We recently ran a pilot whereby we partnered with leading finance, technology and consulting firms by granting them access to recruit graduates of both our Insider program and 1-on-1 case, consulting and executive coaching programs. Only graduates who affirmatively consented in writing to participate in the program had their resumes shared.
Part of the pilot included an F500 technology company automatically granting internships to our case interview coaching graduates, in their internal strategy and product divisions.
That pilot is completed. It was very successful and we are bringing back the program in the following format.
It is only open to Insiders.
No additional fees of any kind are required from Insiders to participate in this program. FIRMSconsulting will not be compensated by the participating firms to avoid a conflict of interest and ensure we always place the interests of Insiders first. Should we in future accept compensation from the participating firms, we will post a notice on this page and disclose the nature of compensation received.
We are simply offering this service to help Insiders who diligently complete all the training and apply the skills taught. We believe perseverance, diligence, and values in one’s education should be rewarded.
Insiders who diligently complete the training programs develop strong skills and have thrived when recruited into tech, finance and consulting. Our programs teach deep and advanced problem-solving strategy skills and we will continue to invest in such programming.
Insiders are invited to send their resumes in the format prescribed in The Consulting Offer to [email protected]. A cover letter is not needed and should not be sent.
When emailing your resume please include the following text in the body of your email, “I consent to FIRMSconsulting LLC sharing my resume with interested recruiting parties.”
Provided you have Insider status at the time, as appropriate roles arise we will pro-actively submit your resume and/or make your resume available to firms. If your resume is of interest to a participating firm they may contact you directly and/or ask FIRMSconsulting to facilitate all or a portion of the recruiting process. At the time of expressed interest, it will be up to the participating firm to decide how to proceed.
Since we automatically track usage on the site, we will consider both an Insider’s viewing history and their resume when submitting resumes and/or giving participating companies access to resumes and Insider training history. For example, we are more likely to submit an Insider for an internal strategy role if the Insider has both the approximate experiences on their resume and has watched the majority of the foundational strategy programs in their entirety: include The Corporate Strategy & Transformation Study, A Typical McKinsey Engagement and the Market Entry Study.
In another example, we are more likely to recommend an Insider for an automotive digital strategy role, or even McKinsey Digital, if the Insider has a resume loosely/directly related to the field and watched most of an Electric Car Start-Up in China, The Digital & IT Strategy and The Big Data & Machine Learning Program.
One major tech company specifically asked that Insiders who show the most interest in the 3 StartUp programs (Electric Car, Gold Miner, Digital Luxury Brands) should be referred for their product manager and team lead roles.
In the final example, anyone we recommend for McKinsey Implementation, or any Associate Principal role and above at any consulting firm, must have watched the Andrew program, the experience hire programs and the most of the foundational strategy programs listed above.
We only work with leading and large technology, financial services, and consulting firms. At times we may allow prestigious companies from other sectors to participate. We do not accept boutiques and/or mid-tier firms to participate, because they hire fewer applicants. Given the effort needed to manage this process, it is better for Insiders to have the greatest chance of being recruited.
Technology companies tend to be the largest recruiters of our alumni. Many alums decline MBB offers to take up offers from tech firms. Most of the recruiting is concentrated in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Austin, New York City, Atlanta, Vancouver, Toronto, London, and Singapore.
Where possible, we only accept positions where the company will sponsor visas for qualified applicants.
The majority of positions will be in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and Singapore.
Given that the numbers, needs, and descriptions of the roles change daily, it is not helpful to update them as the changes occur. We have, therefore, posted sample roles that we recently ran to give you a sense of the roles available. All roles will be for consulting, internal consulting, implementation, product development, digital strategy, internet strategy and/or business analyst roles. These include positions all the way from analyst to senior management positions.
Established and prestigious companies in their sector interested in having access to our Insider and coaching alumni network should contact [email protected]
Insiders recruiting program
#1. Fortune 500 auto company operations & digital strategy career opportunity: at least 5 strategy managers and/or senior consultants
An iconic American automotive company is seeking operations strategy managers and senior consultants to join their new operations strategy team. The company is leading a 2-year initiative seeking ways to automate and digitize their entire production process and is building a team to lead this program. This team of 25 reports to both the COO and CIO of the company and is based between Silicon Valley and the Midwest USA.
