boston consulting cv tips
TRANSCRIPT
CV Skills for PhDs – Management ConsultingCambridge Careers Service
9 October, 2008
1
Agenda
Introduction
How to write a CV and cover letter
• PhD skills
• CVs
• Cover letters
The interview process
Questions and wrap-up
10 mins
30 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
10 mins
10 mins
2
Introductions – who we areTwo former PhD students
Karthik Tadinada
Junior consultant with BCG
Joined as a junior consultant in March 2008
Has worked in energy, private equity, and
healthcare sectors
Prior to BCG
• PhD and postdoc in structural biology,
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge
• Bachelor of science in chemistry, Vanderbilt
University
Frank Breitling
Consultant with BCG
Joined as a junior consultant in March 2006
Has mainly worked in the healthcare,
consumer goods & retail, and private equity
sectors
Prior to BCG
• PhD in chemistry, Imperial College London
• Undergraduate studies in chemistry and
business administration in Aachen and
Hanover
• Internships at IBM, Bayer, BASF
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Who are you?
How many of you are doing PhDs?
What fields do you work in?
What areas do you want to work in?
Who has started applying for jobs?
Has anyone got interviews yet?
How many of you brought your CV?
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So is there life after a PhD?There are many future career options
Education
48%
• Teaching (Uni. & school)
• Research
• Administration
Manufacturing
16%
• Pharmaceutical firms
• Chemical companies
• Engineering firms
Health & Social Work
16%
• Hospitals
• Medical research
• Social work
Finance, business & IT
9%
• Commercial & industry
managers
• IT professionals
• Finance professionals
• Marketing, sales, media &
advertising occupations
• Consulting
Public Administration
6%
• Civil service
• Lawyers
• Central & local government
Other
6%
• Armed forces
• Journalists
• Charity work
• Clerical & secretarial
occupations
• Other
Source: UK Grad Programme
Backup
5
Applying for jobs is a structured process
Choose a fieldSegment
the field
Select target
employers
Research
your targets
Work out
what they
look for
Tailor your
application
Academia, industry,
business etc
Decide what you
like about your
chosen fields
What sort of work
do potential
employers do?
Where are
they based?
How big are they?
Who do
they employ?
How much do
they pay?
Which segments
are most attractive
and realistic
for you?
Do some
employers have a
good or bad
reputation?
What work do they
do, what
distinguishes them
from other firms?
What is the
culture like?
What sort of
people do they
tend to employ
What education,
training, and
personal qualities
does the
employer want?
Use multiple
sources
Look for subtle
differences
between
companies in the
same industry
Your CV and cover
letter should reflect
all you know about
what the employer
does and what
they look for
Your qualities and
achievements
should match what
the employer
looks for
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Your CV should be tailored
Academia
Rely heavily on
academic credentials
• Details of PhD work
• Supervisor
• Examiners
• Details of publications
• Conference attendance
• Teaching experience
Extracurricular activities only to
round the picture
Industry
Understand what the company
is looking for
Tailor your CV: Being one of the
'best and brightest' is usually
not enough
Highlight relevant
technical skills
Include evidence of project
management skills
Extracurricular activities are
important for interview
Consulting
Provide evidence of
'academic excellence'
• Focus on few key
achievements
Demonstrate drive and
achievement in at least one
area not related to your studies
Focus on quality not quantity
Guidelines for fellowshipsCompany website and
job advertisementCV skills workshop
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What does BCG look for?Interview assessment criteria
Analytical skills
Strong logic and problem solving
• Fact oriented analysis
• Structured thinking
Numeracy
Ability to prioritise
Interpersonal skills
Communication and listening skills
Team working skills
Leadership
Maturity
Creativity
Ability to generate hypotheses
Ability to deal with ambiguity
• Make assumptions, see patterns and generalise
Ability to synthesise and see the big picture
Interest and drive
Excited about business
Not intimidated by process or problems
Demonstrate initiative and energy
Fun to work with
Not looking for prior industry knowledge
Backup
8
Agenda
Introduction
How to write a CV and cover letter
• PhD skills
• CVs
• Cover letters
The interview process
Questions and wrap-up
10 mins
30 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
10 mins
10 mins
9
What specific skills can PhDs offer?
PhDs bring a range of qualities to consulting
• High level of academic ability and intellectual curiosity
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Organised and disciplined approach
• Bringing new insights into a field (original thinking)
• Mature and self-motivated
• Written and oral communication skills
Based on the opportunities and experiences a PhD offers
• Working independently to solve a problem
• Using a range of approaches and skills (often self-taught)
• Teaching undergrads
• Organising meetings, conferences etc ...
• Proposal and grant applications
It is important to emphasise these points in your application
• You should come across stronger than undergraduates
• You may be up against people with business experience or qualifications
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So what skills do we look for?
Research
• Deciding on the next experiment
• Writing a research paper
• Convincing your peers / supervisor
• Giving presentations / seminars
• Working in teams / collaborations
• Teaching / supervision
• Breadth of experience, age
• Designing a new experiment
• Pursuing a new experiment
• Writing up your findings in your
thesis, paper, seminar...
