The Life as a Consultant series continues. The guest today is a senior consultant from Celerant Consulting – an operations-focused consulting firm.

Previous interviews featured consultants from Booz Allen, AT Kearney, Nortel, and McKinsey.

Disclaimer: I did not personally conduct this interview. Both the questions and answers were sent to me by a kind reader. I found the content to be insightful and thorough, so enjoy!

I’ve bolded parts that are helpful for consulting applicants, and have additional comments in gray paragraph boxes at the end of each question

What do you do?

Celerant is a virtual company, in that we don’t have regional offices. Our consultants live anywhere in North America that they wish and the project sites become their office. Typically I will fly out Monday morning and return on Friday evening every week of a project which tend to last anywhere from 4-12 months at a time. Upon arrival on Monday morning I go directly to the client site where it is expected I will begin work no later than after lunch that day.

My typical day (averages 12 hours long) is spent facilitating a client team through identification and development of solutions. Another large portion of my time is spent helping this team explain the value of our solutions to key stakeholders in the organization. I’m working with people from the ground floor up to top management in order to fully implement sustainable change in the organization. Implementing change includes helping them to see the value of change and how it will benefit everyone in the long run, and getting the key people to feel so good about new ways that they are carrying out their business that they would never want to go back to the old.

The value we offer our clients first and foremost is that of an outsider with experience in their field with ideas and alternative solutions to the way that work is currently being done. We are change agents. It is our job to help stretch the clients thinking of what is possible and drive them to implement new or improved systems and processes which will in turn streamline the workflow and rationalize the work being done by those people in certain functions and decision making roles. Typically we take a hard look at things like:

• Identifying & picking up ‘quick wins’ (financial and cultural improvements that can happen within minimal effort or approval) that can gain momentum for the client & the project
• Reviewing how the client manages its inventories, organizes & executes activities across departments, and responds to market demands.
• How effectively the client is forecasting, planning, executing and reporting the work that is taking place
• Realigning the roles, responsibilities, and structure within the organization in alignment with the value chain for the company

What sets Celerant apart from other consultancies is that we are an Implementation and Operational Strategy consultancy. We are on the ground with the people doing the work and achieving cost savings & process optimization which link directly to the bottom line. Also, as a result of the program that we come in offering and the typical project duration we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver sustainable behavior change to our clients which will assure a culture of continuous improvement has been institutionalized.

Read my post on a day in consulting and additional thoughts on consulting travel. Celerant is focused on operations work – intense, daily client interaction with folks up and down the org chart is typical

What steps have you taken to get to where you are today?

This was my first job after graduating from college. It was through much conversation with professors, friends, and career services that I identified the field of Management Consulting as the field I wanted to enter. I realized up front the rigor of the job (travel, lifestyle, etc) but was enticed by the opportunity to see the inner workings of many different companies and learn first hand the ‘Don’t and Don’ts’ of business so that one day my company won’t make the same mistakes.

I entered Celerant at the consultant level and was promoted 1.5 years later to the title of Senior Consultant. With the promotion I have taken on much more responsibility and expectations for output and thought leadership. I have spent time in many different areas of our company learning about offerings such as Asset Management, Supply Chain, and most recently Organizational Effectiveness. I see the experience of diversifying experience in the first few years as a ‘Must Do’, for it helps ones marketability as well as helping you avoid becoming pigeon holed when looking for future jobs in that industry or if you were to change industries all together.

Consulting affords a broad business education, but you can’t take it for granted. Strive to learn a diverse set of skills to keep options open. More on consulting skills here

What qualities do you and your company/organization find most attractive when hiring?

Years of experience in related industries and/or consulting are a big plus when applying. But I think the following characteristics about a candidate are also very appealing to Celerant:

• Experience facilitating, coaching, and driving groups to solutions and outputs
• A “Whatever it takes” mentality
• Self Confidence
• The ability to present and speak with confidence about ones convictions and ideals
• Not just an understanding of the problems that companies face or the solutions to improve their current situation, but the ability to take the client from the old to the new (Facilitation)
• Creativity to solving problems and the ability to communicate with others

What sort of academic and professional experiences would be helpful in landing a job in your field?

