interview questions and answers for consulting

We’ve gathered together the questions you’re most likely to be asked in an interview for an internship or graduate role in consulting. At the bottom we have also added full lists of questions asked at recent real consultant interviews for different specialities so that you can see the spread of topics being addressed.

The article will give you an idea of what to expect in the interview process.

List of Consulting interview questions 

• Tell me about yourself?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• What is your greatest weakness?
• What experience do you have in Consulting field?
• How could a British supermarket chain increase its profit margin?
• What tertiary qualifications have you attained that related to Consulting…position?
• What is the most recent skill you have learned that related to Consulting…position?
• What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
• Do you have any blind spots?
• If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
• Walk me through the life cycle of a recent project you worked on from start to finish. What results/deliverables did you achieve? What went well and what did not go well?
• Describe how you typically conduct a sales meeting.
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult client. What did you learn from the experience? What would you do differently?
• How would you explain a complex technical issue to a client?
• You are consulting a small firm that sells a well-reputed product. A large competitor starts selling a similar product incorporating the most recent technology. What should the small firm do in response?
• Estimate how much time it would take a single average size dump truck…
• Estimate how many shoes are sold in the U.S. each year
• Estimate the number of gallons of gasoline the typical gas station pumps…
• Estimate the total industry wide sales of lipstick in the U.S.
• What are common risks for Consulting field? And how to face?
• Describe steps to manage each Consulting activity?
• What are monitoring methods for Consulting activities?
• Describe ISO 9001 for Consulting?
• What made you choose to apply to Consulting…position?
• What are key tasks for Consulting…position?
• What are top 3 knowledge/top 3 skills for Consulting…position?
• Estimate how many tires are sold in the U.S. each year
• The NBA is contemplating a bigger expansion into China, should it?
• A copper mining company is losing money…
• A ski resort is having a poor revenue year due to light snowfall…
• For a gas station convenience store, what is the optimal layout…for where different types of goods are arranged within the store?
• What projects that have been announced publicly are we currently involved in, or what past projects have particularly interested you?
• A steel manufacturer is contemplating buying one of its competitors. Should it?
• A bank is considering offer loans to subprime borrowers, should it?
• What are you passionate about? What are your interests and hobbies?
• The CEO of a retail store client is losing money and asks you for help. What do you do?
• The year is 1980, your client has invented a new piece of office equipment called a fax machine…
• Your nephew is running a lemonade stand during his spring break…
• What stories in the business press have interested you recently? Why?
• A leverage buyout firm is considering buying a company…
• How to maintain Consulting job activities?
• What do you think you’ll be doing during your first year at the firm?
• What have you done to improve your Consulting knowledge in the last year?
• What have you learned from mistakes on the Consulting job?
• What kinds of projects do you typically work on? What has been the focus of the last four or five projects you have worked on?
• What has been your average number of clients at a time? Do you tend to focus on one project, or do you handle a number of projects simultaneously?
• What steps do you take to ensure that you do not spread yourself too thin among your clients?
• How do you keep track of your progress during a project?
• We want to achieve savings of 20% in the next 12 months. How can you help us reach this goal?
• Do you have any questions for me?

At the end of an interview, thank the interviewer for their time and ask them about next steps and when you can expect to hear back from them. We hope that this advice will serve you well at your interview.