In so many of the articles I have found about consulting, authors are trying to give you tips about how to score that big consulting job. Network, prepare for the interview, have a good cover letter and resume. Yeah, we all know that stuff. Then, I came across, know how to “think outside the box.” I am the absolute worst person at attempting to think outside the box. I’m a straight-forward, what you see is what you get type of girl. You know there are some people that can just pull a random idea out of left field and it just happens to be brilliant? That’s NOT me.
So, does this mean that you won’t get a job if you can’t think outside the box? Not necessarily. Just because you can’t come up with innovative solutions to every case you are given in an interview or the real world doesn’t mean you are worthless. If every consulting firm had ten new hires that were all good at thinking outside the box, the firm might be a little loopy. Firms also need professionals who are detail oriented, great with clients and have other niche competencies.
I have found that admitting to your weaknesses but showing how you are working to improve upon them is the best way to go about showing your strengths. Show a potential employer what you are good at by emphasizing your extra-curricular and academic involvement in college. If you get a question in an interview where you are expected to think outside the box, don’t make up some answer that is absolutely absurd (I tried that once, it’s just embarrassing). Tell them how you would actually go about solving the problem even if it is not as innovative as they would like. If they don’t want you then you might not have fit in with that firm anyway.
So, if you’re trapped inside the box, don’t worry, it’s just as good as being outside.
So, does this mean that you won’t get a job if you can’t think outside the box? Not necessarily. Just because you can’t come up with innovative solutions to every case you are given in an interview or the real world doesn’t mean you are worthless. If every consulting firm had ten new hires that were all good at thinking outside the box, the firm might be a little loopy. Firms also need professionals who are detail oriented, great with clients and have other niche competencies.
I have found that admitting to your weaknesses but showing how you are working to improve upon them is the best way to go about showing your strengths. Show a potential employer what you are good at by emphasizing your extra-curricular and academic involvement in college. If you get a question in an interview where you are expected to think outside the box, don’t make up some answer that is absolutely absurd (I tried that once, it’s just embarrassing). Tell them how you would actually go about solving the problem even if it is not as innovative as they would like. If they don’t want you then you might not have fit in with that firm anyway.
So, if you’re trapped inside the box, don’t worry, it’s just as good as being outside.
0 comments:
Post a Comment