Consulting

Consulting is one of the most competitive job functions in business. The analytical skills required are extensive and candidates must also possess strong communication skills to compete in this industry.

Areas of Consulting

  • Strategy Consulting
  • Management Consulting
  • Operations Consulting
  • Financial Advisory
  • HR Consulting
  • Technology Consulting

Skills Required

  • Communication and interpersonal skills as you will work with a diverse set of people as you are exposed to different industries and functions.
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills to create solutions for clients.
  • Ability to work in a team-oriented environment.
  • Internal drive for results. Since clients are paying consulting firms top dollar they expect results, and quickly.
  • Flexibility as you may be traveling anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of the time.

Consulting Resources

Web Resources

  • McKinsey, BCG and Bain Free Case Interview Prep
  • Management Consulted: Join the largest management consulting community. Sign up for their free newsletter. Watch case interviewing walkthroughs. Hear from consulting experts on the hiring process.
  • Log into BizLink | Resources | Vault to access these titles. 
    • Go to the Video Library | Advice Topics | Career | Case Interviewing 
      • Mastering the Case Interview
      • How to Ace the Case Interview
      • The #1 Case Interview Mistake
      • Consulting Case Frameworks: How, When, and Why We Use Them
      • Structuring Your Case Interview Notes
      • Revenue Frameworks for Case Interviews

Guides

Case Interviewing

Case interviewing is the main method for selection used by recruiters in consulting. Case interviews allow recruiters to see how you think and solve complex problems. The focus is more about the thought process you use to answer the question rather than the correctness of the answer.

Top Consulting Firms

Management Consulting

Technology, Media and Telecommunications Consulting

Professional Associations

  • Buffalo Undergraduate Consulting Club
  • Institute of Management Consultants: The national professional association representing management consultants.
  • Turnaround Management Association
  • UB MBA Consulting Group: Offers pro-bono project work to small- and mid-sized businesses in the Buffalo community while building the next generation of consultants in the UB MBA program.

Case Questions and Preparation

Mastering the Case Interview

Watch national speaker and author, Marc Cosentino present on his best-selling book, Case In Point.

Marc Cosentino has 25 years of experience with case questions. He has written more than 100 cases, while coaching, preparing and training more than 100,000 students and alumni. He has written three books involving cases and consulting. Cosentino has given workshops to students at a number of colleges and MBA programs and has held training sessions for career services professionals. He has consulted with and designed cases for private sector firms, government agencies and nonprofits.

Webinar: Log into UB Career Connector. Go to Get Advice and use the single sign on. Then go to the Video Library | Advice Topics | Career | Case Interview | Mastering the Case Interview

Case Interviewing Books

Prior to COVID these were available to borrow from the Career Resource Center.

  • Case In Point by Marc Cosentino  Recommended
  • Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng
  • Crack the Case System by David Ohrvall

Academics

To learn more about the Consulting area and courses included within the concentration or program, please refer to the academic curriculum.