ www.commerce.queensu.ca under “Counselling Sessions”

International Recruiting

This section aims to help students pursue some non-traditional opportunities (in the context of

Queen’s). The main topic of discussion is the process to get an offer for an office outside of Canada. This is something that is typically not found online on firm websites and discussed to a very limited extent in various published resources. In order to write this section, we went out and talked to alumni with international experiences, as well as the recruiters themselves. We also discuss how students should approach opportunities with firms that don’t take part in Queen’s On Campus Recruiting process. For students interested in joining an office outside of Toronto, you should be ready to welcome an additional onus: convincing the firm and the particular office that you’re suited for that desired location. It is paramount that you demonstrate some sort of connection with your desired location. This could be in the form of a family connection, language, or passion about the work in which a certain office has a focus. Future goals and prior experiences that align with the office location also help. If you ask to be staffed at the Paris office, but you have never studied French, then you don’t sound very convincing to the firm that you should be placed there.

An additional hurdle is to break through the target/focus school barrier. Most offices will tend to have a certain number of schools from which they recruit a significant portion of their new hires. These are the schools with which the recruiters are most familiar and with a strong alumni presence at the office, the

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candidates from these schools can be seen as “safe” hires. You have to further convince this office that despite being from a school with which they have had little experience, you will be a candidate with whom they are willing to take a chance.

In the case of international recruiting, tactful networking becomes much are value-adding. To learn more about the office, search LinkedIn to see if there are any alumni at the office to talk to. Another way to talk to the consultants is if you manage to connect with the recruiter at that office, ask to be introduced to the actual consultants. Talking to these people will also help you understand your target region’s culture and how business may operate differently there. In this process, an alumnus who is high up at the desired office can be an invaluable resource in getting the first round interview if they vouch for your application.

During the interviewing process, you should be prepared to encounter pushbacks from the recruiters. They will likely question your motives to work at the specific location in order to dig deeper into your thought process. For instance, if you tell them that your desire to work at the Palo Alto office is heavily driven by your long-standing passion in high tech and start-ups, they may rebut by asking why you wouldn’t be satisfied by getting staffed on a study with a high tech client, while working out of the Toronto office; after all, you would be a generalist and you can’t expect every study you work on to be with a client in the high tech industry. You should be ready to further counter such questions, and your responses can be significantly substantiated if you’ve talked to consultants at that office.

As for the interviewing format, you’ll likely still do first round interviews on campus as normal. Second rounds, however, can go a number of ways. There have been instances where the firm has simply continued to interview at the local office, and the candidate is then referred to the external office if they feel there is a good case. Other candidates have been flown out to do their second rounds at the

external office. Sometimes, a video conference interview may suffice. Some firms will also fly both interviewers and interviewees into the same office (see it as an “interviewing hub”) to conduct all their interviews. Essentially, different firms do different things, and procedures may even be on a candidate by candidate basis, so do your research and try to find out in advance.

Finally, make sure you will be able to get the proper work authorization. If you are applying for an office where you have citizenship, it is probably no problem. However, make sure you are allowed to work in Dubai before you set your heart on recruiting for that office. Also research if the firm is willing to offer sponsorship if that is a requirement. Typically, there is no issue getting firm support to get US work permits as consultants in Canadian offices often need to work with US clients. If you are going down to the US for an internship, you can get the US J-1 Intern permit. If you are going for full time after you finish your degree, the H-1B work visa is for degree-specific jobs, but there is a limited amount of these available each year. If you have Canadian Citizenship, applying for TN status is probably the better alternative.

And what if they don’t come to campus to start with?

These firms can be broken down into two groups. The first are the firms that regularly recruit out of undergrad for summers and full times, but don’t partake in recruiting at Queen’s (like Booz & Co.). The second group is those that don’t regularly recruit undergraduate candidates, and hence, they don’t recruit from Queen’s.

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In the former case where the firm’s active recruiting process simply doesn’t extend to Queen’s, it can be both promising and challenging. On the bright side, you know that they have positions for

undergraduate candidates. The challenge, however, is to break through the barrier of target/focussed schools where the firm actually does recruit. This is probably more challenging than breaking through the barrier for international recruiting because at least in international recruiting, the firm as a whole recruits from Queen’s. In this case, it’s possible that they have next to no knowledge of the existence of Queen’s. Networking here will be instrumental in getting your name out there and having the firm take a chance with you in an interview. Maybe even arrange for an office visit if possible.

In the latter case, they likely look for experienced candidates, in which case your candidacy as an undergrad from Queen’s doesn’t quite meet their criteria. One possible way to get exposure with the firm is to ask to intern for the summer after 3rd_{year, or even 4}th_{year (and maybe as an unpaid position),} with no guarantee of a full time return offer. If you impress them during your time there, they may change their minds about the full time offer. Obviously the way to make contact with the firm is to network with a recruiter (if they have someone designated to the role) or an actual consultant. Having an actual consultant push for your candidacy will be more effective. Sometimes, the reason they don’t recruit on campus is that they don’t have an active recruiting initiative, in which case you reaching out them will certainly get things rolling.

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PREPARATION

What to Study

Without question, you’ll be studying various resources that will help you conquer the case interview. Refer back to our FIRMS section and see how the format of cases (open case, written case, group interview) can differ for specific firms. At a higher level than preparing cases and sizing questions though, make sure you can demonstrate general business knowledge and that you’re interested in how businesses work. Make sure you know basic concepts of business – things you would have learned in the first two years of introductory courses. Know how Revenue and Cost are deduced and be able to break them down into their components. Being able to apply NPV for certain cases can be a big positive. Keep up to date with current business knowledge by reading the newspaper and publications such as HBR, McKinsey Quarterly, BusinessWeek and The Economist. For the fit and behavioural questions, make sure you know your resume inside out.

