interview preparation
What are consulting firms looking for in candidates beyond technical skills?
Consulting firms seek humans they genuinely like and who are uniquely human - not just technically qualified, but people who are awesome, fun, and bring something valuable to the table. In interviews, they're assessing whether candidates can establish personal connections and share meaningful insights from networking conversations. This human element has become increasingly important in the hiring process. When candidates are asked why they want to work at a specific firm, those who can authentically reference conversations with current employees and demonstrate genuine enthusiasm stand out. The ability to build rapport and tell compelling stories often determines who receives offers, highlighting that consulting is fundamentally a people business.
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Management Consulted
27:23 - 27:26
How should I analyze LinkedIn job postings to adjust my interview strategy?
When analyzing LinkedIn job postings, look for key indicators like how long the position has been open and the number of applicants. For positions open 3-6 months, adopt a more aggressive approach to uncover why it's remained unfilled and what skills other candidates are missing that you could provide to benefit the organization. For newer positions, focus on understanding the urgency of the hiring need and why the position was created. If you notice signs of explosive growth (like multiple similar openings globally), emphasize your ability to work in a fast-paced environment, deliver quick results, and implement process improvements for faster hiring.
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Jeff H Sipe - Practice Interviews
06:06 - 07:57
What are screening questions and why are they important in the job application process?
Screening questions are targeted inquiries posed to job applicants to evaluate whether they possess the necessary qualifications for a position. These questions assess candidates' experience with specific tools or technologies, education levels, certifications, and other must-have requirements. When properly implemented, they streamline the hiring process by automatically filtering out applicants who don't meet essential qualifications, reducing the recruiter's workload. LinkedIn allows customization of these questions, enabling employers to create both template-based and custom screening questions that align with their specific hiring needs.
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Think Tutorial
02:57 - 04:31
What are the three practical research strategies for job interview preparation?
Jeff Su recommends three effective research strategies for interview preparation. First, use Google Alerts to stay updated on your target company's news and job postings by creating customized alerts with search operators. Second, utilize Google Trends to understand how demand for company products has changed over time, providing insights on industry direction and talking points for interviews. Third, access the Vault Career Library for exclusive reports and company reviews, particularly helpful for college students with university access to premium databases. These tools help you prepare meaningful answers, engage in informed small talk, and ask insightful questions that demonstrate thorough research.
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Jeff Su
00:17 - 04:22
What are the seven essential things to research about a company before a job interview?
Before a job interview, research these seven key areas: 1) Company basics - clients, products, services, and industry competition through their website and LinkedIn profile. 2) Company values and candidate expectations through mission statements and job descriptions. 3) Information about your interviewer to establish meaningful connections. 4) Key organizational players to understand leadership and company direction. 5) Competitive landscape to gauge the company's industry position. 6) Employee insights from Glassdoor to learn about culture and salary information. 7) Recent news and events to stay current on company developments and initiatives.
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Don Georgevich
00:02 - 06:52
What are effective methods for researching a company before an interview?
Google Alerts is a powerful tool for interview research that provides up-to-date information about companies. By creating alerts with specific search operators alongside the company name, you can track new job postings, competitor information, and financial updates. For example, typing the company name followed by 'competition' will alert you when the company is mentioned in competitive contexts. You can also monitor quarterly earnings for financial insights. These findings can be strategically used not only in your answers but also during small talk and when asking questions at the end of the interview.
Watch clip answer (04:16m)Jeff Su
00:00 - 04:16