Successful applicants will join operations strategy and digital experts analyzing a wide variety of areas: reinventing the customer sales and aftercare processes, determining how to source materials, altering the delivery of parts from OEMs, tweaking the operations strategy for a digital era, examining ways to change distribution lines, etc. The team has the mandate to examine and change every area of the business’s operations.
Given the broad scope of activities, the company is seeking both consulting generalists and those with operations experience in purchasing, lean manufacturing, digital platforms, big data, etc. The majority of the existing team does not possess an automotive background and the company is not seeking applicants with such a background. Former consultants comprise >30% of the current team.
The program leader for digitizing the customer purchasing process, FC alum ’12, is leading the first initiative approved for implementation. In her specific case, the team is also looking for implementation specialists to assist with designing, testing and rolling out the new platform over the next 12 months. The initial rollout will only take place for one brand.
As a US-based company, all of the work will take place primarily between Silicon Valley and the Midwest USA. However, applicants should expect to spend the majority of their time located wherever their particular initiative is based. This could be in distribution centers, at testing locations or even supplier facilities in the USA or outside the USA.
Interviews will be conducted in Silicon Valley and the firm will sponsor visas for successful applicants.
The firm is an equal opportunity employer encouraging female and minority candidates to apply. The client would prefer applicants with an operations / digital consulting background but is open to considering applicants who can demonstrate the relevant competencies and/or articulate the relevant experience to conduct this type of analyses.
Interested FC Insiders are encouraged to submit a resume in a format as prescribed in The Consulting Offer when applying. A cover letter is not required.
#2. One of the world’s most prominent investment firms: looking for 3 associates
One of the world’s most prominent investment firms and asset managers is seeking 3 associates to join their emerging markets investment fund team. Associates are responsible for either supporting team leaders and/or, usually, directly leading the initiative to identify, assess and recommend investments, as well as working on the team putting together the investment.
The head of the emerging markets fund and his London team leader, FC alum ’13, apply a bottom-up approach to investing. Teams are expected to visit potential investments, speak to managers, employees, and suppliers, visit facilities, test products, physically follow supply routes, etc. to understand the potential investment. Applicants must display strong communication and people skills along with the ability to seamlessly get things done in new/challenging cultures and environments.
This bottom-up approach, by the associates, and once an investment is deemed worthy for further consideration, is married with the typical due diligence work and financial analyses to build deal sheets, determine investment terms and contribute to the entire deal life-cycle.
As listed above, this firm, which is considered one of the most successful investment firms uses a very hands-on approach to research. Applicants for this role must be comfortable traveling extensively, working across the emerging markets, communicating with colleagues across timezones and taking the initiative to both prove/disprove investment ideas.
The firm is based in California, while the emerging markets team operates out of London, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Sao Paulo. Associates are usually not based in these locations and typically work where/when an investment is being considered. In the last 12 months, the team has considered investments in 47 emerging markets economies including Ecuador, Mexico, Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Mongolia, Brazil, Kenya, Myanmar, etc.
Interviews will be conducted in London and California.
The firm is an equal opportunity employer encouraging female and minority candidates to apply. The client would prefer applicants with an investing/consulting due diligence background but is open to considering applicants who can demonstrate the relevant competencies and/or articulate the relevant experience to conduct this type of analyses. Please only submit a resume when applying.
#3. One of the world’s largest resources companies: looking for 3 strategy managers
The trading arm of one of the world’s largest resources companies, which itself is one of the world’s most prestigious and profitable traders, is seeking 3 strategy managers to join their Corporate Marketing Office to eventually specialize in at least one major commodity group: oil, ferrous or non-ferrous metals.
In this newly created role strategy managers will work within the trading team to help the traders search for inefficiencies and opportunities in the markets. The managers will lead the entire effort in helping the traders predict how companies could/would respond to trading positions taken, map out supply chain routes to analyze their efficiencies/cost structures and identify bottlenecks, determine future changes in the markets and calculate profit pools across the value chain.