I think that the following were all very important in preparing me to land a job in the consulting field:

• My focus on Management & Organizational Behavior “Why do people act and behave like they do in given situations?” or “What do good organizations do?”
• Experiences in coaching and leading in many different arenas in and out of college. I spent 4 years coaching basketball, took on many leadership positions within volunteer organizations, and was forced to develop & implement solutions within all of those experiences
• Ability to understand at a high level those buttons that impact the bottom line and financial viability of a company
• Utilize your professors/mentors/friends in industry as advisors that you keep in touch with. I have continued to keep my 2 college advisors as well as some close friends (both peers and from my parents generation) abreast of my endeavors, thoughts, concerns, and new ideas on given basis. People you have a connection with are receptive to listening and want to offer advice.

Having had no prior “long term” industry experience when entering this job it was these past experiences that helped me to relate, adapt, and find solutions to problems I encountered along the way.

The above points emphasize leadership and business knowledge. Read every consulting resource you can find and edit your resume to demonstrate you have a consulting skillset

Where would you recommend that people interested in this occupation begin to look?

• Use the college and grad school alumni network – Call, e-mail, take them out to lunch
• Use the network of family and friends you have – they know you the best as far as your credibility, although you may need to show them that you are definitely ready and qualified to enter the industry you are looking at
• Go knocking on doors & find ways to talk to people in companies you are interested in
• Have a mantra/story that you are always talking about. Not just a clear picture of what you want to do, but why and how excited you are about finding an opportunity. It is amazing how powerful it is when one keeps their goal mind at all turns, and how opportunities begin to present themselves

Network and network some more! It’s key to landing consulting jobs. Learn how to network at presentations and consulting networking basics from previous posts

What are your future professional plans?

I will own my own business someday soon down the road. Risky? Yes, but I’m very clear that I want to be the one ultimately accountable for my success and that of my company.

I also look forward to working in executive development one day coaching CEO’s and top level management teams through transitions, tough decisions, and new opportunities.

I’m very excited to return to coaching at some time in the future and work developing and mentoring young people through athletics.

Lastly, I hope to one day be able to be a sounding board and Angel investor for young people and the business ideas and plans that they want to get off the ground.

I think that I will need to be a CEO in order to coach CEOs (credibility). To that point I believe that getting my MBA will be critical as well.

Entrepreneurship and venture capital are two attractive consulting exit options

Any last words of wisdom?

• Keep your goal in mind at all times. Let it emanate from you in all you do.
• Take every opportunity to learn and increase your frame of reference
• Do what you like, define success for yourself (don’t let others) and become comfortable with the reality of what it will take to achieve that success. If you are doing something you don’t like, it will be clear to everyone you work with.

Are you a current consultant or someone who recruited successfully? Interested in being interviewed? Please get in touch to be featured in the Life as a Consultant series.

Our Recruiting in a Down Market talks from last week covered a lot of useful material that I’d like to share with readers.

The key takeaways for lazy people are:

• Networking is everything – focus on a few quality channels and be proactive
• Spread your net wide – you can’t afford to be picky
• Have a Plan B but be careful that you don’t cut off future options

That said, here is an abbreviated version of our talks. Note that some of this content is from Mergers and Inquisitions.

We’re no longer in the boom years of 2004-2007

Consulting hiring has been deeply impacted. From firm-wide hiring freezes and layoffs (eg, Accenture) to reduced hiring at the Big 3, recruiting is not as easy as it used to be.

However, in the words of Jim Cramer – there’s always a bull market somewhere. Consulting firms focused on corporate restructuring are doing well in these times, and big firms such as Bain and BCG are building their expertise in these areas.

In addition, there are significant regional differences in hiring – but I’ll get to that below.

There are several things you can do to set yourself apart and break into consulting

The key here is to be proactive, rather than reactive. To get yourself in front of people, instead of waiting for them to recruit you. Even the strongest candidates with big brand names on their resumes and 3.9 GPAs aren’t guaranteed interviews, much less offers.

