Consultancy Interview Questions & Answers

The initial interview was 45 minutes long conducted by an outside company on behalf of the organisation I applied for. After successfully passing this stage I went on to the Assessment Centre which was a 9-5 event at one of the Company's offices. Here we had to conduct 4 tasks throughout the day. A written one, a role play, a group task and a one to one interview. The Interview was conducted by a member of staff who worked in your chosen area. It covered both competency based questions as well as a chat about what I knew about the company and why I had chosen to apply for the position within their organisation. This is a good time to not only put yourself across as positively as possible but also learn more about the job role itself and see if you are right for the company.

What would you say was your biggest weakness and how do you combat this?

Do your research. It is integral you know what they do and why you want the role with them. I would also say relax and be confident as it shows. A positive, determined mindset definitely helps portray the right impression.

One part was the group exercise. We were split into two groups and had to read and discuss case studies. The aim was to weigh up pros and cons of both and come to an informed, agreed decision by working together.

We also had a role play exercise where we had twenty minutes to digest some information and make notes in order to go into a 'meeting' to present our findings / discuss resources.

We also had a written exercise. This was a simple exercise that showed off our comprehension, analysis and written skills. We had ample time to complete this task.

My final stage interview lasted just under an hour. I was asked questions about both the company and my own personal experience for each of the competency areas available on the website. The panel consisted of two senior managers. The format of the interview involved a series of questions which they read from a booklet and marked my answers from 1 to 5.

Describe how you have been following a recent business issue.

You should prepare answers to each of the competencies explained on the website and think about how the experiences you have had relate. The process is extremely transparent and it is just a case of preparing well in advance to avoid feeling nervous.

I firstly had to retake the online assessments (numerical and logical) before completing a written report. There was then a group exercise with 7 others in which we had to decide what steps a case study business should take.

The interview process began with a 15 minute telephone interview with the head of 'Talent Acquisition'. After this, I had to complete an online numerical test.
Finally, I was invited to an interview at their office in London: It began with an interview with the head of 'Talent Acquisition' who I'd spoken with on the phone, which involved questions about my CV and me as a person. Then, after about 15 minutes, she brought the Consultant from the head of the department they were recruiting for into the room. I had to present to the panel the 20 minute presentation that I'd been asked to pre-prepare, demonstrating the skills that would be required for the role, and that was then followed by another interview. This final interview involved more role-specific questions and lasted another 20 minutes or so.

I was asked to describe the statistical methods used to analyse data, and the methods used to assess the strength of the conclusions made.

As a Mathematics graduate they expected me to be able to talk about these confidently, however my degree contained very little statistics and I was expecting to learn on the job. I recommend brushing up on your statistics and data analysis methods such as A/B and multivariate testing before the interview.

1) Communicate as well as you can: it is a crucial skill in consultancy.
2) Know your project: in the presentation, make sure you know your project inside out so that when challenged you can answer competently, and get back on track without feeling put-off or distracted.
3) Brush up on your statistics knowledge (I was not clear enough on the exact processes an analyst goes through, and consequently was not prepared for these types of questions. I asked for feedback on my interview and they responded that this is why I did not get the job).

I was asked to give a presentation on one of their clients webpages and how I would perform tests to improve it. Although it was a formal set-up, as there were only three of us in the room it felt slightly more relaxed. In addition, there were regular interjections from the consultant, questioning my ideas and challenging my choices. I personally found this made the presentation less intimidating, as I was able to expand on the thoughts behind my ideas, further demonstrating my knowledge and research.
In the interview, as well as testing my statistics knowledge, I was asked to describe my weaknesses and problems that I have encountered and overcome.

I did a telephone interview consisting of competency based questions and a role play. I was then invited to an assessment centre which was very difficult! 3 group exercises and a written exercise in a high pressure environment but got to see the office and meet some of the team.
Then I was invited to a one to one interview with the regional manager which was more competency based questions and a role play, this was fairly relaxed. Then I had to complete an online SQL test to see how I would be able to sell.
Finally, I did a one to one interview with the managing director which was the hardest interview I've ever done. She asked very intrusive personal questions and questioned everything I've done ever! Very stressful.

What is the most selfish thing you've ever done? I had to think of this on the spot and as a not very selfish person I really struggled..

Really make sure you want to go into a hard sales environment with long hours, but are rewarded massively with money and holidays. Be confident, you have to sell yourself so much and don't take a back seat - show you want it.

Group activities including a role play, interviewing each other and prioritising tasks

I was interviewed by two senior consultants. The interview questions were mostly competency based. For example, to describe myself, why I decided to apply to Columbus, how do I manage my time, what are my strength and what are the weaknesses. The interview lasted about 40 minutes. I was asked to provide detailed responses to the questions.