The leader of the oil trading team, FC alum ’10, is looking for candidates who can help the traders examine the industry in a different way, find new opportunities and take a longer-term view on changes in the market. Ideal candidates need not to have exposure to any of the sectors and some understanding of supply chain analyses and logistics is preferred. While prior consulting experience is not essential, the ideal candidate must demonstrate their ability to conduct this type of work. This is a great opportunity to lead a major strategic effort to significantly alter the way work is done at a prominent trading desk.
Interviews will be conducted in Switzerland.
The firm is an equal opportunity employer encouraging female and minority candidates to apply. The client has not prescribed a background for applicants beyond an ability to demonstrate the relevant competencies and/or articulate the relevant experience to conduct this type of analyses. The role is based in the UK, Switzerland, and Australia while the client is open to the successful applicant initially working in South Africa or Canada prior to relocating. Please only submit a resume when applying.
FC Insiders applying to this role should note that this is very similar to the Corporate Strategy & Transformation Study type of analyses and could use that material to prepare for the interviews should they be invited.
#4. PE firm career opportunity: looking for 2 associates
A prestigious PE firm, certainly not the largest yet easily one of the most iconic with a legacy of era-defining investments, is seeking two associates to join their expanded team working primarily from Boston. One of the associates is expected to serve in both a deal support role and a pseudo-chief-of-staff to a new practice leader role. Candidates may have an international background and while fluency in German or Mandarin is helpful, it is not a requirement. Both candidates will report to the sector EVP, FC Alum ’10, based in Boston.
Associates will be expected to work on the financial and commercial analyses of new deal opportunities, including financial modeling and due diligence activities. Associates will gain exposure across the deal cycle, including managing portfolios. The firm has expressed an interest in hiring those with a strong quantitative background from either an investment bank or a consulting firm. In particular, those who apply for the chief-of-staff role should ideally have a consulting background managing engagements and teams across timezones where they have demonstrated an ability to influence colleagues.
This is an equal opportunity role.
Here is some sincere advice to applicants based on the numerous FC clients who have tried to transition from consulting to PE. Consultants typically discuss their consulting due diligence engagements when applying for PE roles. It is our strong recommendation that you expect to at some point be able to articulate the work done from both a technical perspective and the perspective of how it fits into an actual deal.
Many consultants will apply with due diligence experience. The number of such studies completed is less important than the skills you gained, which may very well have been gleaned from just one study. In other words, do not rely on the experience itself to set you apart, because it rarely does. Applicants should also be aware of the significant differences between consulting due diligence engagements and PE due diligence studies. Understanding these differences and pro-actively demonstrating an awareness of the gaps in a potential interview will only strengthen your profile.
Applicants will be automatically considered for both roles when applying. Interested Firmsconsulting Insiders should submit their resumes in the format we prescribe in TCO. A cover letter is not needed for this application.
#5. Technology giant internal strategy career opportunity: looking for 1 strategy manager and 2 strategy associates
A technology giant, one of the 5 largest listed companies in the US, has asked FC to help staff a newly created internal strategy team for one of their 3 primary product platforms, serving users worldwide, profitable and growing rapidly. The SVP overseeing the function, FC alum ’11, is seeking to build a team to help the company “identify and respond to opportunities and threats to the business.” This is essentially a new internal strategy team responsible for determining how the product/platform can continue growing and remaining relevant. While ex-consultants at both the associate and EM level are sought for the 3 roles (strategy manager and strategy associates), we have convinced the client to go broader and seek out critical thinkers who may have developed the required skills outside of consulting.
This is a rare opportunity for non-consultants to be in consideration for such a role. We hope you seize this moment by following the guidelines below.
This role has not yet been made public. Firmsconsulting Insiders are encouraged to apply. We are looking for resumes written in our prescribed dense style, as per guidelines in TCO, that can clearly demonstrate an ability to develop insights, convince colleagues to act on those insights and that lead to a quantifiable impact for the company. Those three attributes are more important than sector or consulting experience. We would encourage you to take the time to develop resumes to the standards we teach since this will be the primary initial filter we will use to take the process forward.
