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Where else can you learn from ex-McK, BCG et al. senior partners?


Learn from the people who make the final hiring decision in the final round of interviews.

Client Testimonials

Thai experienced-hire to Bain

Question: "Is it weird if a candidate has to pay the travel expense? I got an interview invite for an in-person interview in a foreign office (my top choice). They informed me that I would need to pay all travel expenses myself. With international flights, hotels, taxis, and food, it is a lot. I am glad, though, to get this invite as I am applying from a non-target school, and my grades are good but not great. My fear was I would not get any invites, and I had to network heavily using the approach Michael taught in The Consulting Offer to land this interview invite in the first place. But should I try my luck and ask them to pay for at least the air tickets or a portion of the expense, or should I not look into the teeth of a gifted horse and be glad they invited me? I don't want to affect my chances of getting this job, but it is a lot of money for me." Today, we will answer a question concerning whether you should incur costs when going through management consulting recruitment. A similar logic will be applicable to many senior jobs in other industries. This is something I…

Client Testimonials

Question: "Is it weird if a candidate has to pay the travel expense? I got an interview invite for an in-person interview in a foreign office (my top choice). They informed me that I would need to pay all travel expenses myself. With international flights, hotels, taxis, and food, it is a lot. I am glad, though, to get this invite as I am applying from a non-target school, and my grades are good but not great. My fear was I would not get any invites, and I had to network heavily using the approach Michael taught in The Consulting Offer to…

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Client Testimonials

Motivating a Wharton MBA through Christmas

I think it is a swell idea of your team to collect the best moments with clients. I hope you will publish some of these stories. You will probably not recall this moment but it was a turning point for me. I was alone at Wharton, no family in the U.S., I had no money to fly home, all my friends were away for Christmas and I was planning my applications. I sent you a message at 6:15pm EST on Christmas day and never expected a reply. You sent me a message on Skype and offered to call me. That was a pretty amazing response to take your clients so seriously. We had a short call but you told me something which placed my situation in perspective and gave me the energy to push through. You said that great people are never happy. “They are extremes with no friends. They have sharp edges and they have no friends. They see things others cannot see and are ridiculed for it until they can make their ideas work. One of the great myths of the media is that successful people are happy. No successful person is happy. Successful people are flawed – deeply so.” You…

Client Testimonials

I think it is a swell idea of your team to collect the best moments with clients. I hope you will publish some of these stories. You will probably not recall this moment but it was a turning point for me. I was alone at Wharton, no family in the U.S., I had no money to fly home, all my friends were away for Christmas and I was planning my applications. I sent you a message at 6:15pm EST on Christmas day and never expected a reply. You sent me a message on Skype and offered to call me. That…

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Client Testimonials

Picking McKinsey over BCG with a 15% lower salary

My Michael Moment occured after I had received offers from BCG and McKinsey and was trying to debate the best choice. BCG offered me 15% larger package overall and a higher signing bonus. I sent Michael a short note on Skype explaining my decision and intimating that the extra money would pay for a nice vacation with my wife. I received a note saying that money was not everything and I should choose the firm which I felt had a partner who could personally mentor me. Michael gave me 4 things to think about: • I would only progress to partner if a partner took me under his wings and mentored me. I should think about which firm was not more likely to do that. • 15% + higher immediate salary translates into very little over a 5 to 10 year career. I should think about the lifetime value of the decision and not the short term value. • A firm that pays more will have a reason for doing that. No one is that generous. I needed to think carefully about the gap for which the money was compensating. Was it training, the type of engagements etc.? • Don’t…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment occured after I had received offers from BCG and McKinsey and was trying to debate the best choice. BCG offered me 15% larger package overall and a higher signing bonus. I sent Michael a short note on Skype explaining my decision and intimating that the extra money would pay for a nice vacation with my wife. I received a note saying that money was not everything and I should choose the firm which I felt had a partner who could personally mentor me. Michael gave me 4 things to think about: • I would only progress to…