There are a few areas to help you standout in consulting recruiting:

1. Spread your net wide – consider all boutique consulting firms that recruit. After all, strategy consulting experience is much better than technology consulting if you want to break into MBB
2. Consider all geographies – large metropolitan markets like New York are always tough, but near impossible in these times. Look to international markets like Dubai and East Asia. If you can overcome language differences and don’t mind the travel, you stand a better chance
3. Consider adjacent jobs in corporate America and even entrepreneurship – particularly if you’re looking at summer internships

Finally, network, network, network. This is an area where few do well. I’m a believer in 80/20 – so look at your primary channels including:

• School alumni networks
• Family and friend networks – be open about what your goal is!
• Work networks

Network skillfully. See here for some more networking tips. Use the Law of Attraction to your advantage by being open about your goals to anyone and everyone.

I, like many of you, used to think networking was annoying. I didn’t do much of it. I thought it was fake and superficial. But it played a huge role in getting me to McKinsey. Don’t overlook it

Some companies have learned lessons from the last recession, but all of them are getting hit by the markets

Remember when the tech bubble burst? It was painful for companies, their employees, and new recruits. Offers were rescinded, people were fired, everything was a mess.

This time around, companies want to avoid those same mistakes. After all – who wants to recruit for a company that took away job offers and summarily fired people without warning?

Some companies have attempted to adopt hiring policies that look beyond this recession. They want to invest in people for the future, and not worry about cyclical drops in demand now that may leave them suffering from a staff shortage in 3 years.

But let’s face it. The vast majority of firms have cut hiring. BearingPoint even filed for bankruptcy protection.

You’ll need backup options.

Have a Plan B, C, and D…but be careful when pulling the trigger

Everyone has different passions – you may think this is the perfect time to go to Japan and teach English, or pickup surfing in Hawaii.

Be careful – too much time off, and you may never get back on the management consulting track if that’s your goal. It’s tough because no one knows when markets will recover – but if we learned anything from the last recession, we know that the pain won’t disappear immediately.

Business school is a bad idea without work experience. Consider a Master’s program at a top institution instead. It buys time, you learn something you’re interested in, and you get another chance at recruiting.

Anecdote: a friend of mine was unsuccessful recruiting for MBB at Stanford. She enrolled in a Yale master’s program, re-recruited, and received offers to all 3. Masters programs can be a great option, but don’t do it for the sake of recruiting alone

Lastly, consider long-term ramifications of your decisions. If you pursue marketing or accounting, it may be difficult to get back on the strategy consulting train. Entrepreneurship is another option – but unless you’re obscenely successful, you may need to go back to school if you want to work at Bain.

I encourage people to think about their 5-year plan. Does management and strategy consulting play a clear role? If not, start pursuing your longer-term dreams now. If it does, then follow my advice above, continue recruiting and networking, and you’ll get your chance. You can also contact me if you need more extensive help

It’s an important question – and never more so than in today’s market. What’s next – when your resume doesn’t receive an interview; your first round doesn’t lead to a call-back; your final round receives a polite rejection?

In this post, I’ll highlight the key steps to take when this happens. Not a fun post – but a necessary one.

The advice applies equally to industries like investment banking

1. Follow-up the rejection and ask for feedback

This is priority numero uno. You’ll typically receive a rejection call after the interview. If the caller is one of your interviewers, politely ask him/her for feedback on your performance. Don’t come across as bitter, upset, or anyway emotional – simply interested in receiving feedback for future improvement. Example questions to ask are:

• “Mark – thanks for the call. Can I get your honest assessment of where I could’ve done better?”
• “Janice – I appreciate the response. It felt to me like I didn’t perform well in summarizing the cases. Were there other areas that were weaknesses?”

If the caller is not one of your interviewers – send an email (another time when business cards come in handy!) to schedule a quick call for post-interview feedback. 8 times out of 10, they’ll agree. The other 2 times, they’ll most likely respond directly to the email with some feedback. Here’s how you should phrase that email:

Hi Yoda, I appreciated the opportunity to interview with you last Thursday. Unfortunately, Danielle at HR just called to inform me that I won’t be receiving an offer. Could I give you a ring to get some post-interview feedback? It would help me in future interviews and to understand how I can improve through this process. Feel free to call me anytime (123-456-7890) or leave a number. Sincerely, George

Short and to the point.

Once you’ve received feedback, take it to heart! Practice will only help for future interviews or next year’s recruiting cycle.

