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Getting a Consulting Job

Getting a Consulting Job

This course is part of Management Consulting Specialization

Instructor: John Kim

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16,838 already enrolled

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

514 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

7 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

99%

Most learners liked this course

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

514 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

7 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

99%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

What are consulting firms looking for ? What do consulting projects look like? How should I network with firms? What is the key to case interviews?

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Assessments

4 assignments¹

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Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Management Consulting Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

This is the #2 course in the specialization on management consulting.

In this course, we will learn how consulting firms work and how they make money. This can help you network with recruiters and prepare for the case interviews. Some of the topics covered: • What drive project profitability? • What competencies do I need at each stage in my career? • How are consulting interviews different? • How to do well on case interviews? • How much do I need to practice cases?

Consulting firms (like law, tax, audit, tax firms) are built on a leverage model. This means that projects have senior practitioners (partners, directors) who sell the work and develop the executive relationships. Managers keep the teams productive and the client happy. Junior staff do the work; conduct interviews, gather data, run analyses, put together presentations.

What's included

5 videos4 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

5 videosTotal 31 minutes

What will we learn in this course?2 minutes
2.1.1 What is consulting leverage?7 minutes
2.1.2 GenAI and Consulting6 minutes
2.2.1 Understanding project profitability8 minutes
2.2.2 Utilization = staying billable8 minutes

4 readingsTotal 31 minutes

Make other people successful, be like John Stockton10 minutes
Course outline for note taking6 minutes
Consulting Fundamentals: Skills, tools, tips (2023)5 minutes
Finders, minders, and grinders10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 12 minutes

Understanding consulting leverage and project economics12 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 4 minutes

Optional: meet and greet4 minutes

Management consultants are good at many things. They can quickly scope ambiguous problems, find and analyze messy data, manage small diverse teams, keep the client engaged, and run profitable projects. How can you do them all and which skills should you learn first?

What's included

5 videos3 readings2 discussion prompts

5 videosTotal 32 minutes

2.3.1 Finders, minders, grinders6 minutes
2.3.2 Consulting competencies7 minutes
2.3.3 GenAI competencies5 minutes
2.4 Do simple tasks well (e.g., executive communications)7 minutes
2.5 Do simple tasks well (e.g., meeting minutes)7 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Consulting careers often look like an hourglass10 minutes
What does work/life balance look like in consulting?10 minutes
Make email better: 20 tips10 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 12 minutes

Optional: Evaluate your own skill level6 minutes
Optional: How well do you listen?6 minutes

Consulting projects vary enormously. I've been on 6 month-long implementation with 20+ practitioners coming and going, and 3 person assessments that only lasted 3 weeks. The executive sponsor often varies - CEO, CFO, CMO, COO, or CIO. You'd be surprised how many similarities these diverse projects have.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

3 videosTotal 25 minutes

2.6 Projects can vary from 3 weeks to 1 year9 minutes
2.7 What to do before the project starts?9 minutes
2.8 Internal consultants have a huge opportunity 7 minutes

2 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Beware the long middle of a project10 minutes
How to get smart quickly20 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 15 minutes

Consulting skills used on projects15 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 8 minutes

Optional: Tell us about a project challenge8 minutes

Consulting is a great career path. Many people want to compete for these rare consulting job offers. So, it's important to "reverse-engineer" what the consulting firms are looking for in new recruits. Consultants help make clients successful. Firms are looking for candidate who are smart, curious, good communicators, and know how to effectively network.

What's included

5 videos3 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

5 videosTotal 37 minutes

2.9 Networking is important and it takes effort8 minutes
2.10 Who should I network with?7 minutes
2.11 Recruiting is a people business6 minutes
2.12.1 What are consulting firms looking for?9 minutes
2.12.2 Informational interviews8 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Networking = being a useful human10 minutes
Career tip: What is an informational interview?10 minutes
Resumes are bait, make it count10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 12 minutes

Networking and recruiting12 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 40 minutes

Linkedin profile review40 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 6 minutes

Tell us about your networking6 minutes

Consulting interviews typically come in two flavors. 1) Behavioral interviews are the ones we are accustomed to; interviews ask about our resume, motivations, and try to understand our "fit" with the organization. 2) Case interviews are a collaborative problem-solving exercise to see how you think + communicate + smile at the same time.

What's included

3 videos4 readings1 assignment

3 videosTotal 20 minutes

2.13 What is a behavioral interview?9 minutes
2.14 What is a case interview?9 minutes
Congratulations on completing course #22 minutes

4 readingsTotal 32 minutes

Be likeable, be yourself (on your best day)10 minutes
Case interviews, “We want to see you think.”10 minutes
How to do well with case interviews? Practice10 minutes
Please take 2 min and leave a review2 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 20 minutes

Behavioral and case interviews20 minutes

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Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(218 ratings)

Top Instructor

John Kim

Emory University

11 Courses83,701 learners

Offered by

Emory University

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Reviewed on Sep 24, 2024

Great insights on the consulting firm interview process. These cover letter, resume, and interview tips would also be helpful when applying for other types of jobs as well.

Reviewed on May 14, 2023

Great job in providing insights and your experience in gaining that first consulting job. I particularly enjoyed the discussions on conducting the case interview. The were quite helpful.

Reviewed on Oct 31, 2025

Wonderfully lucid and simple way of explaining everything. Lot of new insights for me-alien to the world of consulting. Kudos to the Professor.

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Frequently asked questions

The last 1/3 of this course is focused on networking, behavioral interviews, and case interviews. Just as important, the first 2/3 of the course deals with the mindset and skillset you need to do great during interviews. Do you know what consulting firms are looking for?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.