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Client Testimonials

Client not placed in South-East Asia

A client from South-east Asia wrote 3 memorable moments from our coaching. I think 3 traits describe Michael for me -- utmost professional integrity, excellence and valued relationship. This story is about the 3rd trait: My "Michael Moment" came when I had finished the case coaching program, having spent ~4 months, and 15 hours being mentored by Michael. That day, I received the email decision from the consulting firm I was applying to. Sadly, I was unsuccessful in my application. Of course the first thing I did was shared it with Michael, and after some comforting encouragement from him, he said one the most inspiring words I've ever heard: That for him clients are friends. I understood this when I later on chatted with him. He provided me with guidance and resources, beyond the scope of what I had assumed as the "formal business contract" of the program. Michael, I am so fortunate to be your client and your friend. We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality prevents us from disclosing the identity of our clients and other confidential information, and we may alter details to prevent such disclosure. Some client feedback may be lightly…

Client Testimonials

A client from South-east Asia wrote 3 memorable moments from our coaching. I think 3 traits describe Michael for me -- utmost professional integrity, excellence and valued relationship. This story is about the 3rd trait: My "Michael Moment" came when I had finished the case coaching program, having spent ~4 months, and 15 hours being mentored by Michael. That day, I received the email decision from the consulting firm I was applying to. Sadly, I was unsuccessful in my application. Of course the first thing I did was shared it with Michael, and after some comforting encouragement from him, he…

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Client Testimonials

IESE MBA preparing for McKinsey interviews

My Michael Moment was the collective screening rounds to get into the program. I was blown away by the time, energy and cost to screen people and find just a few clients. I applied with a class colleague and we went through the same process. When I received the 5 page feedback letter my admiration for Michael only grew. He provided very detailed advice on what I needed to do. Sadly, my class mate was unsuccessful but this impressed me more. To think that Michael went through all that trouble and provided a feedback letter made me realize Michael was serious about his intent. I am still in the program and loving every minute of it. I learn new things every day and feel I am growing professionally and ready to take on MBB come March 2013. We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality prevents us from disclosing the identity of our clients and other confidential information, and we may alter details to prevent such disclosure. Some client feedback may be lightly edited for grammar, spelling or prose, though we never alter or remove any information. Clients in our consultants coaching program are forbidden from…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment was the collective screening rounds to get into the program. I was blown away by the time, energy and cost to screen people and find just a few clients. I applied with a class colleague and we went through the same process. When I received the 5 page feedback letter my admiration for Michael only grew. He provided very detailed advice on what I needed to do. Sadly, my class mate was unsuccessful but this impressed me more. To think that Michael went through all that trouble and provided a feedback letter made me realize Michael was…

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Client Testimonials

Haas MBA pursues BCG ignores case competitions

I asked Michael about the MBA case competition and he said I should forget about it. I did not believe him and he provided a long explanation which went something like this... "To win a case competition requires skills very different from that required to obtain an MBB offer. Case competitions require research, power point, formatting and team work skills which will not be required in a case interview. It will also take up a lot of my time, effect your grades and lead to no meaningful reward." Michael also pointed out that people who win case competitions generally do not get MBB offers. That was a statistic I found hard to believe at the time, especially since so many other major sites were telling me to do it! I am sad to say I did not believe Michael, entered 4 major case competitions, hurt my grades and ended up with no offers. That was the last time I ignored Michael’s advice. For round 2 at MBB, at least I hope to get a round 2, I follow his advice like scripture! Thanks for believing in me Michael. We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality…

Client Testimonials

I asked Michael about the MBA case competition and he said I should forget about it. I did not believe him and he provided a long explanation which went something like this... "To win a case competition requires skills very different from that required to obtain an MBB offer. Case competitions require research, power point, formatting and team work skills which will not be required in a case interview. It will also take up a lot of my time, effect your grades and lead to no meaningful reward." Michael also pointed out that people who win case competitions generally do…

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Client Testimonials

MBA graduate on proper case preparation

My Michael Moment took place in my first session. I had had a long week working on a new assignment, coming home around 11pm every night and procrastinating my case preparation. For my first session at 9pm on Friday night I decided to wing it with no practice and I did not watch the videos. How bad could it be? Very bad. Michael stopped my session 5 minutes in and explained that it was clear I had not watched the videos or done any practising. He did it in a nice way and did not blame me for anything. He also explained that he gets a printout from of my video watching patterns so he knew what I did and did not watch, and which parts of the video I had skipped over. Yikes! He just explained that I needed to be better prepared or the sessions will focus on simple things I could learn by myself. We continued chatting for another 15 minutes as Michael suggested changes to my preparation and planning. Anyone else would have billed me for that time and accused me of wasting time. Michael did not even talk about that. We just cancelled the time…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment took place in my first session. I had had a long week working on a new assignment, coming home around 11pm every night and procrastinating my case preparation. For my first session at 9pm on Friday night I decided to wing it with no practice and I did not watch the videos. How bad could it be? Very bad. Michael stopped my session 5 minutes in and explained that it was clear I had not watched the videos or done any practising. He did it in a nice way and did not blame me for anything. He…

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Client Testimonials

To McKinsey Asia from unranked school

My Michael Moment is more like moments! The best thing I learned from Michael is to believe! During my applications it was bad, Bad, BAD. No one was responding to my emails and one LinkedIn member told me my school was too weak to consider and I should do an MBA to improve my chances. I was frustrated and dragging myself around in a deep funk. Michael got me to understand I should not feel sorry for the choices I made due to a lack of finances. He discussed his own life journey as a full scholarship student through high school and graduate school. That was an inspiring story to see how he made partner. The criticism of my school did not stop during interviews but Michael armed me with the belief and responses to professionally deflect them and make the interviewer focus on my own skills. Michael always told me, "you have to play the cards you have and take the shot when it opens. No one person has the cards they want. Some people who go to elite schools want you to feel bad about your school since it makes them elite. Don’t fall for that. You must…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment is more like moments! The best thing I learned from Michael is to believe! During my applications it was bad, Bad, BAD. No one was responding to my emails and one LinkedIn member told me my school was too weak to consider and I should do an MBA to improve my chances. I was frustrated and dragging myself around in a deep funk. Michael got me to understand I should not feel sorry for the choices I made due to a lack of finances. He discussed his own life journey as a full scholarship student through high…

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Client Testimonials

McKinsey Boston associate on teams

My Michael Moment took place outside of the training and after I joined MBB. We were discussing my career path and I mentioned I was a workaholic with no friends and could therefore eat, sleep and drink management consulting. You pointed out an interesting phenomenon which I am now experiencing in the Boston office. You said that people who have no friends outside of the office, will seek friends inside the office and that creates dysfunctional relationships. I did not understand what you meant at the time but can now see it playing out. I became very close to a business analyst at the office and we ended up socializing when we could. It became very difficult to manage the relationship when I needed to manage her weaker behaviour. I think she felt I would be lenient with her due to the nature of our relationship. That experience, which was hard to manage, made me think about your advice and the need to not confuse work relationships. As you said, I should be friendly in the office and seek friends, but understand that professional values must come before friendship. That is good advice but very hard to implement Michael! I…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment took place outside of the training and after I joined MBB. We were discussing my career path and I mentioned I was a workaholic with no friends and could therefore eat, sleep and drink management consulting. You pointed out an interesting phenomenon which I am now experiencing in the Boston office. You said that people who have no friends outside of the office, will seek friends inside the office and that creates dysfunctional relationships. I did not understand what you meant at the time but can now see it playing out. I became very close to a…

