Full-time prep for Consulting Interviews?

Hello!

It is indeed challenging to juggle a full-time job and multiple (or any number of) consulting interview processes. It is doable (although difficult/tiring for the person going through the process), as consulting companies regularly bring in experienced hires (people who have previous work experience vs. applying from undergrad or MBA). 

You could try the following to ease the process in case this is something you are considering:

1. Be strategic regarding the companies you are applying for: Potentially restrict the total number of applications to your highest priority companies or review the application timelines for various companies and select a set of companies to apply to that don't have overlap in application periods (so you can spread them out and ease the burden)
2. Check what opportunities your company offers to take time off: E.g., maybe your company has an option to take a block of unpaid time off (of course, this depends on your financial situation) or other types of time off / flexible working arrangements. You can then try to schedule the bulk of your interview processes during that period
3. Try to join virtual events / virtual coffee chats instead of in-person events: Check which companies offer virtual events to meet consultants and reach out to current consultants for virtual coffee chats (e.g., alumni from your university that currently work in a company you are interested in)

All the best,

Maria 

Hey there, 

It is 100% doable and possible! I got my McKinsey whilst working full time and have helped many other people obtain offers whilst being full time students or employees. 

My main tips to be successful given these circumstances are:

1. Give yourself enough time to the interview: Try schedule the interview date to be a bit further down the line so you can have more time to prepare adequately
2. Have a focused and structured syllabus and preparation plan: Optimize the time you have by ensuring you tick all the boxes of case preparation and fit that you need to do. Also make sure you do sufficient live practice
3. Commit to the plan and be disciplined :-) : Given time constraints, we want to make sure we make the most of the moments that we have set aside for case practice! So let's make this count

Bonus tip: a coach really will help you be more efficient with the time you have and make the process easier and smoother. If possible, I'd highly recommend having one

All the best

Hey!

Balancing consulting interview prep while working full-time is challenging but absolutely doable with effective time management. Many candidates in full-time roles dedicate evenings, weekends, and vacation days to preparation. However, those who take time off or reduce work commitments often have a clearer schedule to practice cases intensively, which can improve performance.

Key strategies for full-time workers include:

1. Structured Prep Plan: Allocate specific daily or weekly slots for case prep, focusing on quality over quantity.
2. Leverage Resources: Use platforms like PrepLounge or consulting clubs for mock interviews.
3. Prioritize: Apply to a manageable number of firms to avoid burnout.
4. Vacation Days: Save and use these strategically for interview rounds.
5. Practice Efficiently: Work with experienced partners or coaches for high-quality feedback.

While it’s easier to focus on prep with fewer work obligations, plenty of candidates succeed while balancing a full-time job—it just requires discipline and prioritization! 😊

Alessa 

Hi there,

Around 50% of the clients I coach work full-time. The trick is to

• prioritize/know what to work on

• how to work on it

• space your preparation over a longer time period to not burn out.

While full-time workers usually have less time to prepare, they have a stronger starting position/better business sense/seniority/experience which can make up for that,

A couple of tips on the prep!

• The key reason why candidates fail their case interviews and don't improve with practice is because they never learn the right approach and techniques to begin with. They might go through 30-40 cases, just repeating the same mistakes over and over again. There is often no strong baseline.

• Make sure you understand and learn the basics for each part of the case (structuring, charts, math), which is

  • A replicable step-by-step for each part of the case interview

  • The right thinking techniques around the individual parts (e.g., what's a framework, what is evaluated, how can I ensure I think about it the correct way, what are some shortcuts to get to the answer quickly, etc.)

  • Simple communication templates to help you communicate your insights as well as ask for data in the right way to drive the case forward

• There are several approaches you can take, such as hiring a skilled coach, reading the right materials, or enrolling in relevant courses. For example, while some chatbots may suggest a list of books, my book, The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview, provides direct guidance tailored to modern case interviews. It covers all the essential points mentioned here, and more, while also offering a detailed preparation plan. You can find it on Amazon

• Avoid generic advice and framework memorization approaches. This will only hurt your performance and waste a ton of time (why -> check out the first post here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-goodrelevant-is-the-case-in-point-book-for-case-prep-1984)

• Once you have that baseline it's time to practice and internalize the skills to create the right profile, polishing your strengths and lifting your weaknesses to a robust-enough level

• Practice drills alone (structure, chart, math) and practice full cases with other excellent candidates that know the right habits and approach. It is crucial that you are practicing with really good peers, otherwise, it's a waste of time. Practicing drills on your own is a huge effectivity and efficiency booster since you can go over many more questions in a shorter amount of time compared to practicing with peers. Do both in parallel! You want to spend your time where it is most useful, e.g., if you struggle with math focus on math drills, etc.

• Focus on quality over quantity. Doing 50+ cases does not mean much if you are not applying the right habits to score high and do a detailed debrief after every case to improve. You want to move from bad to good for your weaknesses and good to great for your strengths --> use the feedback from your previous experience and tailor your prep accordingly

• Consider booking at least an initial coaching session to get a detailed and objective evaluation of your performance + learn the right habits for every case regardless of context and framework + get a tailored preparation plan out of the session that will set you up for an effective and efficient prep.

• Don't forget the fit interview part. Prepare answers for all the typical fit questions and stories (3-5 hours) and rehearse them a couple of times (5 hours)

All the best,

Florian

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, it is absolutely possible to interview with multiple consulting firms while working full-time. I help coachees of mine who work full-time all the time, some of them even in high-intensity professions like banking and consulting.
• Moreover, of course, many candidates could theoretically devote themselves full-time to consulting interviews as recent graduates. But realistically, this is rarely necessary.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen