Can you think outside the box? Good, I can’t either.

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.

Greek Life Isn't Just About the Parties

This past week my sorority had a Leadership Consultant (LC) come for the week to evaluate our Chapter. This is pretty much standard procedure in all Greek organizations. The LC meets with all the important people and then reports back to Nationals all of the things you are doing wrong (and right, if you're lucky). While I'm not that important anymore, I felt that I had an obligation to help my sisters out and fill up the LC's schedule by meeting with her. So, I did.

I found out some great things about being a Leadership Consultant. First, it's a great way to get into consulting without having to be in the business world. If you aren't quite sure exactly what you want to do after graduation, a year-long job like this could be a great option. Second, you get to travel a ton. Fraternity and sorority LCs usually travel to a different chapter each week all around the country. So, even though you've graduated, you still get to hang out with college kids and you get a spring break, which is obviously very important. Third, it's a resume builder. Becoming an LC for your Greek organization shows how passionate you are about it and you could easily tie in the consulting aspect.

The best way to learn more about becoming a Leadership Consultant (or a traveling advisor like an LC) is to go to your fraternity or sorority website. If you're concerned that taking a year off from the real world will hurt your chances later, discuss it with your professors and other contacts. Ask them how such an experience will be viewed by potential employers and how you can market yourself after being an LC. Leadership Consultants help Greek life remain strong on college campuses so let's face it, weekends would be pretty boring without them.

Play Hard To Get

You're going be really excited when you get your first job offer. One, because you realize that all of your hard work in college paid off and you're not a total failure. Two, because a source of income that you can do cool stuff with is on its way.

Though you might be tempted to jump on the first offer you get to avoid the pain of more interviews, stop and think about it. Is this the job you really want? Will it put you in a good position to get another job in a few years if you want to? Are the benefits and pay exceptional? Do you want to see what else is out there?

A lot of consulting firms (and companies in general) will try to pressure you into making a decision ASAP, but don't be fooled, offer expiration dates are usually flexible. So, negotiate. All of your offers won't come on the same day, so you may have an offer that is about to expire while your still waiting to hear back from your dream job. If a firm wants you bad enough, they'll just have to deal with it. Don't fret and don't take a job just because you're scared you won't get another offer somewhere down the line...you'll regret it!

Evaluate all aspects of your offer(s), talk things through with family and/or friends, and make a pro/con list if you have to. Whatever you do, don't settle...you deserve the job that you really want, not just the one that you get.

Network at Pig Roast, or something like it

I know I have touched on the topic of networking a few times, but I don't think I can emphasize enough how important it is. This weekend was the University of Richmond's annual pig roast, an event that many alumni, especially the class of '06, return for. This was a great opportunity to see some old friends and most importantly for our purposes, see what these graduates are doing and whether they like it or not.

I can only imagine that every other school in the country has some event like this aside from homecoming or alumni weekend that is a tradition. This is the perfect time for you to talk to friends and friends of friends that are out in the real world and have some insight into what your life will be like in the near future. While not everyone will have the same major as you or the type of job that you are looking for, even gaining general knowledge about what the working world is like is helpful.

Some of the greatest advice can come from those people who are currently living in the city that you are trying to move to. For example, I am moving to Washington, D.C. in August and don't know where to even start looking for housing. It turns out lots of my friends know exactly how to get the best deals and people who are looking for roommates, though I luckily already have some of those.

A small reminder though: campus events involve alcohol. Don't make yourself look like an idiot in front of alums, it could end up being a sort of pre-interview and you don't want to leave a bad impression.

You may even find out that freshman year in the real world is almost as cool as freshman year of college (well, I hope so anyway).

BCG Who?

Somehow I was left out of the loop when it comes to knowing the big name consulting firms. Going to a small school (about 3,000 undergrad), I guess I had heard of firms like Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and McKinsey, but they don't recruit on our campus. So, of course, this makes it a lot harder to get an interview, never mind a job.

It wasn't until last week in my strategic management class that I realized just how much clout a firm like BCG has. Apparently they have a developed a model that is used (and now taught) internationally. And its NAMED after them....so I would say that enhances their reputation just a little bit. The Boston Consulting Group Matrix helps a company to come up with the optimal portfolio of businesses they are involved in and ultimately plan their cash flows.

I figured I should do some research on the company so I could see for myself (and then share with you) what's so great about BCG.

Here's what I found:

• Their mission is to help firms create a sustained competitive advantage
• Working Mother magazine names BCG among the best 100 companies
• Ranked 8th in Fortune magazine's best companies to work for
• With an undergraduate degree you will enter the firm as an associate
• They do case interviews. Here are some practice ones
• Learn more with their FAQs

Check out other top strategy consultancies like Bain, McKinsey and Mercer

Companies are Corrupt Too

Since being in Acapulco was obviously the most amazing week of my life, it will continue to be a starting point for today's entry. I am not making any promises but I'll try to move onto something else next week. Note the word TRY, seriously, it was ridiculous and if you are not a senior in college yet, you should go there for spring break. But anyways, as some of you may know, Acapulco has actually been extremely dangerous lately due to drug violence. For the spring break weeks, the government has appointed a 24 hour watch to the tourist area. However, what many don't know is how corrupt the federale, a.k.a. the police (I'm trying to sound like I know Spanish) are. Though I didn't have any personal experience with the police (of course), other spring breakers were forced to pay the police if randomly stopped on the street or being on the beach at night. Some even tried to take passports from you. It was scary.

So how does this relate to consulting?

The federale are not the only ones who are corrupt. Sometimes the top or middle management of a company are corrupt too. Consultants are brought in not because the firm doesn't have the man power to complete a task, but because their man power itself is the problem. Consultants can be used as interim managers if a corrupt employee is removed and a company is unable to internally fill the position temporarily. In some cases, a company is in such shambles because of the corrupt employees that a whole team of consultants is needed to sort out exactly what happened and the scope of the problem.

When you think about it, it would be quite fascinating to see the internal workings of a company, like Enron, or anything similar on a smaller scale. So, when you're researching consulting firms, see what they specialize in. Soon enough you could find yourself fixing the disaster of Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco) and that would be sweet.

Speaking Spanish is Helpful in Acapulco...and Elsewhere

After spending an entire week in Acapulco, Mexico, I have come to a few realizations. First, college is almost over and this spring break is one of the last times that I will have the freedom to hang out with my friends WHENEVER I want. Second, college students are crazy, period. Third, which actually relates to this blog, is how little Spanish I remember since high school, yet how important foreign languages are in the business world. I stood by feeling unintelligent, able to understand only some words, while my friends that actually took Spanish in college carried on full-blown conversation with natives of Acapulco. I should express my utmost gratitude for their fluency, as they saved us mucho dinero on cabs, dinners and drinks.

While not all consulting firms are international, even domestic firms work with clients within the United States that speak different languages. At some point in your career, you are bound to have some encounters where you wished you knew another language . You are at a great advantage over other candidates if you can comfortably communicate in a foreign language because those who are bilingual are few and far between.

Even if you have not taken foreign language courses in college (I know, they are dreadful) it may be a good idea to brush up on whatever you took in high school. If you can show a company that you have taken initiative that will improve client relationships in the future, an interviewer will be impressed. Communication is extremely important in the consulting industry in terms of making sure that the professional understands a client's needs and that the client knows the services that will be provided to them.

Here are some great sites to brush up on your foreign language skills:

Linguata.com

Foreignword.com

Or take a FREE online language course!