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Client Testimonials

McKinsey Jakarta PEI preparation

My Michael Moment occurred during my final round interview in Jakarta. Due to delays the night before I had missed my training call on fit interviews – which Michael had struggled to fit into his diary. Michael sent a note asking for my mobile number and flight times. The next morning while I was in the horrible Jakarta traffic (if you have been to Jakarta you will know just how bad traffic flows ) he called me and we went through the fit suggestions we had not covered. The call lasted about 80 minutes and I only wrapped up when I arrived outside the McKinsey office. I cannot say if Michael does this for everyone but his commitment and loyalty to my goals always shone through. The delay the night before was my fault and he could have just as easily worked with other clients. He did not and helped me secure an offer. 2 years later we still keep in touch. He is a great guy, best friend and outstanding mentor with very high standards! We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality prevents us from disclosing the identity of our clients and other confidential…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment occurred during my final round interview in Jakarta. Due to delays the night before I had missed my training call on fit interviews – which Michael had struggled to fit into his diary. Michael sent a note asking for my mobile number and flight times. The next morning while I was in the horrible Jakarta traffic (if you have been to Jakarta you will know just how bad traffic flows ) he called me and we went through the fit suggestions we had not covered. The call lasted about 80 minutes and I only wrapped up when…

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Client Testimonials

Tough case interview feedback delivered

As you know, finding Michael is not easy because he is so sneaky, and for me, finding Michael was like finding a gold mine. Right away, I realized that Michael means business and if you are looking for some happy go lucky guy, you won't find it here. I think almost every session Michael has said to me how he wonders why I am so bad at case interviews and I don't think I was offended once. I think this is because after working with Michael you realize that he is really a good person and for him it is really not about the money, but it is about helping his clients achieve goals that he knows are really important to them. Thanks so much Michael. We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality prevents us from disclosing the identity of our clients and other confidential information, and we may alter details to prevent such disclosure. Some client feedback may be lightly edited for grammar, spelling or prose, though we never alter or remove any information. Clients in our consultants coaching program are forbidden from sharing sensitive client data with us.

Client Testimonials

As you know, finding Michael is not easy because he is so sneaky, and for me, finding Michael was like finding a gold mine. Right away, I realized that Michael means business and if you are looking for some happy go lucky guy, you won't find it here. I think almost every session Michael has said to me how he wonders why I am so bad at case interviews and I don't think I was offended once. I think this is because after working with Michael you realize that he is really a good person and for him it is…

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Client Testimonials

Motivating MBA before McKinsey interview

I requested Michael to speak to me before my McKinsey interview. So, one day before the interview he tried to find time but could not accommodate me. At about 9:00pm, my phone rings and least of all I am expecting to hear Michael’s voice on the other side; I am surprised as hell, because Michael is available on Skype only. In his characteristic tone he says, “[Redacted] how are you”? And then goes on to say some of the most simple but profoundly motivating words for me. He says, “[Redacted], good luck for tomorrow. You have it in you and you can make it, you just need to believe in yourself. If you were one of the mediocre candidates then I would have said, have a good time at the interview, we will teach you the networking skills and attempt to get you another interview next year. But, you have the intellectual rigor needed for a McKinsey interview. All you need to go in is with extreme levels of self-confidence. And please do me a favor – Don’t talk to and listen to your friends, because they don’t know anything about what McKinsey wants in a candidate. And that’s why…

Client Testimonials

I requested Michael to speak to me before my McKinsey interview. So, one day before the interview he tried to find time but could not accommodate me. At about 9:00pm, my phone rings and least of all I am expecting to hear Michael’s voice on the other side; I am surprised as hell, because Michael is available on Skype only. In his characteristic tone he says, “[Redacted] how are you”? And then goes on to say some of the most simple but profoundly motivating words for me. He says, “[Redacted], good luck for tomorrow. You have it in you and…

