Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Daryl Twitchell (Author) "Starting salaries in management consulting are among the highest available for entry-level professionals, rivaling the traditionally high earnings potential of jobs in investment banking, venture..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Consulting is all about client results. If you want to help change the strategic destiny of organizations, pursue a high-impact career, and ensure continuous learning, then this book is a must read to help you identify the firm that best suits you."–Thomas J. Tierney, Director and former CEO, Bain & Company

"This is the most comprehensive overview of the consulting industry to date. It is chock-full of useful information for students and professionals considering consulting as a career."–Robert F. Bonner, Director, MBA Career Management, The Wharton School

"If graduating seniors read only one book on consulting, this should be it. Daryl and Sugata demystify the case interview and the realities of the consulting field in an easy-to-read format. Their knowledge and personal insight is invaluable to the job seeker. Many of our students have read the book and successfully landed consulting jobs–this book is a real winner!"–Sheila Curran, Director, Career Services, Brown University

"Strategic management consultants help clients perform markedly better in a world of rapid change. Consultants must constantly learn new skills, contribute to the intellectual capital of business, and build enduring relations with their clients. This book is an excellent window into the unparalleled opportunities consulting offers for personal and professional growth."–Carl W. Stern, CEO, The Boston Consulting Group

"The perfect resource to educate job seekers about the myths and realities of consulting. This user-friendly book will teach you to nail your case interviews and land a consulting job. "–Liz Michaels, Director, Career and Placement Services, University of Chicago

"This book is an excellent starting point for anyone contemplating a career in management consulting.

From the Inside Flap

Demand for qualified management consultants continues to rise as new positions open up every year. With tens of thousands of applicants vying for these coveted slots, however, the competition for them is fierce. Added to that, the preferred method of candidate selection, the case interview, is an excruciating challenge for even the most qualified applicants. If you want to prevail in this grueling contest, you must be very well prepared.

Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry, Second Edition guides you carefully through every phase of the management consulting job search process and gives you a leg up on the competition every step of the way. It provides an objective picture of the industry as a whole, shows you how to grab the attention of consulting firms that are virtually buried in resumes, and helps you navigate abstract and complex case interviews with confidence.

More than 100 sample case questions prepare you to think on your feet during the case interview, and outlines of the 15 most common case frameworks help you shape your answers to fit the topic. You’ll even find a directory of 100 consulting firms to help you start your job search. Plus, contributions from leading consultants from various sectors of the industry give you a feel for the business and help you discover how you can fit into it.

This new edition features a revealing profile of the e-business segment of the consulting industry as well as considerable information on consulting to start-ups, incubators, and other new-economy enterprises. All salary information is completely updated, as are statistics on the industry and discussions of key trends affecting the management and recruiting practices of consulting firms. You’ll also discover how to negotiate among your offers for the most attractive package.

Whether you’re a recent business graduate/MBA or an accomplished professional seeking a career change, you need all the help you can get to break into consulting. With Management Consulting on your side, you’ll develop the background knowledge, interview skills, and absolute confidence you need to take the consulting industry by storm.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471444014
• ISBN-13: 978-0471444015
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,048 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Preparation for Consulting Interviews, November 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry (Hardcover)

I've read them all - Wet Feet, Vault, HBS, Naficy - and this book is the one that helped me the most. Naficy is anecdotal and dated at this point; HBS is written for Harvard students and contains recruiter info that pertains only to them; Wet Feet is just superficial; and although Vault has some useful content, Management Consulting has all of the same info plus much much more. Don't bother with the others - just get this book.

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the only management consulting book you'll need!!!, April 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry (Hardcover)

This book is fabulous! Twitchell and Biswas have produced a book that will accelerate your consulting job search.

In a single volume, they have provided everything you will need to land a job in consulting. Just glance at the Table of Contents and you will quickly realize how comprehensive the book is: 1) The Management Consulting Industry; 2) The Consultant's Work and Lifestyle; 3) Insider Perspectives on Consulting; 4) Planning Your Consulting Career; 5) Mastering the Case Interview; 6) Negotiating Your Offer; and finally 15 Essential Frameworks, 100 Case Questions and 10 Sample Answers, and a Directory of 50 Firms. Unlike Wet Feet Press and The Vault Reports, which require you to buy multiple books to get a complete picture, this book provides everything you need to learn about the consulting industry and master the case interview in ONE VOLUME.

And if you're looking for a personal, insider's perspective, you can't beat this book. Not only do Biswas and Twitchell provide insight into their own experience as consultants, they have also devoted close to 100 of the 300 pages to original essays written by the founding partners and managing directors of the world's top consulting firms: McKinsey, Booz-Allen, Bain, BCG, Monitor, Mercer, Mitchell Madison, Arthur D Little, Andersen, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, The Wilkerson Group, Vertex, and many more... It is truly an impressive list - and surely, if you're planning to interview with any of these firms, you had better read up on what they've written!

I know there are a lot of books out there on consulting, but this is by far the best I've seen yet. As the Worldwide Managing Director of Bain said about the book, "Management Consulting is a must-read!"

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You MUST read this book!!!, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry (Hardcover)

I'm just about to complete my Ph.D. in Computer Science and have previously spent a number of years working for Andersen Consulting (Technology practice). Lately, as I see my Ph.D. time finishing, I've been contemplating a career move into Managment Consulting and thought I'd have a look at this book. I cannot tell you how completely accurate I find their view of consulting, it completely fits in with my experience of the industry.

So you may ask, that given I already have experience in consulting in the big 5, why would I be attracted to this book, well I'm interested in moving out of purely technical roles and into more business design and strategy consulting and thought this book would help inspire questions within myself as to whether this *type* of consulting suited me.

The book achieves that and also gives you an excellent and *truthful* account of what consulting is really like.

Read this book!!