If you don’t make it past the resume stage, don’t ask. It’s rare that they’ll give comments, and if they do it’ll be very generic. Here are some possible criteria for resume rejections

2. Focus on upcoming interviews

If this isn’t your last interview, prepare doubly hard for the next one. No surprise here. Internalize feedback about your shortcomings (“you were unstructured in your approach to the case…you had an insufficient understanding of the underlying business drivers…we didn’t feel that you were a good fit for our company culture”). One of the most common mistakes people make is to practice alone. Do it with another person – it’s 5x more valuable. Ask your family as a last resort.

3. Re-evaluate and broaden your pipeline

Steve Shu is on the mark here when he suggests “casting a wide net”. Applicants suffer from tunnel vision – the whole “Bain or Bust mentality”.

I’ll say it here: getting an offer to any of the top 50 management consulting firms is a major accomplishment

Apply to whatever is available and take interviews even if you wouldn’t accept the offer. Practice is key and options are valuable.

There simply isn’t a consulting firms database comparable to what exists in investment banking. I’m in the midst of building one; until then – Vault has a good starting point here.

As discussed previously, online consulting applications should be a last resort. Networking will be a key differentiator.

4. Explore alternatives such as grad school, finance, and entrepreneurship

Ultimately, you may still be rejected from the industry. But the game’s just started!

There are plenty of other options – ones you should’ve considered from day 1 anyway. If your heart is still set on management and strategy consulting, the best thing you can do is recruit for jobs with the best combination of brand recognition and skill-development. Suggested areas include finance (eg, investment banking and sales & trading) and the corporate track (eg, corporate management and product management). Not a particularly innovative list – but you get my point.

Consider grad school. Particularly if your undergraduate institution is not a “target school” – a top tier grad school can be a solid reset button. Masters programs are shorter and less selective than other alternatives. Important disclaimer – don’t get a masters degree just for recruiting purposes.

Finally, there’s entrepreneurship. I’m clearly a big fan, but startups won’t allow you to break back into consulting unless you consider post-graduate education. There’s no clear network and no channel into management consulting. It is a viable path, however, to venture capital.

5. Network, network, network

Never stop networking. It makes a difference, particularly in tough economic times when there are 10 equally qualified candidates for 2 positions. It comes down to who you know and how well. If you’re in school, network at information sessions, social mixers, business conferences. If you’re out of school, network through school alumni, colleagues past and present, family and friends. Online media (in particular, blogging and forum discussions) can be another great way to meet people with overlapping interests.

6. Prepare for next year

This particularly applies to summer internship applicants. Driving factors for resume rejection include low GPA, lack of leadership experiences and initiative taking, and lack of strong work experience. Work on them however you can. Interview rejection can include factors above, plus lack of preparation.

7. Finally, continue kicking butt in your current role

Don’t slack off. Many complaints that people have about their current jobs are fixable – insufficient responsibility, lack of challenging work, no upward movement. The solution to these topics belongs on another blog, but my advice is to take initiative wherever possible. This applies for current students as well. Your track record of promotions, driving impact, skills learned – will be critical when you try to land consulting jobs!

This is the second post in my “Life as a Consultant” series. The first was with a Booz Allen consultant. Expect more soon from current and former consultants at firms such as McKinsey and Bain!

Some background first: Steward was one of the first commenters here at MC. Upon further discussions and email exchanges, I learned that he’s currently a part-time consultant at A.T. Kearney in Shanghai. This position plus his perspective on studying and working in China was interesting to me and I’m sure will be interesting to readers.

Now on to the interview! I’ve bolded a few things that are particularly helpful for prospective applicants

1. Tell us about your background

I am a native Chinese student. I’m a part time project assistant in A.T. Kearney and full-time college student in Tongji University (Shanghai). While in college, I worked for a large real estate research firm, hence my first real job was literally doing questionnaire surveys on the street. Then I went to work for a big accounting firm, I learned to have fun with excel data as well as photocopy machines. I even took several unpaid internships and worked hard at them. For giving me the chances to get involved in a real business world, I owe my previous jobs great debt, every single one has provided me with a step up one way or another. At my time in A.T. Kearney, the firm and my colleagues have been very good to me.

In my spare time, I enjoy basketball, observing original stuff and hit trends in China. Recently I started a blog to pursue the joy of writing, it’s about college and careers.

2. Your situation is very unique because you’re currently a part-time consultant/intern at A.T. Kearney. How did you find this opportunity?

