Client Testimonials

Interview Experiences at McKinsey, Bain and BCG Paris

Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? I enjoyed the program very much. I knew nothing about case studies and consulting before I spoke with Michael and I have to say I was very happy with the training I got from Michael. I have a strong experience in top tier investment banks –capital markets- and I wanted to join a consulting firm. I found some of Firmconsulting videos on YouTube and I thought they were very clear, structured and straightforward. The training is well structured. It starts with basic market sizing questions and ends with tough cases. Michael is very professional and very experienced. He teaches very well, he is patient and knows all the tricks and all the mistakes candidates usually make. His methodology is very efficient. Sometimes I thought I knew how to solve a basic question but Michael showed how to improve the structure of my reasoning and the way I could resolve each case. The training helps me every day in any project I undertake. Michael helped me improve the way I solve problems. And I am not exaggerating. Did the program meet your expectations? If yes, how? The program did meet my expectations. I…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

Australian with 24 cases practiced joins BCG

Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? Just the nicest program I had the pleasure to join. I worked with Michael while I did my internship in Singapore. Michael was the first person I spoke to when I woke up and the last person I spoke to before going to bed. We set up this system to check-in twice a day so Michael could guide me on my own practicing, networking, email responses and so on. This was a generous offer from Michael and it worked like a charm. We chatted for just 2-5 minutes two times a day and then did the serious catch-up during our sessions. I found the sessions to be very closely developed for my own weaknesses and even my dad agreed at the end. He insisted on listening to the recordings since he was paying for it! Michael took a lot of interest in my development and I found we put together a very good application strategy to target just one office in Australia. Michael knew the partners, the key sectors and advised me on all aspects of networking. It was the fastest and most fun-filled 3 months of my studies. Did the program…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

Ivy League 630 GMAT public undergrad. school to BCG

Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? I did not initially enjoy the program although it got to my objectives. I think I was not prepared for what was required, did not fully understand how to use the videos and felt that FC was not perfectly clear about how the videos should be used – truth me told, I very well may not have been listening when it was explained to me! This is not a negative reflection on FC, or Michael. My expectations were 100% out of kilter with reality and I don’t think I was a very good student at the beginning. The poor planning just made it worse. So, I did not enjoy the program but I think that FC did the best they could under the circumstances and maybe not all training should be enjoyable if one achieves the results sought. Did the program meet your expectations? If yes, how? I had a 630 GMAT, embarrassingly low on quant, a degree from a weak public university (but I graduated 1st in my class) and barely got into an Ivy League MBA program. When I signed up with FC it was made clear that I would…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

Unemployed PhD to BCG after 12 months

Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? The program was enjoyable and very objective oriented. It took me 12 months to get an interview and I felt Michael was friendly and encouraging throughout the experience. I had a PhD from a "non-famous" Canadian school and was returning to Dubai to be closer to my family. Networking was not my forte and it was a major struggle to get into the habit of speaking to people. I suspect this is a common hurdle to most PhDs. It was even harder to put on a suit and go to a meeting. I was not working the entire time and I would be at home for 7 hours, speak to no one, and then have to go for coffee with a partner. I found it hard to start speaking when I had not been speaking to anyone for 7 to 8 hours. This constant to break in and out of networking mode was very hard for me. I knew my profile was a challenge because of my school and the office I was pursuing. A friend of a friend referred me to Michael and I reached out as a final attempt to…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

PhD sacrifices Bain opportunity for BCG

Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? Yes! I enjoyed the program since the training was very effective in getting me into BCG (I was rejected 9 months ago and was told to apply after 2 years but FC helped me network my way around this rule). My coach was very accommodating to my unique needs (90% of my sessions were done at night with me sitting in my car on the side of the road since it was the only time I had). I was given very detailed advice for my unusual profile (I was a foreign candidate pursuing a US office with relatively weak language and communication skills – I have a US PhD in engineering from a tier-2 school). Did the program meet your expectations? If yes, how? The program exceeded my expectations in every way. FC was very diligent and seems to have had very careful reasons for making different decisions and advising. This thoughtfulness was much more than I expected. I had about 3 discussions with Michael to understand my chances to get into BCG or McKinsey. He was nice and polite and very helpful. I was surprised that FC wanted me to go…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

