Consulting

Counselor’s Perspective

Most important, understand what consultants do and how consulting firms differ. There are many types. The competition to find entry-level jobs and internships is very strong. Therefore, preparing in advance, conducting research and networking is imperative. Many consulting firms conduct what is called, case interviews. In most instances, students will need to make it past this initial screening to be considered for internships or jobs at many consulting firms.

Take advantage of internships! Many companies come to duke in the fall and spring to recruit students for full-time jobs and in some cases, internships. There is no direct path to securing a job in consulting. It is more important that you demonstrate your analytical and problem solving abilities, research and quantitative skills, and leadership capabilities. You can develop these skills in a variety of ways such as:

Academics

• Independent Research project
• Honors Thesis
• Group Project for a course
• Service learning project

Campus Extracurricular/Leadership

• Civic involvement
• Take on a leadership role in club or organization
• Write for the Chronicle or other publications
• Create a web site
• Resident Advisor

Work Experience

• Summer job/internship in any field
• Part-time or work-study jobs
• Externships/shadowing
• Volunteer

A Day in the Life

A Management Consultant at Public Consulting Group

8:00am Wake up in downtown Boston and prepare for work
8:30 Walk to work
8:40 Respond to emails and voicemails, prepare daily to do list
9:30 Meeting with finance staff to give overview/demonstration of new financial system about to be rolled out
11:00 Status meeting with analyst to discuss a new database to capture and report on data files received from Medicare
11:30 Grab some lunch at Al’s State Street Café and eat it at my desk while I read the newspaper online
12:00 Conference call with pharmacy benefits vendor to discuss implementation of new Medicare Part D program
1:00 Design and implement new algorithm to improve accuracy of estimated Medicare revenue calculations
3:00 Respond to any outstanding email and voicemails
3:30 Status meeting with a different analyst to review testing of a financial modeling tool
4:00 Conference call with electronic medical records (EMR) vendor to discuss progress on system problems
4:45 Write up notes from EMR call and distribute via email
5:00 Continue working on implementation of new Medicare revenue calculations
6:20 Walk home and have dinner
7:30 Resume working on revenue calculations while I watch the Red Sox game
10:00 Stop working for the day

Opportunities

There are many types of consulting firms and depending on your interests, skills, and abilities, your preference may differ. Here is a sample of consulting firms by type:

• Management Consulting
• IT/technical Consulting
• Strategy Consulting
• Health Care Consulting
• Government Contract Consulting
• Nonprofit Consulting

Resources

Use all of your resources to research and find jobs and internships opportunities.

Research Information & Networking

• Vault Career Library (access to insider guides)
• WetFeet.com
• DukeConnect (network with Duke alums)
• Career Conference
  
• Reommended book: "Case in Point"
  
  

Job/Internship Opportunities

• Duke eRecruiting
• Career Center email lists
• Internship Exchange
• Internship Series Online
• CareerSearch: find the hidden job market by proactively contacting companies using this directory.
  

Online (non-Duke resources)

• MonsterTrak
• Hotjobs
• Career Builder
• Dice
• The European Federation of Management Consultancies Associations has a company database including contact information at http://www.feaco.org/.
• Google’s list of management consulting associations provides general and specific information on the industry.
• Information Central for Management Consulting Worldwide has a country by country searchable listing of national associations of management consulting.

Successful Communication Strategies

DukeConnect is your exclusive resource to connect with Duke alumni working in your field of interest. When contacting alumni or networking in general, be sure to follow these simple, yet important rules:

When making contact:

Do your research first. Research information by browsing the web, reading print materials, or by meeting with your career counselor. Visit your contacts’ company web site to learn about their organization.

Draft a short but informative email or letter. If sending an email, it should be no longer than a paragraph but written in a professional letter-type format/tone and if writing a letter, no longer than a page. Your email should remain short so that your contact will find it easy to respond right away and not let it sit in his/her inbox. Your email or letter should always include: a brief introduction, how you found out about them, the purpose of your message, and what you are requesting.

Never ask for a job or internship in your initial contact. This is only appropriate if after having a conversation you feel comfortable brining it up.

Sample questions for informational interviews

• How did you get into banking/finance?
• What do you like and dislike about your work or the industry overall?
• What are the characteristics of people who do well in this field?
• What skills are important or required to be successful?
• I am looking for a job/internship in banking/finance, what advice would you give me?
• What type of entry-level positions or internships would you recommend applying for?
• I researched the various companies on Wall Street and their divisions, could you explain xyz to me?
• I’ve been reading the Wall Street Journal, what do you think about xyz?

After making contact:

Always send a thank you note. Its appropriate to send thank you notes via email, letter, or hand written note card.

Follow-up on any promises or action steps you discussed. Take advantage of this opportunity to build rapport with your contact. Demonstrate your follow through skills.

Who comes to Duke?

Sample list of consulting firms that recruit from Duke
Accenture
Advisory Board
American Management Systems
Bain & Co.
Booz Allen Hamilton
Boston Consulting Group
Marakon Associates
McKinsey & Co.
Public Consulting Group
Stockamp & Associates
The Bridgespan Group

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