questions to ask in consulting interview: 20 Questions To Ask in a Consulting Interview (Plus Tips)

Introduction

I want to be a consultant, and I’m excited to meet with you as part of my career exploration. However, I know that the interview process is not always easy for potential consultants or clients. We’re both busy people, so let’s make this a productive conversation by starting off with some questions from both sides of the desk!

Who is your ideal client?

The ideal client is one that is open to change and willing to do what it takes to improve. The ideal client has a clear vision for the future and knows what it wants to achieve. It also has the resources and budget, if not already in place, then at least ready for when you begin working with them.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

One of the best ways to get a sense of what it’s like to work at your potential employer is by asking them about their biggest challenges. You can ask this question in any interview stage and it has the added benefit of helping you determine whether or not the company will be a good fit for you, as well as providing valuable insights into what they value most in their employees.

If you’re interviewing with an executive, ask him or her about his/her biggest challenge over the past year. If someone else is interviewing with you, ask them about their biggest challenge from last week!

How do new ideas get funded?

If you’re interested in working as a consultant, it’s important to know how ideas are funded. In many cases, the company that hires consultants will be the one who pays for the projects. But sometimes companies will seek out new ideas from their employees or outside sources–and even pay for those projects if they like them enough.

If your interviewer asks this question of you (and they probably will), be prepared with an answer that explains how your company works with clients and consultants on funding projects.

Are there any other companies or organizations that you have worked with that have similar industries, cultures, values and vision to mine?

• What are the similarities and differences?
• What did you learn from them?
• How can you apply that information to your client?
• What are some of the most interesting projects/clients you’ve worked on recently? And what did you learn from them?

How do consultants and advisors work with clients who don’t believe in their plan of action or who think it’s “too complicated” to do what needs to be done?

In a consulting interview, the interviewer will likely ask you how you would handle this situation.

In order for consultants and advisors to be successful with clients who don’t believe in their plan of action or who think it’s “too complicated” to do what needs to be done, they need to be able to trust each other. The consultant needs to show the client that he/she is right and prove that his/her plan will work by using facts and figures rather than simply saying it will work because he/she believes so strongly in his/her ideas.

What are some of the most interesting projects/clients you’ve worked on recently? And what did you learn from them?

• What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on recently? And what did you learn from it?
• What was the biggest challenge you faced on that project, and how did you overcome it?
• What was the end result of this project, and how do you think it will impact their business in a positive way going forward?

How often do consultants at this firm meet with each other (e.g., by location, by industry)? And how does that affect the consulting process for clients?

This is a great question to ask because it gets at one of the most important things about working in a large consulting firm: the team dynamic. A lot of people think that working for a big company means being part of an anonymous group and doing your own thing without much interaction between colleagues. But actually, if you work at an elite consulting firm like McKinsey or Bain & Company (and many others), you’ll be working on projects with small teams that are carefully assembled based on their expertise in different areas of business–and these groups will spend a lot of time together! That’s why asking “How often do consultants meet with each other?” matters so much: It lets us know what kind of collaborative environment we can expect if we join this company as well as how much opportunity there might be for personal growth within its ranks.”

Do all consultants at this firm use the same methodology when working with clients? If not, what are the differences between different methodologies? Which one is most commonly used in practice? Why does a particular methodology work well with certain clients/industries/tasks while another doesn’t work as well in those situations?

The answer to this question will tell you how the firm approaches their clients, and it’s an opportunity for you to learn more about their business model.

The first thing to ask is: “Do all consultants at this firm use the same methodology when working with clients? If not, what are the differences between different methodologies?” This will help clarify whether or not they have a standard way of working that everyone follows or if they’re flexible enough to accommodate different situations depending on their client base or industry.

Once you know what approach they take as a whole, it’s time for some deeper probing: “Which one is most commonly used in practice?” You want to understand why a particular methodology works well with certain clients/industries/tasks while another doesn’t work as well in those situations–this information could be useful down the road if you ever decide to branch out from consulting into something else like entrepreneurship or management consulting!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this list has given you some ideas to get started on your own. The key is not to try and memorize all of these questions before your interview, but rather use them as a starting point and improvise from there based on what comes up naturally in conversation with the interviewer. Remember: You want your answers to be thoughtful and well-researched–and that means doing some research beforehand!