The technology company is an equal opportunity employer, actively encouraging females and minorities to apply, and the role is based in California. We do not require a cover letter. Salaries for this role are commensurate for the Bay Area and exceed those of a McKinsey Associate. A bonus will be offered, including stock options, and a relocation allowance may be awarded.
#6. Auto company strategy & implementation career opportunity: looking for internal strategy associates and implementation specialists
At least 4 roles have opened up in California that we have been asked to staff with FC Insiders.
An auto company is seeking both internal strategy associates and implementation specialists. These roles are new and will only be formally advertised on 5th February. Until that time, we have an opportunity to submit resumes that fit the roles.
The internal strategy role is just that. Joining a very small internal team that advises the CEO’s office on the issues that impact the sector and company. The client is seeking ex-consultants or those with similar skills.
The implementation role is also a consulting role but one where the candidate moves from production problem to production problem to fix production problems. Those with implementation experience are sought.
Note, the company will sponsor visas and since we are posting this well before the role is released, there are not much more details.
#7. Banking internal strategy unit at one of Africa’s largest banks: looking for at least 5 internal strategy consultants at various levels
Another great opportunity has come up. The internal strategy unit at one of Africa’s largest banks, and widely considered to be the most sophisticated bank at using technology, is looking to carve out a new internal digital strategy team.
Before assuming this is a low-end role, read this piece in the WSJ.
The team’s mandate is to find new ways to drive down costs in digital banking while driving up customer numbers and customer transactions. The bank is seeking both ex-consultants (associates, EMs and Principals) and ex-digital banking executives with particular skills in insurance App development and deployment.
The role will be between Johannesburg and London, though primarily the former, and the bank will sponsor visas. Salaries will be paid in British Pounds.
The banking team and pretty much the entire digital leadership is led by ex-McKinsey people. Please apply early. We only need a resume for this stage.
#8. Texas hospital group searching for new strategy manager
A prominent Texas-based hospital group is seeking to improve their business. After having reached a critical-size in the last 10 years via acquisitions and expansions into new treatment areas they are seeking new ways to manage their business. They are creating a new strategy team reporting directly to the CEO and Chief Medical Officer.
In this newly created role, the new strategy manager must hire the new strategy team, build the strategy organization, develop management update schedules and prioritize analyses. The new manager will have a blank slate to create the team. The strategy manager must be able to design and lead analyses, manage his/her new team and educate management about the optimal way to use the findings.
The client is keenly interested in the implementation and the strategy team is expected to work alongside the hospital group to implement recommendations approved by the management committee.
This is an exciting opportunity to build a new strategy capability at one of the most prominent hospital groups in the US.
Interviews will be conducted in Dallas and the successful applicant is expected to eventually relocate to Dallas. A relocation package and bonus can be negotiated.
The firm is an equal opportunity employer encouraging female and minority candidates to apply. The firm will sponsor qualified applicants from outside the USA. The client has not prescribed a background for applicants beyond an ability to demonstrate the relevant competencies and/or articulate the relevant experience. Having a medical and/or Ph.D. is not a requirement for the role. Ideal applicants should have a consulting or similar background. Please only submit a resume when applying.
FC Insiders applying to this role should note that this is very similar to recently released “Implementing an Operations Strategy” training program and could use that material to prepare for the interviews should they be invited. In terms of setting up an actual strategy practice follow “Implementation. Building an Innovation Division” and “Partnership. Memoir.”
To succeed in this role you must not try to build a mini-McKinsey within the hospital. The client is quite explicit about this. The successful applicant is expected to obtain results and will be measured on those results. The goal is to build an analyses-to-implementation approach for key initiatives.
As usual, this is only open to Firmsconsulting Insiders.
Note: These career opportunities are only available as part of the Insider loyalty program. Please ensure you qualify as an Insider before submitting your application. Insiders are invited to submit their resume to [email protected].
Thanks,
Kris
Partner
[email protected]
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