How many balloons does it take to fill a room? What is more important for a business - making a profit or providing a great customer service?

Have a good night sleep before the assestment day and try to be confident in yourself. I I was very nervous and therefore, was unable to deliver the presentation up to my full potential. Also I would advice to research as much as possible about the company and its competitors.

The assessment centre was based in Nottingham at one of the company's offices. The activities included an individual presentation, an interview, a group exercise and a written exercise. At the end the company provided a lunch for the contestants and assessors.

It was a one on one interview covering some competency questions and going over your interest in the role, and CV. You are pulled aside during the group task at any time so you need to plan ahead for that. It was a laid back atmosphere, they're not trying to catch you out with any of the questions.

Why are you interested in Technology? Can you tell me about a time you experienced conflict in the workplace?

Make sure your role in the group task is well defined and that you contribute without talking over others. For your presentation at the end plan to have some time to practice it with your group so it looks more professional. The booklet you are provided with is very thorough, make sure all the main points they are looking for are adressed, get started with the task early (don't spend too long on the name or logo although these are important too)

We were given the job of splitting ourselves up into two teams. We were then given approximately four hours to come up with a product and a business plan, and a presentation that should be ready by the end of the day. We had to present to each other.

After an initial telephone interview which covered basic questions to see if I was a fit for the firm, and vice versa; I had a final interview in the offices.
The format was:
1) a presentation from a member of senior management - this contained information about the firm as a whole, and the department I was applying for. There was ample opportunity for questions along throughout.

2) a prepared 20 minute presentation from myself. The options were:
- a subject that interests you: including a brief description of the subject, how you are involved in that subject and what involvement in the subject shows about you that you think is relevant to working at the firm.
- an experience in which you were part of a team set a challenging target: describing the role you played in the team, obstacles that were encountered, how they were overcome, how you would have done things differently in hindsight and what you feel you gained from the experience.
- an experience where you have had to sell an idea or concept to other people: describing the idea, who you had to persuade, the approach you took, how the other people reacted and what you feel you gained from the experience.

This was followed by questions from the panel about my presentation.

3) a case study. A small set of data was uploaded to my laptop and I had 1 hour by myself to analyse and interpret it in any way I saw fit. After the hour I had to present my findings back to the panel and answer questions about it. The panel did give some helpful hints as to things I may have missed out in my analyzes.

4) the final stage was a competency based interview with the panel. This involved going through my CV; questioning skills which I had gained from previous jobs and giving examples of such.
I was also asked what I thought the hardest and easiest bit would be in starting the role, if I was offered it.
I had been given a sample list of competency questions prior to my interview, and as such, the questions asked did not deviate majorly from this list.

What I would find most difficult about starting the role and why? - this was difficult to answer as you had to identify a weak spot in yourself, let the panel know it, and turn it into a strong point at the same time. I combated this by acknowledging this weak point and describing how I would deal with it.

Focus on gaining knowledge of the company as a whole in preparation for your interview and not just of the department and role you are applying for.
I found it useful that during the presentation from senior management, I was able to ask questions on points they made, following what I had read myself before. This made their presentation more of a discussion, which was great.

as in the interview process above.

My interview was enjoyable overall. I had to travel to London, but the provided me with accommodation for the night before. I showed up early and my interviewer started the interview early so that I did not have to wait, which was very nice of him. He was very friendly. The questions he asked were a little outside the general schedule, a bit more challenging but in the end, they were manageable.

Why would a client choose us and not one of our competitors?

Prepare yourself by studying the firm, the news around them within the last couple of years, and reading their website in detail. From the annual report, you can learn a lot of details useful in the interviews, such as financials for your chosen department and growth for the last year.

The assessment centre was a half-day event. I was in a group of people from varied backgrounds and places, which I think shows how inclusive the recruitment process is.

The interview which I had done with hays was about many different things. First of all I was asked my qualifications and outline all the relevant GCSE's and A Levels.

Then I was asked about my skills which I have achieved in so many years of studying whilst also doing some part time job. The skills which they really are searching for in a candidate for recruitment consultant is the drive to work really hard endlessly and putting in that extra effort to keep on learning.

I was also told that it's a very fast moving job as everyday we get to learn more. The main skills which I had outlined were team work, communication skills, motivational and great time management as reflected in my CV.

The most difficult questions was present to me to when I was compared to other candidates. The question was:

What makes you stand out better then other competitive candidates for this job ?

Practical advice to anyone for the interview would be to ensure that you have done enough background research on the company and have great communication skills reflecting in ur cv and in the interview.

Personal questions were asked.
Questions about the skills which I have gained.
Was given few scenarios and needed to provide answers on how to tackle them.