ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL DEGREE
CONSULTING CLUB
Kick-Off Event 2015
Agenda
• Introduction to Consulting
• The Club
• Upcoming Events
• Internship Program
• Q&A
• Social hour
WHAT IS CONSULTING?
Serving the client to solve complex
business problems
Your client is the owner of a local brewery who has sold craft beer in
Minneapolis for the last 5 years. The brewery has suffered declining
profitability in the last few years. Your client has approached you to
help him determine how to remedy this situation.
Wide range of industries
Consultant lifestyle
Pros:
• Challenging work
• Dynamic environment
• Career development
• Learn about new industries
• Work in diverse teams
• Good compensation
Cons:
• Lots of traveling
• Stressful
• Not always rewarding
What is it exactly like?
Source: McKinsey Presentation
Consulting firms that may recruit APD holders
Business background?
• At McKinsey, 1/3 of hires are APD’s.
• What are companies looking for:
• Problem-solving capabilities
• Collecting and analyzing data
• Intellectual curiosity
• Expertise in a field
• Leadership skills
• No business experience is required!
Career Path
2016 Recruiting Checklist for APD Candidates
Exploring
Applications
Interview Prep
 Research firms as needed (Wetfeet,
company websites)
 Review resume
with career coaches
 Develop plan for full-time recruiting
 Develop plan for case and fit/behavioral prep (goals, journal to track
progress, timeline, resources list)
 Run 2-3 cases
May
 Info intervitews wih at least 2
consultants from target firms
 Draft cover letters,
review with career
coaches
June
 Stay in touch with other 1st years
during internships
 Info interviews with at least 2
consultants from target firms
 Work with career
coaches to polish
resumes and cover
letters, draft apps
 Run 10-15 cases with classmates, others. Include 1 fit question at
beginning of every case.
 Practice fit/behavioral questions with classmates, career coaches
July
 Stay in touch with target firms. Get
feedback on interview skills,
resume, cover letters from warm
contacts at target firms
 Applications due McKinsey
 Run 5-10 cases
 Include 1 fit question at beginning of every case.
Aug
 Stay in touch with target firms. Get
feedback from warm contacts.
 Applications due –
BCG, others
 Interviews – McKinsey, others
 Mock interviews with classmates, career coaches
 Mock interviews with firms
April
Read “Case in Point,” listen to “Look Over My Shoulder”
Read other case prep materials (see resources list)
Run 5-10 cases
Build personal brand, stories for behavioral Qs, practice answering
in STAR format
 Interviews – McKinsey, others
 Mock interviews with career coaches, firms
Sept
Oct



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 Interviews
11
12
Recruiting dates approaching for APD students
Application Deadlines:
McKinsey:
July 20
BCG:
August 10
Others:
Reach out to the firms
Interviews:
McKinsey:
August
BCG:
Aug & Sept
Others:
Aug – Sept
APDCC
Important resources
• Casebooks from major business schools
• Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng
• Case In Point by Marc Cosentino
• Masterthecase website
• Other books: The Principle of Pyramid, The McKinsey
Way, The McKinsey Mind, Vault Career Guide to
Consulting, Crack the Case System
THE CLUB
The APDCC – mission
Educate – Create greater awareness among
APD students about careers in consulting.
Facilitate – Offer a forum for APD students to
grow professionally in preparation for consulting
careers.
Network – Create an alumni network of APD
consultants.
The APDCC – get involved!
• Upcoming events
• Info sessions by consulting firm representatives
• General business seminars
• Case interview workshop
• Internship program
Internship project timeline
Project
conception
Refinement
and team
selection
Project development
• A business need is identified
and a project idea is generated
• APDCC and business work to
define project goals
• A team of students is selected
for the project engagement
Strategy
development
Recommendations
Execution
/follow-up
Consultant engagement
(typically 8-10 weeks)
Strategy monitoring
(variable)
• Project managers to
assess current
practices and provide
actionable item
recommendations
• Projects may include
execution goals for
the consultant team
• Monitoring may also
be performed to
evaluate the strategy
recommendations
Internship project opportunities
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market research
cost/benefit analysis
social media strategies
competitive landscape analysis
business valuations
data analysis
 online sales strategies
 product launch
 operations evaluations
Value
• Businesses and organizations get smart, motivated, professional
degree students to help them!
• Students have a chance to apply the skills and knowledge
acquired in the classroom to real issues facing local businesses.
2015 projects
Magic Arms for the World
Client: Biovest
Client Needs: Market development strategy to spur international growth of
Biovest’s instrument business
Actions and/or Outcomes:
• Evaluate the current position and potential market opportunity for Biovest’s
Instrument business in Europe and Japan
• Identify major competitors in these markets and potential distribution channels that
could be leveraged for market expansion
• Recommend a market expansion strategy that will help Biovest increase their
instrument sales in these two markets
Q&A
• Website: http://www.umnapdcc.com/
• Facebook & LinkedIn:
University of Minnesota Advanced Professional Degree Consulting Club
• Twitter: @umnapdcc
• Email: apdcc@umn.edu