CEMS programme Corporate Partner, Simon-Kucher, is a global consultancy firm with over 2,000 employees in 30+ countries focused on unlocking better growth that drives measurable revenue and profit for their clients. With over 37 years of experience in all topics related to monetisation – they are regarded as the world’s leading pricing and growth specialist.
Consulting on the sunny side!
What top three tips would you give CEMS students and recent graduates who are looking at Strategy Consulting as a career choice?
- Be open – It is very rewarding from professional and personal standpoints, for which constant learning and being open to ideas is essential, so be prepared to constantly step out of your comfort zone.
- Communication (verbal and written) and collaboration skills (including being tactful) – are key, as there will be a lot of interaction with your team members, internal management, and with clients. All of these stakeholders need to be actively and adeptly managed to drive successful project outcomes for the client, as well as being equally important to have a good work-life balance with healthy team dynamics.
- Understand why – you want to pursue this as your first job, and for how long. Everyone comes with a different set of reasons and different timeframes – you should be clear on why you want to do this work and which part (industry and topic areas) you want to focus on. Not every firm may be able to offer you this so making sure you have a sense of what you want to achieve with the role will help you select the right company to get you where you want to go.
What guidance would you give students and recent graduates applying for roles in Strategy Consulting?
- Prepare, prepare, prepare! Prepare for both the personal background as well as case studies. All the more practice with someone who is in Strategy Consulting, or someone going through the process – case study interviews get easier, the more you practice as if they were actual interviews the better! Case studies are not only a great way for the companies to understand the logical thinking and ability to think out of the box, but also a real part of what we do in real life, including back of the envelope estimations.
- One page CV – being able to summarise and capture attention of the main points is a key skill of a consultant. Some firms may not even look at CVs that are more than one page!
- Research the companies – speak with CEMS alumni who are working there, or have worked there. Do this to understand the culture, work and opportunities to assess whether the role is a right fit for you. Being aware of these will help you in your interviews, as you’ll be able to tailor your preparation, and will also allow you to ask insightful questions in your interviews.
Where should students look for upcoming/ongoing roles?
Please visit the “join us” page on the Simon-Kucher website.
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