• Pursuing a research project for
three years...
Problem solving
Communication
Creativity
Interest and drive
Strategy Consulting
• Ability to prioritise
• Strong logic & analytical skills
– Structured and fact based
• Numeracy
• Interpersonal & listening skills
• Team working skills
• Leadership
• Maturity
• Ability to generate hypotheses
• Ability to deal with ambiguity
• Ability to synthesise &
see the big picture
• Not intimidated by problems
• Initiative & energy
• Broad interest, steep learning curve
Not looking for prior industry knowledge
11
Agenda
Introduction
How to write a CV and cover letter
• PhD skills
• CVs
• Cover letters
The interview process
Questions and wrap-up
10 mins
30 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
10 mins
10 mins
12
Highlighting these skills in your CV is crucialStrong academic achievement is vital
We look for two things in your CV:
1. Evidence of strong academic achievement
2. Drive, commitment, initiative and achievement in non-academic activities
1. Make sure your CV very clearly explains your academic record
• Include your A-level, Undergraduate and any Post-graduate results
– Writing just “BSc from Oxford University” looks like you got a third
• Include papers, conferences, book chapters and other publications – but be sure to explain their
significance
– “Published a high-impact paper in 2nd year of my PhD
Published a first-author paper in Physics Review Letters, the highest impact-factor journal in the
field”
– “Presented my work at a major international conference
Selected from 50 applicants as one of 10 speakers for an international conference. Presented my
work to an audience of 200”
• Describe your awards and scholarships
– “ARC PHD Studentship
Awarded an Arts council scholarship worth £15,000 p.a. for 3 years. 500 awarded from 3000
applicants”
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Your CV will determine if you get an interview or notWith non-academic achievements valued as highly as academic abilities
2. Show that you have achieved outside your formal study
• This is not an academic job, so don’t leave out your non-academic activities
• Think carefully about what are your most impressive achievements
– Better to have a smaller number of clearly explained, convincing activities, than a laundry list of club
memberships
– “Elected president of a university society eg, ballroom dancing
200 peers elected me from a field of 4 to manage 10 events per year and a budget of £20,000.
Designed and negotiated a new room allocation system for graduate students”
– “Organised a conference in my field for 120 delegates
Secured £10,000 funding from the university and the Arts Research Council, designed a speaking
program for 12 invited speakers, ran successful publicity program (220 applicants for 120
spaces), and organised logistics for a 3 day residential event”
Format, format, format: don’t make reading your CV hard work
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Academic excellence isn't just about university and gradesShow that you can communicate effectively with non-specialists
Details of
your PhD
• What is the topic? Can you explain it laymen's terms?
• Why do you think it is important?
• Which achievements are you most proud of?
Scholarships• Did you receive a scholarship?
• How competitive was the application?
Publications• Have you published in peer-reviewed journals?
• Have you been first author on a peer-reviewed article?
Presentations
at conferences
• Have you presented at a national or international conference?
• Were you invited to speak?
• How big was the audience?
Prizes and
awards
• Have you won any awards from your department or university?
• Have you won a prize for a conference poster?
• How many entrants were there?
15
Non-academic activities highlight personal qualitiesGreat for examples of teamwork, communication skills and personal traits
University• Did you play a leading role in a university/college committee?
• Which impact did you have with your committee work?
• Did you organise a major event? How big was it?
Sports• Are you engaged in any sports at competitive level?
• Are you taking a leading role in your sports club?
• What are you doing differently to previous leaders?
Arts• Are you playing an instrument? At which level?
• Are you selling your paintings? What do they cost?
• Published a book? How many copies were sold?
Charity• Have you organised a major fundraising event?
• How much money did you raise?
• How many people did you involve?
Work experience• Who have you worked for?
• What was your task?
• What did you achieve that you are most proud of?
Other ... • Other areas of life where you have had impact ...
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An exercise
Imagine you are applying to BCG
Think about how you would write a two-line CV entry to describe
• Your most impressive academic achievement
• One of your non-academic roles or activities
• The subject of your research
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3
1
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Agenda
Introduction
How to write a CV and cover letter
• PhD skills
• CVs
• Cover letters
The interview process
Questions and wrap-up
10 mins
30 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
10 mins
10 mins
18
What to think about when writing a cover letter
Your cover letter has to pass a very basic hygiene test
• Spelling and grammar have to be correct
• Facts should be correct, eg,
– Which company are you applying to?
– Which position are you applying for?
How long should my cover letter be?
• One page Ideal, two ok, more not good
• Most job applications get looked at in a limited amount of time
Use the opportunity to highlight your strengths and motivation
• Great place to emphasise rounded set of skills, but
• Be structured and concise
Sometimes cover letters will get only superficial attention
• Make sure all important facts are in your CV
If you are worried about showing your cover letter to your
friends because it makes you cringe — write it again!