How to Study

Preparing for consulting interviews takes a significant amount of commitment. Given that both full time and summer recruiting has moved up to early fall, we recommend that preparation starts during the summer. This is different from past years when summer candidates could start preparing when they got back to campus and still have ample time.

During the summer, you should read and learn more about the industry and how each firm is different. Take the time to know what you need to prep and acquire all the resources you plan to use so they are all accessible when you start to practice more heavily (you don’t want to be spending the first 2 weeks of school waiting for Case in Point to ship from the States). You can read through the lighter materials such as practice cases posted on firm websites and the vault guides, and try a few sizing questions and cases just to get a sense of what they’re like. Really take the summer to understand the process and what you’re getting yourself into, so when school starts, you can focus on practising.

There is one very simple word of advice: practise as much as possible – with friends, colleagues, contacts within consulting firms. Practising with peers is great when you start off as you can learn from each other’s mistakes. DO NOT think at any point that you are practising with your “competition.” When interviewing with consulting firms, you are not being compared against the other candidates; you are being compared against a benchmark that the firms are looking for. Your goal is to pass that

benchmark. As you get better, practising with an actual consultant can really help you fine tune your approach. Even practise in front of a mirror to assess your communication style, body language, etc. Ultimately, the outcome of your efforts should means that when you go into your actual case interview, you are confident, and comfortable.

Using various resources, such as Case in Point, you’re going to be presented frameworks for approaching cases that others have created. What you want to avoid is memorizing these frameworks and then forcing the case to fit the framework. Rather, throughout your practice, you should develop the reasoning skills and flexibility that will allow you to instead adapt frameworks to fit the presented case. A very successful candidate that we spoke to said “remember that the point of a case interview is to

give you the chance to showcase the skills necessary to be a successful consultant.” It is easy to

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through problems, understand how things work very quickly, and adapt your knowledge base to tackle any issue.

For written cases, the situation may seem more similar to a case on an exam or a case competition. That said, do not underestimate the challenge of these cases. The candidate mentioned above says he would describe Monitor’s written case “like a 60 minute case competition for one person only, except you only get like 30 minutes.” If you can’t fully prepare answers to the questions in the allotted time (a very likely scenario), be prepared to think on the spot and walk the interviewers through your thoughts.

Regarding Size Up questions (also called back of envelope questions), practise by sizing up things that you come across in your normal lives. For instance, if you go to buy some milk, think about the milk market in Canada. If you’re at the gas station, ask yourself how many gas stations there are in Canada. Make sure that you can do the same problem with both a bottoms up and tops down approach. At the end of the day, these questions test two things: logic and math. Logic is something that develops more innately, and math is something that comes very quickly with practice.

The underlying principle of all your practice is developing STRUCTURE. Interviewers that we talked to unanimously identify the #1 problem that hurts a candidate is his/her lack of structure. Through copious amounts of practice, some candidates come to develop 1 or 2 frameworks of their own that they find can be adapted on the spot to fit virtually any case thrown at them. Other candidates develop a “knack” for the case interview. They see it as a logic test and structure their approach however seems right when they’re presented with the case. The point of practice is to discover what is going to work for you – each individual has to find his/her own way to approach cases.

Finally, keep in mind that you will never get everything right immediately. Rarely do people “ace the case” every single case. The interviewers are there to help guide you towards the answer, so interact with them.

Basic Types of Problems

Four basic case question frameworks:

• Profitability cases

• Common business situation questions (new market, new products, valuations etc.) • Mergers and Acquisitions

• Capacity change

While you shouldn’t memorize specific frameworks, do make sure you know the Profit Tree. It will make life easier and at a very high level, you can argue that any issue for a business will always tie back to profits in some way or another.

Queen s Consulting Guide

Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION TO CONSULTING

What is QCA?

Awareness

Development

Preparation

What is Consulting?

THE INDUSTRY

THE FIRMS

Accenture (145 King Street West, Toronto)

A.T. Kearney (20 Queen St. W, Toronto)

Bain & Company (2 Bloor Street East, 29th Floor, Toronto)

Boston Consulting Group (181 Bay Street, Toronto)

Deloitte Consulting (30 Wellington Street West, Toronto)

Hugessen Consulting (200 Bay St., Toronto, ON)

McKinsey & Company (110 Charles Street West, Toronto)

Monitor Group

(100 Simcoe Street, Toronto)

Oliver Wyman (161 Bay Street, Toronto)

Tips:

Secor Consulting (390 Bay Street, Suite 2400, Toronto)

Resumes and Cover Letter Tips

Networking

Preparing for Case Interviews

(

September Case Prep Sessions

October Case Prep Sessions

Information Sessions (2012)

Date

Time

Company

Target

Sept 10

5:00 PM

Oliver Wyman

Graduating & Summer

Sept 10

7:00 PM

AT Kearney

Graduating (maybe summer)

Sept 11

5:00 PM

Accenture

Graduating & Summer

Sept 12

5:00 PM

Deloitte Consulting

Graduating & Summer

Sept 12

7:00 PM

Bain and Company

Graduating & Summer

Sept 13

7:00 PM

McKinsey & Company

Graduating & Summer

Sept 13

7:00 PM

Bell Canada

Graduating

Sept 14

5:00 PM

Trindent Consulting

Graduating (maybe summer)

Sept 18

5:00 PM

Secor Consulting

Graduating & Summer

Sept 18

7:00 PM

Towers Watson Consulting

Graduating (Maybe Summer)

Sept 19

6:30 PM

Pricewaterhouse Coopers Consulting Graduating & Summer

Sept 20

5:00 PM

Monitor