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Client Testimonials

Counter-intuitive networking for Bain

My fondest Michael Moment occurred during networking. I sent an email to an MBB partner and I received a slightly aggresive response. I was really worried and not sure how to respond. I wanted to send a detailed response trying to salvage the relationship by explaining my choices of questions. I was pretty sure my chances were finished and my dream of an MBB offer was finished. Michael gave me the strangest advice. He said I should do nothing. That was such bizarre feedback. He told me partners are the face of the firm. "A partner should always be polite and professional since they have such selective requirements and need to balance that with utmost professionalism." If I waited long enough the partner would try to correct the situation since he could not leave the situation as it was. Michael was right as usual! 2 days later I received an email from the senior partner saying he had reviewed my resume again and felt we should talk. That call did not lead to an offer but I eventually got into Bain by using similar advice from Michael. We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality prevents…

Client Testimonials

My fondest Michael Moment occurred during networking. I sent an email to an MBB partner and I received a slightly aggresive response. I was really worried and not sure how to respond. I wanted to send a detailed response trying to salvage the relationship by explaining my choices of questions. I was pretty sure my chances were finished and my dream of an MBB offer was finished. Michael gave me the strangest advice. He said I should do nothing. That was such bizarre feedback. He told me partners are the face of the firm. "A partner should always be polite…

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Client Testimonials

From Bain Middle East to McKinsey USA

Greetings from the West Coast. My Michael Moment happened before I applied to Firmsconsulting. I wrote to Michael asking if he could help me transfer from Bain in a non-U.S. office to a U.S.-office. He was polite but said I needed to go through a complete screening process including a selection interview. I was shocked! I was at Bain! Either Michael did not know how good Bain was or was just arrogant. He calmly and carefully explained the process to me. Everyone needs to go through the process. If Firmsconsulting took me in without verifying my abilities they would be accepting a client which may not be a good fit for them. Michael also indicated that even on their best days, MBB does not have uniform recruiting standards and weaker consultants get in – they screened for that and assumed nothing. After speaking to Michael I realized he had an exceptional understanding of Bain, our history and culture and even knew more than me. He was extremely polite, and knew my office very well – maybe to well! Much later, I learned that FC has a principle of aiming to have higher standards than the 3 consulting companies they serve. That…

Client Testimonials

Greetings from the West Coast. My Michael Moment happened before I applied to Firmsconsulting. I wrote to Michael asking if he could help me transfer from Bain in a non-U.S. office to a U.S.-office. He was polite but said I needed to go through a complete screening process including a selection interview. I was shocked! I was at Bain! Either Michael did not know how good Bain was or was just arrogant. He calmly and carefully explained the process to me. Everyone needs to go through the process. If Firmsconsulting took me in without verifying my abilities they would be…

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Client Testimonials

Bain Moscow PhD stays in the hunt for McKinsey

My MM was something of a doozy! I applied to McKinsey and received a PST invitation. I took the PST and did so badly that I was told I would need to wait 2 years to reapply! I was truly devastated. I planned on joining McKinsey through my whole career and pursued my MBA for an interview. Michael helped me place everything in perspective. He told me I had not prepared, had not read up on the PST and had no prior experience of the test. He felt the outcome was expected and I should not see it as a sign that I was not good enough for McKinsey. It was more a "sign of your laziness" – yes, he used those words! He told me the failure rate for the PST was highest among PhD candidates (I had a PhD before pursuing my MBA) because many assumed they could handle the test without preparation and simply failed. The happy ending is not that I managed to get into McKinsey. I tried reapplying but the office said no. I however did get into Bain, but this time was prepared better. With Michael’s help I hope to make another push for…

Client Testimonials

My MM was something of a doozy! I applied to McKinsey and received a PST invitation. I took the PST and did so badly that I was told I would need to wait 2 years to reapply! I was truly devastated. I planned on joining McKinsey through my whole career and pursued my MBA for an interview. Michael helped me place everything in perspective. He told me I had not prepared, had not read up on the PST and had no prior experience of the test. He felt the outcome was expected and I should not see it as a…