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Agenda
Introduction
How to write a CV and cover letter
• PhD skills
• CVs
• Cover letters
The interview process
Questions and wrap-up
10 mins
30 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
10 mins
10 mins
20
Getting an interview is only a start to getting the jobExamples of BCG and other firm selection tasks
Numeracy test
General interview
Short case study
Phone interview
General interviews
Case studies
Group exercise
Panel interviews
A typical BCG interview
15 min: Introduction and general interview
25 min: Case study
5 min: Candidate questions
First round Final Round
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Interview process typically includes a case study interview
Maths and reasoning tests
What to expect:
• Multiple choice / short answer tests
• Looking for basic numeracy, logic and verbal
reasoning – often under time-pressure
How to prepare:
• SAT tests, GMAT tests, Civil Service Fast
Stream exams
CV questions
Case studies Group exercises
What to expect:
• Discussion of what you put in (and left out of)
your CV
• Questions on your motivation for and
commitment to a career change
How to prepare:
• Practice with friends or the career service
What to expect:
• A case study to be solved as a group
• Often with challenges and questions from a
‘client’ or ‘manager’
How to prepare:
• Be comfortable with case studies
• Consider how you want to come across
• Treat work-related meetings as though you
are being assessed
What to expect:
• One-on-one discussion of a real-life business
question
• Often requiring some on-the-spot mental
arithmetic
How to prepare:
• Case study examples online or in books
• Videos in career service, or from firms
• Practice with a friend
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Focus on conveying the qualities we are looking for
Numeracy tests
• Consulting requires you to be numerate, NOT a mathematician
• You should be comfortable performing simple operations with pen and paper
– eg, 5%, adding/multiplying by 100, 1,000, 1,000,000
• Practice can improve your performance considerably (GMAT tests, Fast Stream tests etc)
Group exercises
• Designed to gauge how you interact with other people
• Are you capable of
– Courtesy
– Persuasion
– Compromise
• Looking for your capacity to work with others, not individual problem-solving skills
Backup
23
Some companies set group tasks/discussionsThese are primarily a test of behaviour
This is not like a case study interview:
the emphasis is on behaviour, not content.
How you behave in the group ...
You may be asked to participate in a group
exercise or discussion
• At BCG you are given 30 minutes to read
some material and then take part in an
assessed group discussion
You may or may not choose to take on a
specific role
• eg, Summariser, chairman, timekeeper
They key is not to stand out for the wrong reasons
• Don't dominate the discussion
• Don't be overly competitive or serious
... should demonstrate the qualities
being assessed
Engaging personality
Good listener
Respects others
Sense of humour
Fun to work with
Self confident
Doesn't waste time
Professional manner
Backup
24
Background questions allow the interviewer to engage with
you and test your communication skills
Your interviewer will want to know
• Why do you want to leave academia/research?
• Do you match the person they expected from reading your CV?
• Are you genuinely interested in and informed about the job you are applying for?
• Can you communicate clearly and confidently?
• Would you be credible and persuasive in front of a client?
• Will they enjoy working with you?
• Can you work with others or in the job environment?
• Remember first impressions count!
Interpersonal skills are as important as analytical ability in consulting
• Communication, tact (client management)
• Character (drive, confidence, ability to handle stress)
• Team work
Practice being interviewed by friends, family or career advisors
Be prepared to talk confidently about every entry on your CV
This part of the interview is no less
important than the others!
25
Prepare for the obvious questions
Remember — your interviewer has done this before, so think carefully and honestly
about these questions rather than trying to rote-learn an answer.
Background and CV
Generic
• Give me an example of a time you
showed leadership?
• What interests you about consulting?
Specific
• What did you do as Assistant Secretary of the
Athletics Club?
• What did you learn in this role that you can
use as a consultant?
Degree specific questions
Why did you choose your degree?
What do you think the day-to-day role of a
consultant is?
What difficulties do you expect moving from
research to consulting?
What did you do in your PhD?
What skills did your degree give you? and how
could these be applied to consultancy?
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Candidate questions offer you the chance to find out more
The last part of the interview turns the tables
• You ask the questions
• But you are still being interviewed!
You may end up spending years of your life at the company in question
• It is not credible to have only one or two superficial questions
• You should have a range of questions covering different topics
– Clients and industry specialties
– Working culture (days out of the office, hierarchy, career development)
– Training and bonding activities
– Business prospects (growth, market position, outlook)
– Opportunities to travel/work abroad
– Pick up on articles you have read about the firm
– ... the list is endless (so the interview should not finish early!)
Questions should be appropriate to the interviewer
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Agenda
Introduction
How to write a CV and cover letter
• PhD skills
• CVs
• Cover letters
The interview process
Questions and wrap-up
10 mins
30 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
• 10 mins
10 mins
10 mins
28
Questions and wrap up
Have we answered these questions today
What are selectors looking for?
What kinds of problems do they pose?
What would be an effective way to answer?
Should you take notes?
What if you ask for more information?
What basic information could you be expected to
have at your fingertips?
What if you don't have any business experience?
What can you do to practice and improve
your technique?
Applying to BCG
How to Apply
Complete the online form at www.bcg.com
Important Dates
• Cambridge PhD Presentation 14th October
• Cambridge Careers Fair 16th October
• Cambridge Presentation 21st October
• CV Deadline 7th November