BCG Europe Associate’s success in year 1

Elijah is a BCG associate based in Europe. He is a graduate of a European university where he finished first in his class. He is one of the youngest clients we have and was accepted into Deloitte S&O, McKinsey, Bain and Roland Berger during his graduate recruitment. He was a client of the case coaching program before joining the consultants program. He has been at BCG for over 13 months. Why did you seek additional help for your consulting career? I was not predicting any problems in my consulting career. I expected it to be tough with a steep learning curve and some knocks, but manageable at the end. I joined the program to manage the upside of my career. I enjoyed the Firmsconsulting case coaching program and believe the advice was unique. Exactly what I was told would happen, happened. I was told in my mid-point feedback that I would do very well at BCG, struggle to get into McKinsey and Bain, but get there, and land Roland Berger and Deloitte S&O if I could demonstrate better competency on my teamwork skills. That is what happened. I thought that if Firmsconsulting guided me so well through the program, and…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

Prescription for networking with BCG

Edward, profiled and interviewed on a podcast on the Podcasts homepage, discusses the striking similarities between networking and building relationships. The podcast is a more detailed discussion, in Edward's words, on the points below. Edwards developed the most successful approach we have ever seen with clients. He was successful because he spent 3 months learning how to develop and communicate sincere interest in his interactions. Our approach to networking is the opposite of that recommended elsewhere and, as you will see with Edward, is entirely appropriate for management consulting. What is your philosophy for networking? There is a joke about how to succeed at dating in two steps: • Be attractive. • Don’t be unattractive. This is true for professional networking, but you have control over the factors that make you attractive or unattractive. Learn what they are. Learn how your actions affect them. Project an honest, accurate, positive image. What were your objectives when you planned a networking call or meeting? To build relationships with specific people in specific offices, so that when I applied, my resume stood out because it had a post-it on it from someone the recruiter knows. To seduce the target firm into asking me…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

BCG consultant on getting promoted

This client was a Firmsconsulting Emerging Fellow and scholarship recipient. Only past Fellows may nominate new Fellows for consideration. Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? I enjoyed the program tremendously for 3 reasons. Customized approach to interview training: I have little case interview practices (I mostly read cases and occasionally interviewed myself in front of the mirror) and a somewhat immature communication style (giggle/gasp during interviews, too eager to please). Michael correctly pointed all of these weaknesses out and coached me as much as possible on these issues. Excellent case prep materials: The podcasts and video case guides are extremely informative and educational. During my preparation I tried to exhaust and absorb as much knowledge as I could. There are three components of the materials: the podcasts on general consulting lifestyle/work/recruiting, the video guides for case practices, and the mining case book that walks me through an engagement. I later found out that my first and only project with MBB was very similar to what is laid out in this book. So it was a great heads-up. Quick access to Michael’s advice: I often checked in with Michael during my recruitment timeline, before starting and during my case.…

Client Testimonials

Client Testimonials

Non-Target Executive EMBA joins BCG North America

Editors Note: This is quite a special client. He was the first person from his school's EMBA program to be placed at BCG and graduated from a non-target state school in North America. In terms of performance, through the course of the program he went from being a good candidate to arguably within the top-5 of all Firmsconsulting clients in terms of his skills, commitment and abilities. He had a flawless interview with practically no improvement areas suggested by the interviewers. Did you enjoy the program? If yes, how? I was a non-target executive EMBA from a large North American public school targeting just BCG. I really enjoyed working with Michael over the course of two months. The program pushed me to improve every single aspect of my case skills, CV / CL and fit preparation. I am a type of person who loves criticism, because receiving it is the fastest way to grow, and Michael made sure to give lots of it! Did the program meet your expectations? If yes, how? I started the program with two expectations: receiving resume + cover letter support and becoming completely comfortable in doing cases so that I can go into the interviews…

Client Testimonials