CONSULTING 101Division Directors:

Janine Romy (jromy@nd.edu) Alex Jones (ajones22@nd.edu)

2Source: Google Dictionary

What is Consulting?

“The business of giving expert advice to other professionals”

Data

Analysis & Conclusion

Recommendation

As consultants, we solve pressing business problems.

3

Projects We Offer

The Big ThreeSpecialty

Consulting

Consulting Divisions in the Big Four

The SIBC Consulting Division has a project

for everyone.

4

Why Choose Consulting?

Diverse and Interesting 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!

5Source: Mahaffey Business Library

Quality Research Sources

If your idea or recommendation is not backed up by data, it is NOT WORTH SAYING.

Industry Information

Mintel IBISWorld PassPort GMID

Financial Information

S&P CapIQ Yahoo! Finance

Reputable News

Sources

Forbes Bloomberg Businessweek

Found at library.nd.edu/business

Graphs have more impact

than raw numbers

Always cite sources on

slides

Use infographics for

visual effect

6

PowerPoint Slide Quality TipsBad

▪ 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.

This side of the slide is

ugly

SmartArt

Large Font

Appropriate Color

Use of Applicable Data

Good slides always have a takeaway, either in the title or in a text box.

Relevant graphics

Qual

ity o

f slid

e Impact of Graphics on Slide Quality

7Source: The Daily Muse, Yaro Starak

SIBC Consulting Buzzwords

Case interview: the situation-oriented

challenges presented by recruiters to test how you

think

20,000-foot view: looking at a problem from a general perspective without

worrying about details

Slide deck: a PowerPoint presentation

MECE (pronounced mee-cee): “mutually exclusive, collectively

exhaustive” - an organizational tool where ideas have no gaps or overlaps

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

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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

9Source: The Corporate Executive Board Company, Job Search Online, Ace the Case

Example Case Interview Questions

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?

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? 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 multi-national competitor has announced that it will begin

selling high-end motorcycles incorporating the newest engine

technology. What should your client do?

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Any Further Questions?

Please contact the Consulting Division Directors:

Janine Romy (jromy@nd.edu)Alex Jones (ajones22@nd.edu)