Recruiting Hints
At ZS, we feel that the recruiting process is a joint exploration. We are evaluating candidates to see if their skills match those that we seek, and candidates are evaluating us to discover if our opportunity is right for them. We've created this list of recruiting hints, not as a guide for getting an offer from us, but as suggestions to think about throughout your job search.
Industry Research
While many people may be pointing you toward a career in consulting, you should spend time thinking about whether a career in consulting is right for you. Many books and articles provide an insider's view of a consultant's life, information about specific firms and typical projects. Although consulting firms engage in different types of work, much of the work is project-based. Likely, you will be staffed on many projects, often performing different work each time. Spend time researching different firms, and their focus; working in a general strategy consulting firm will provide you with a very different experience from working in an information technology or an operations consulting house. Working at ZS will be different from all of those. If you are just starting your research, we suggest checking out:
- University career resources library
- World Wide Web sites of consulting firms
- Informational interviews with people working in the consulting industry
- Harvard Business School Guide to Management Consulting
If you are having trouble finding financial information on ZS, it's because we are a privately held firm, controlled by our Directors and Principals. By now you know that we are a niche consulting firm, specializing in sales and marketing issues—more information is on this website!
Before you enter consulting, you need to discern whether consulting work will satisfy you. Think about two different aspects of each consulting firm: work characteristics and your personal fit. Work characteristics refer to whether the work is for you. Sure, you can obtain a job in consulting, do the work, and potentially be successful at it. But will the work be fulfilling for you? Consider the following questions:
- Do I prefer defined work responsibilities or working on many different tasks?
- How will a consulting position help fulfill my career goals?
- How many hours am I willing to commit to a new job?
- What skills do I have that are applicable?
Personal fit relates to whether you have the professional qualities that will lead to success in consulting. Many consulting firms seek similar qualities, and you should focus your self-analysis on them:
|
|
ZS is a different type of consulting firm; we do the high quality work and provide the right quality of life. Our work is quantitative, so your office is your primary base; we travel to client sites when it will help the project or analysis, rather than automatically being placed there. We deal with very concrete issues for our clients, ones that must be solved, so you'll get immediate client contact. Our associates communicate with our clients and aren't relegated to back room busy work. At ZS, we're looking for people who want to help us grow, who are willing to invest the time in a career and who want to expand our practices and our business.
Cover Letter and Resume/CV
Your cover letter and resume/CV are often the first impression you present. Your cover letter must answer critical questions:
- Why am I interested in consulting and the firm?
- Why have I chosen to apply to this company?
- What skills and assets do I possess that will help the firm?
Your resume/CV is the best avenue to highlight your skills. While many resources are available to help compose a resume/CV, remember that the basic resume/CV covers the following important categories:
- Education - list major/degree subject, GPA/degree class (within your school's policy), research topics and academic honors/prizes
- Experience - describe jobs you've had, what you did and results of your work (remember, work-study jobs and internships tell a lot about your skills, too)
- Activities/leadership - describe your co-curricular activities, particularly those involving leadership experiences
- Special skills - detail your foreign language expertise or other relevant skills
Let's be honest... Your resume/CV is the first thing we see, and it should tell us everything you want us to evaluate about you. If it's not in the resume/CV, you're forcing us to ask you about it or, worse, eliminate you from consideration. When you apply, you’ll also be asked to complete a brief survey stating your office preferences, your visa status, your GPA/degree class (within your school's policy), and other information. If we visit your campus, your resume/CV MUST reach us by the school submission deadline; otherwise we can't interview you on campus.
First Round/On-Campus Interview
The on-campus interview will be our initial screening of each candidate. (Candidates from other sources have the same interview, just arranged on a case-by-case basis). Interviews will likely focus on a few key areas: personality trait questions, resume questions, communication ability questions and business questions.
- Personality trait questions attempt to gauge how closely your skills match those judged critical for a successful career. At ZS, we want to see the whole person; don't come to the interview trying to act the part of a consultant, because—to us—there is no mold.
- Resume/CV questions will delve more deeply into your relevant work and academic experience. We may want to hear how you will relate past experiences to a consulting position, or we may want to delve into your expertise in an academic subject. To be fully prepared for the interview, you should bring a copy of your transcript with you, when applicable.
- Communication questions will assess your ability to communicate an idea or thought concisely and accurately.
- Business questions look for general knowledge of business processes and concepts, as well as interest in our work.
You will also be provided time to ask questions of your interviewer. This is your opportunity to investigate any aspects of the firm about which you are unclear or would like more information. This is NOT the time to ask general questions about the consulting industry or questions which are answered in the recruitment literature. Please do your basic research prior to the interview.
First round interviews are short, so develop concise stories illustrating your selling points. Our interviews seek proof of skills we think we saw in your resume/CV. Bring an extra copy of your resume/CV and a transcript (if in school) with you to the interview. We will be looking for evidence of quantitative aptitude and superior academic performance. Be on time, look and feel comfortable, and represent your best self.
Final Round/Office Interview
Your final round interview will be held in one of the firm's offices, or just off campus in some instances. Because firms only invite the strongest candidates to the Final Round, you are now seriously under consideration for a position. But you are interviewing the firm as well as being interviewed. As you participate in this round of interviews, you should focus on your fit with the firm.
- Do you enjoy the people, and are they enthusiastic about their work?
- Do you understand what the position entails, and is it interesting to you?
- Are your questions answered fully, and are the answers relatively consistent, without being rehearsed?
During the Final Round, we will be evaluating your skills and your fit with ZS. Please don't try to be anything but yourself; we don't want you to present a false front, only to question your choice later. You will be given ample opportunities to ask questions of our associates—use them! Our associates have heard (and asked) almost every question that exists; we will ask you difficult questions, and you have the same right.
Making the Decision
Once you receive an offer, you will be invited back for an information day, which is your final opportunity to gain information about the firm, its work and its people. If you cannot attend, but are seriously considering your offer, ask if a separate day can be arranged which is convenient for you. While you will miss the opportunity to meet other candidates with offers, you will still get an overall impression.
When you are making your final decision, realize that, as a new hire, you will be treated as you saw others treated throughout your recruitment process. Consider the following:
- Were you treated courteously throughout the recruiting process by all involved?
- Were junior employees expressing opinions, playing an active role and enthusiastic?
- Can you see yourself working and socializing with people? Do you share their values?
- How much do you trust the firm's "pitch" and selling tactics? Is information consistent?
- Will your colleagues challenge you? Are they intelligent, fun and genuine?
- What will your quality of life be like?
- How much will you learn about the industry, the business world and consulting?
- If you anticipate attending graduate school, is this experience valuable to admissions committees?
Every employment decision is a dual agreement. During our Information Day, we will try to show you a realistic view of the company and the work we do. We aren't going to give you a hard sell—we think ZS sells itself by virtue of the opportunities here; we want you to be certain you want to be here. The work, the quality of life and the people—these comprise the ZS difference.
We hope that this page has provided some basic hints regarding the recruitment process, and the inside scoop on how ZS makes its selections. Certainly, you have many avenues open to you; take the time to investigate your options, come to the right decision, and make the best of your post-collegiate experience!