CONSULTING 101
Division Directors:
Janine Romy (jromy@nd.edu)
Alex Jones (ajones22@nd.edu)
What is Consulting?
Data
Analysis & Conclusion
As consultants, we
solve pressing
business problems.
Recommendation
“The business of giving expert advice to other professionals”
Source: Google Dictionary
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Projects We Offer
Specialty
Consulting
The Big Three
The SIBC Consulting
Division has a project
for everyone.
Consulting Divisions in
the Big Four
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Diverse and Interesting
Why
Choose Consulting?
Assignments
Development of Strong Analytical
and Communication Skills
Accelerated Career Advancement
Steep Learning Curve
Travel
the World
It is commonly
said that one year in consulting is worth
three years in another industry!
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Quality Research Sources
If your idea or recommendation is not backed up by data, it is
NOT WORTH SAYING.
Industry
Information
Mintel
IBISWorld
Financial
Information
PassPort
GMID
S&P CapIQ
Yahoo!
Finance
Reputable
News Sources
Forbes
Bloomberg
Businessweek
Found at library.nd.edu/business
Graphs have more
impact than raw
numbers
Source: Mahaffey Business Library
Always cite
sources on slides
Use infographics
for visual effect
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PowerPoint Slide Quality Tips
Bad
▪
This is what a bad PowerPoint
looks like. There is no visual
impact from the placement of
text. There are way too many
words on one slide. There may be
a randomly placed clip-art
picture somewhere on the page.
The white space is not balanced.
The font is too small.
Good slides always have a takeaway,
either in the title or in a text box.
SmartArt
Large Font
Appropriate Color
This side of
the slide is
ugly
Quality of slide
Use of Applicable Data
Impact of Graphics on
Slide Quality
Relevant graphics
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SIBC Consulting Buzzwords
Case interview:
the situation-oriented
challenges presented by
recruiters to test how you think
80/20:
the idea that 80% of the output
comes from 20% of the input
i.e. 80% of the problem can be
solved with 20% of the data
MECE (pronounced mee-cee):
“mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive” an organizational tool where ideas have no
gaps or overlaps
20,000-foot view:
looking at a problem from a
general perspective without
worrying about details
Source: The Daily Muse, Yaro Starak
Slide deck:
a PowerPoint presentation
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Great Case Interview Resources
Victor Cheng
• Offers free video tutorials and articles on how to solve cases
• Online program allows you to test basic math skills required for
interviews
• www.caseinterview.com
ND Consulting Consortium
• Holds case interview practices on campus
• www.ndconsultingconsortium.com
Your Peers
• Ask a junior or senior for guidance! Many SIBC members have
been through the process already and are more than willing to
give advice to younger members
• Contact division directors at jromy@nd.edu or ajones22@nd.edu
for more information
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Example Case Interview Questions
Should Company Alpha, a
grocery store chain, enter the
Internet-based grocery
shopping market? If so, how
and what concerns should they
have? If not, how do they
protect market share that is
being threatened by the
emerging Internet market?
A major distributor of canned
corn in North America is
considering an expansion into
the South East Asian market.
What would you recommend?
Our company that manufactures batteries for
RVs finds itself in the middle of a changing
industry, where manufacturers are opting to use
cheaper batteries as the standard. Customers
must pay $600 extra to use our company’s
batteries. How do we maintain profits amidst
these changing conditions?
You are consulting for a small
manufacturer of motorcycles. They
hand craft their bicycles and are well
reputed for having some of the best
quality on the market. A large multinational competitor has announced
that it will begin selling high-end
motorcycles incorporating the newest
engine technology. What should your
client do?
Source: The Corporate Executive Board Company, Job Search Online, Ace the Case
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Any Further Questions?
Please contact the Consulting Division Directors:
Janine Romy (jromy@nd.edu)
Alex Jones (ajones22@nd.edu)
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