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Client Testimonials

African MBA Graduate on values before profit

My Michael Moment came right at the beginning. As a South African MBA student the program was approximately R[Redacted]. That was a lot of money and equal to 25% of the yearly cost of my MBA program. It was a lot of money! It is a lot of money! It will always be a lot of money. I had applied late in the cycle and given the sum involved, I would need about 3 to 4 weeks to beg, borrow and squeeze it out of my parents – who thought I was certifiably insane to spend so much money on this program. The moment occurred when I wrote to Michael and asked if we could start before the payment was made. I knew it would be a no but thought I should ask. Michael’s response is pasted below and it is the reason I am such a strong believer in his views – well, that and I did get into MBB! Dear [redacted] We understand the funding challenges. We would be able to start the program before payment is made. We select clients heavily on values and ethics, and if there was any doubt you would not pay us, then…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment came right at the beginning. As a South African MBA student the program was approximately R[Redacted]. That was a lot of money and equal to 25% of the yearly cost of my MBA program. It was a lot of money! It is a lot of money! It will always be a lot of money. I had applied late in the cycle and given the sum involved, I would need about 3 to 4 weeks to beg, borrow and squeeze it out of my parents – who thought I was certifiably insane to spend so much money on…

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Client Testimonials

Harvard MBA helps Obama, despite missing BCG

My story is not a Michael Moment but a Michael Revelation. I was not successful with MBB while working with Michael. That said, I have no regrets taking the program and continue to refer friends and colleagues to Michael. I realized after the training ended that I was not ready for MBB. I had started my pursuit because everyone else was doing it. When Michael asked me why I wanted to work at McKinsey, I, sadly, had no good answer. I had never even thought about it until I was asked this question. I felt like a lemming. The training was excellent but the desire to be at MBB was missing and that was my weakness which the interviewers could easily see. They needed to have been blind to miss it. After my MBA I took 12 months off travelling around Central and Pacific Asia. The journey centered me and helped me realize what I wanted to do. I returned to the US and joined the Obama campaign. Everyday I used my consulting training to do things that matter. I am grateful for Michael giving me these skills. It is probably not the best story but it shows the power…

Client Testimonials

My story is not a Michael Moment but a Michael Revelation. I was not successful with MBB while working with Michael. That said, I have no regrets taking the program and continue to refer friends and colleagues to Michael. I realized after the training ended that I was not ready for MBB. I had started my pursuit because everyone else was doing it. When Michael asked me why I wanted to work at McKinsey, I, sadly, had no good answer. I had never even thought about it until I was asked this question. I felt like a lemming. The training…

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Client Testimonials

Yale PhD inspired to think beyond McKinsey

Michael! Thank you so much for choosing me and leading me so far in the training program. It has changed me permanently in two good aspects. First are changes from deep inside, in terms of career goals and inner confidence. Second is about my outside presentation. Let's start with the changes from deep inside first. I still remember when you asked me, "Do you want to be a CEO of a company," during the initial screening interview. I thought it was absurd. How could I or how dare I even think about going that far? Never ever! However, after the training, if you asked me today this same question, I would say, “Maybe...Yes. I think that is an intriguing idea.” Raising my inner confidence occurred because training with Michael was one of the few times in a week that I felt good about myself. No kidding! It is because I had been in a dark time in my career - due to the pressure to graduate from school and the uncertainty about my future career - and my confidence was decreasing. Michael helped me to realize my "sparkles" as well as "bad things" that I should improve. It is tremendously…

Client Testimonials

Michael! Thank you so much for choosing me and leading me so far in the training program. It has changed me permanently in two good aspects. First are changes from deep inside, in terms of career goals and inner confidence. Second is about my outside presentation. Let's start with the changes from deep inside first. I still remember when you asked me, "Do you want to be a CEO of a company," during the initial screening interview. I thought it was absurd. How could I or how dare I even think about going that far? Never ever! However, after the…

