Phrasing a strong answer to "Why consulting"?

Question

I'm preparing for fit interviews and am trying to phrase an effective answer to the "why consulting" question. I'm applying to a generalist position out of undergrad and I've done some initial brainstorming and my main motivations are that consulting will give me exposure to working in a wide variety of industries. But I'm not sure whether I should state that this will allow me to understand what kind of work I want to do in the future because that sounds like I am using consulting as a stepping stone. How do i phrase a good answer to the why consulting question?

Answer 1

Hi,

Let me share some thoughts.

It's ok if you know your goals and using consulting as a step, nobody expects that you'll be working in consulting whole life.
But it's not the best answer if you tell that you don't know what you want. Uncertainty do not characterize you as a strong candidate. So, please think of other personal rationale. For example. you set a goal to become top-manager/ entrepreneur in the future, so you need to develop CEO toolkit. And you believe working in consulting, where you can gain experience in different industries, functions and geographies, is the best way to do it.
Think of 2 more other reasons, you should provide 3 reasons why consulting.

Best!
V.

Answer 2

Dear A,

When answering “Why consulting” questions, provide three reasons why you want
to pursue a career in a consulting firm. A general rule is to find the reasons that are
important for you and logically fit everything you have done before (e.g. you want to
grow further in financial services and get exposure to these clients). You can always
use some personal rationale like your experience of working with consultants on a
client side.

Also, you can follow common framework in answering any personal fit questions. It consists of 5 parts:

1. Situation

2. Problem

3. Solution

4. Results

5. Your learnings

Hope it helps,

Best,

André

Answer 3

Hi,

When answering “Why consulting” questions, provide three reasons why you want to pursue a career in a consulting firm. A general rule is to find the reasons that are important for you and logically fit everything you have done before (e.g. you want to grow further in financial services and get exposure to these clients). You can always use some personal rationale like your experience of working with consultants on a client side.

"Why this company" is a more specific question and can include the following arguments:

The general marketing story the company is trying to sell (e.g. Bain is a small "Family" company)
Brand / positioning / market share in the region
More clients / projects / expertise in the industry you are interested in
More well-known stories of success in your city
Your friends working there
Your interactions with the other consultants before the interview
Your prior experience of working with the Firm on a client side
Office traditions
Work experience with firm alumni
etc

Best!

Answer 4

Hi there,

Welcome to PrepLounge and thanks for asking your question on our Consulting Q&A.

Have you already checked out our new feature Self Study Mode?

You can find a number of personal fit questions such as "Why consulting?" including best practice answers by our experts.

Maybe this helps you for your further practice.

We wish you a great case prep!

Best,

Astrid

PrepLounge Community Management

PrepLounge Consulting Q&A Forum

Follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | twitter