Must-Have Management Consulting Reading List
Books and magazines can be very helpful in learning the ropes of your consulting career. Here are some of the best ones.
When you apply for a job as a consultant, it is of the utmost importance that you be well-read, for the following reasons:
1. After you submit your resume, and while you are going through the recruiting and interviewing process, your business literacy will be tested formally and informally.
2. When you are exposed to the various problems, solutions and situations that arise in business, it is a litmus test for the depth of your interest in a career in consulting. For example, if you are not interested in reading about how the US auto industry got into the mess it is now in, and all the different things they need to improve in order to save themselves, then you are not going to like consulting.
3. By familiarizing yourself with the business world, you will be ready to get started the minute you get hired.
Click here for the recommended reading for consultants.
Now that you know why you should read, here is what you should read:
The Best In Books:
The McKinsey Way and The McKinsey Mind, by Ethan Rasiel. Rasiel is a former consultant for McKinsey. These books will give you a lot of in-depth information on firm practices and culture. The things you will learn include hypothesis driven problem solving, 80/20 thinking, and more. These are things that I will be covering in posts here, but you can get a jump on that with existing information.
Look for anything written by Jim Collins. Some of my own favorites are Good to Great and also, Built to Last. You will get a real feel for the zeitgeist of thinking in business today. You will hear a lot of consulting team members discussing his ideas. These books influence the way in which consultants know their clients and corporations review and critique themselves.
Top Picks in Magazines and Periodicals:
The Harvard Business review always has at least one good, timely article to enjoy. I have never read the whole magazine, but I still do read it regularly. I learn something interesting and pertinent every time. There are always specific articles on how to implement good practices in business, such as encouraging bottoms-up innovation and setting up organizational systems to retain good employees.
You will want to have a look at The Economist. Because of my experience with McKinsey, I have been very surprised to find out how many people read The Economist on a regular basis. This is one magazine that I always subscribe to. It is very helpful in understanding the key issues in the global economy today. Areas of particular interest are business, economics and finance.
You will always find high-quality, in-depth articles in Fortune Magazine. It will tell you a lot about the top thinkers in today’s business world. You will also find current and pertinent information about the best companies. Fortune is very interesting to read because it is well-written and informative.
Click here to learn networking at consulting presentations and information sessions!
How Management Consultants Read Resumes and CVs
When you submit your resume for a screening process, you know that you will hear one of two things, “You’re hired!” or “We regret to inform you”. Occasionally, you will be told why you did not get the position you wanted, but it is usually not very specific feedback. “Not a good fit.” is frequently used.
We hope to be able to clarify, in this article, how resumes are read by consultants. Additionally, we want to point out some big differences between finance and consulting.
Who, exactly, is in charge?
A team usually reviews resumes. This team is generally made up of managers, associates, and analysts. Here are a few parts of the process that are quite consistent:
First, there will be 3-5 people on the review team. Each person will review your resume alone, then the group will review it.
Second, undergraduates, graduates, and MBAs from your school will comprise the team.
Third, the final decision will be made by the committee.
At first, there will not be any senior members of the group or representatives from finance involved. Junior team members will manage the initial process in the interest of saving time and money. Higher-ups will join the process when the time comes to make decisions and propose offers.
Click here for more on differences between business consulting and banking.
Questions regarding your involvement in student groups, your GPA, and other such matters will be fielded by someone whose background is similar to yours. If you are an engineering undergraduate from Columbia, an engineering undergraduate from Columbia will surely be involved in the review process.
What is involved in the process?
Each team member will receive a packet that could contain as few as fifty or as many as three hundred resumes each. The consulting letters will probably have been removed, so applicants who have taken care to present the best resume possible will have that much more edge.
Finance may spend about 30 seconds reviewing each resume. The consultants will spend twice that amount of time.
Following individual review, the consultants will get together as a group to look the resumes over. Then they will discuss the resumes, compare notes, and make decisions.
Here is what they are looking for and why you might not get an interview.
Solid work experience, strong leadership skills, and evidence of academic success.
Click here for more on how to write a management consulting resume.