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Client Testimonials

Marvin Bower and management consulting

My Michael Moment is crystal clear. Before I applied to the program I sent him an email to get some advice on the best books to read about management consulting. I had bought the books The McKinsey Mind and The McKinsey Way. Boy, was I excited to read them. Five minutes after sending my email I get a call from Michael! I did not know him and this was my first email to him. He told me the best use of those books would be to send them back and ask for a refund. His view was that McKinsey and BCG are special and lead their peers for a simple reason. They have a better value system. We had 20 or 25 minute discussion about values and Michael told me something I will never forget: "Firms like Deloitte, Monitor, Booz, ATK etc all hire outstanding graduates from top schools and train them with similar material. So why do those firms not have the same cachet and prestige? It comes down to why they do things and that is driven by a firm’s value system. You can replicate a Harvard graduate but you cannot replicate the right value system." That call…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment is crystal clear. Before I applied to the program I sent him an email to get some advice on the best books to read about management consulting. I had bought the books The McKinsey Mind and The McKinsey Way. Boy, was I excited to read them. Five minutes after sending my email I get a call from Michael! I did not know him and this was my first email to him. He told me the best use of those books would be to send them back and ask for a refund. His view was that McKinsey and…

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Client Testimonials

Decorated Female US Soldier on McKinsey PEI

Michael! It has been a real privilege working with you over the last few months. My Michael Moment occurred early in my training. As an ex-U.S. armed forces member, I had an interesting background. Yet, I was very surprised by the interest Michael took in that background. We spent a lot of time discussing my tours, the things I had seen and the problems I faced. I thought we were spending too much time on this but Michael insisted it was very important for him to understand me. I never realized the purpose of this intense interest until we started the McKinsey PEI preparations. When I gave an answer, Michael would ALWAYS provide a more insightful and detailed answer using the information from the early sessions. I realized this is similar to what they teach us in the military. Become friends with the locals and use their information to help them. Michael has purpose in what he does and he did nothing without a reason. This taught me the importance of CONTINUING to use every scrap of information I collected. It also made me realize how interesting my life experiences could be when told by the right person. Screenplay anyone?…

Client Testimonials

Michael! It has been a real privilege working with you over the last few months. My Michael Moment occurred early in my training. As an ex-U.S. armed forces member, I had an interesting background. Yet, I was very surprised by the interest Michael took in that background. We spent a lot of time discussing my tours, the things I had seen and the problems I faced. I thought we were spending too much time on this but Michael insisted it was very important for him to understand me. I never realized the purpose of this intense interest until we started…

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Client Testimonials

Fulbright Scholar on McKinsey, BCG requirements

My Michael Moment happened during a pitifully sad email I sent to me him asking for advice. I was a Fulbright Scholar studying in the US and my applications to LEK, Deloitte, Monitor, Oliver Wyman and Booz had been rejected. I wanted to know what to do since MBB were much tougher and the weaker firms were turning me down! Michael found it very amusing and mentioned that my early choices preferred consultants with consulting experience and sector knowledge. MBB preferred students without consulting experience and sector knowledge and being rejected by the others probably indicated I was a good fit for MBB! Just like that the sun came out in my life and I was happy again! That happened 2 days before my own birthday so I am happy to return the favor for Michael. My other moment occured when I was scared to apply to New York. Michael gave this very funny analogy. He said the McKinsey New York office was like the most glamorous fair lady at the prom. Everyone wanted to dance with her but everyone was too sacred to ask. So she ended up getting too few offers! I thought that was really funny, but…

Client Testimonials

My Michael Moment happened during a pitifully sad email I sent to me him asking for advice. I was a Fulbright Scholar studying in the US and my applications to LEK, Deloitte, Monitor, Oliver Wyman and Booz had been rejected. I wanted to know what to do since MBB were much tougher and the weaker firms were turning me down! Michael found it very amusing and mentioned that my early choices preferred consultants with consulting experience and sector knowledge. MBB preferred students without consulting experience and sector knowledge and being rejected by the others probably indicated I was a good…

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Client Testimonials

McKinsey Rhodes Scholar

My best Michael Moment took place after I was placed at McKinsey and 8 months after I left the program. It was my very first engagement and I felt miserable. Everything was going over my head and I was putting out fires hourly. My planning was shot with holes and my plan was to simply give the engagement manager what he wanted when he wanted it. A bad strategy indeed, but I had no choices. Michael and I arranged to speak on that first weekend and we had a long chat about the engagement, my role, my planning documents, objectives and so on. We worked out a good plan and Michael explained each step I needed to follow to take control of the work . He stressed accountability at all times, which is different from responsibility – a lesson for me. The moment occurred when Michael told me about his own first engagement and how badly that went. I was pleasantly surprised by that story. I had assumed all partners were perfect and had these fairy tale careers. Michael found that funny and said that is how I should distinguish between true seniority/success versus a facade. Partners don’t need to…

Client Testimonials

My best Michael Moment took place after I was placed at McKinsey and 8 months after I left the program. It was my very first engagement and I felt miserable. Everything was going over my head and I was putting out fires hourly. My planning was shot with holes and my plan was to simply give the engagement manager what he wanted when he wanted it. A bad strategy indeed, but I had no choices. Michael and I arranged to speak on that first weekend and we had a long chat about the engagement, my role, my planning documents, objectives…

Read more…
Client Testimonials

Experienced hire on succinct speaking

Here's my thought for the Michael moment. I have this habit of speaking in long winding manner while answering some questions. Michael taught me a technique to answer using one sentence only and provide a crisp reply. This has helped me not only in answering questions in a succinct manner, but more than that it has helped my performance in a different manner as well. I applied this technique in my office for making presentations. I started summarizing every slide in one sentence. This approach won me much appreciation among my superiors for making good quality presentations. We have published the most useful client feedback. Our commitment to confidentiality prevents us from disclosing the identity of our clients and other confidential information, and we may alter details to prevent such disclosure. Some client feedback may be lightly edited for grammar, spelling or prose, though we never alter or remove any information. Clients in our consultants coaching program are forbidden from sharing sensitive client data with us.

Client Testimonials

Here's my thought for the Michael moment. I have this habit of speaking in long winding manner while answering some questions. Michael taught me a technique to answer using one sentence only and provide a crisp reply. This has helped me not only in answering questions in a succinct manner, but more than that it has helped my performance in a different manner as well. I applied this technique in my office for making presentations. I started summarizing every slide in one sentence. This approach won me much appreciation among my superiors for making good quality presentations. We have published…

Read more…
Client Testimonials

PhD notices the impact of the Rajat Gupta tragedy

Ever since Michael became my coach, there have been many 'Michael Moments'. It is hard to pick one particular moment. So here's 3 important Michael Moments for me. 1. The moment I got to know Michael through Firmsconsulting.com In search of information about consulting career, I came across the website. I was amazed by the style, which is extremely sincere on every topic, and the fact that there is zero distance between him and anyone who needs his advice. Even if it is an email from a total stranger, he would treat it as if it is from a long time friend, and spend enough time to answer it. This is certainly the first Michael Moment for me, and the moment when I decided to apply for the training program. 2. The moment when Michael makes company principles clear After months of interaction, Michael and I are more like friends. We would share interesting articles or just chat a little online. But if there is a confusion concerning company's principles, he would immediately correct it with a strict tone, such as: "we definitely don't do that!" The tone switch probably takes him a nanosecond. :) He keeps these principles intact…

Client Testimonials

Ever since Michael became my coach, there have been many 'Michael Moments'. It is hard to pick one particular moment. So here's 3 important Michael Moments for me. 1. The moment I got to know Michael through Firmsconsulting.com In search of information about consulting career, I came across the website. I was amazed by the style, which is extremely sincere on every topic, and the fact that there is zero distance between him and anyone who needs his advice. Even if it is an email from a total stranger, he would treat it as if it is from a long…

Read more…

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