Firstly I’d like to clarify the difference between part-timers & internships: Apart from permanent positions (eg. from analyst to associate), we have both part-time and intern positions available for students in school.

• Part-timer assistants (PTA) are generally for undergrad (or advanced degree graduate) candidates without previous work experience, for those who want to pick up some basic experience in consulting (pay upon hourly basis).
• While for internship (which is recruited every summer), we’re actually hiring MBA candidates who have previous work experience in a certain industry and want to branch into the consulting territories after graduation (pay is comparable to senior analysts)

As to the application to a PTA, there are two main pipelines for a college students:

1. Apply on their website
2. Get “referred in”

I actually got in by mixing these two routes aforementioned – combining an application and proper networking in the information session (lots of companies swarm campus in recruiting seasons, it’s the best chance to meet your dream employer, and yes, everyone can attend it even you’re not on your final year!).

If you’re seeking some execution tips on this, I’d like you to check Kevin’s thoughtful advice on The right way to network. I was surprised when I read that post for the first time, because that’s exactly how it worked for me and I just want you to know it’s not as complicated as it sounds!

MC note: I highly encourage current students to seek out opportunities like this while in school. As long as you take care of your GPA, these experiences show initiative, build your network, and are extremely valuable during the recruiting process

3. Can you explain what it’s like to have a part-time position?

Generally speaking, we’re assigned to jobs similar to those of analysts. As a PTA (part-time assistant), you are assigned to a consulting team, expected to contribute information, set up/conduct interviews, perform data analyses, and develop models. But since part-timers’ work commitment is not as high and the recruiting process not as strict, their job are usually less complicated with less client exposure and less travel.

In the eyes of some people, PTA’s job responsibilities (dealing with pack of excel data, endless cold calls and googling revenue of an unlisted company for 2 hours) don’t look fancy and inspiring. Well I can’t speak for everyone, but personally if you want to learn more, my advice would be take initiative and ask questions, leverage the chance to see your projects all the way through. Be willing to do the boring stuff in exchange for great connections, experience, exposure, and mentorship, then you’ll make so much difference. I’m a believer in real practice and there’s still so much about consulting you’ll never hear about merely from reading The McKinsey Way or visiting this blog, unless you have the work privilege that gives you the inside scoop.

4. Can you tell us what the culture is like at A.T. Kearney?

The company doesn’t offer individualized training programs for PTAs. However, with guidance from co-workers paving the path, the transition to a real analyst job would not be difficult. I pay special tribute to the stint in ATK, where I am a participating member of an engagement, have a chance to work next to experienced consultants and even talk to to top-level management. I appreciate the firm’s vibrant atmosphere in which coworkers are more likely to be friends and mentors. Channels of communication are wide open, we can literally contact anyone. You’re not able to anticipate how a contact may help in future career, yet I found sharing bits of fulfillment with old colleagues and mentors I’ve built relationships with was one of the best feelings!

5. So, about hours, is a PTA supposed to work shorter hours since he/she’s part time?

Hmm, it depends, I’m no stranger to 80+ (even 90+) hours/week anyway (yup, I skipped a few classes, but I trust it’s worthwhile :P ) Usually we need to work doubly hard to keep a good balance between work and study, because GPA matters!

6. You work and study in China, which is an area that is of interest to many readers. Can you share your thoughts on the Chinese consulting culture?

Yes, I’d like to take this chance to let more people know about China. I think the inside culture of these GMC firms don’t have much difference from home and abroad as firms are owned and managed by seasoned professionals with overseas experiences and western mindset/educational background. Young consultants are being tutored to be globally ready from day one. I also talked with consultants who processed wealth of both China and overseas experiences, they told me the transition to a Chinese work environment is not difficult.

However, there’s one thing should be noted, a good command of Mandarin is important. As what I observed in the firm, everyone speak good English and Mandarin even he/she is a non-Chinese. Being bilingually efficient will offer you many initiatives in projects from domestic clients. Moreover, much first-hand information is readily available in local language even you’re dealing with a fortune 500 client.

I credit blogging and other social media for creating these middlemen. Lots of web users are offering tremendous insight into all aspects of life in China, and can help you form your own idea of what China is to you. But the best way to gain as much understanding as possible is to meet with as many of these insiders and see for yourself.

6. Where would you like to work when you graduate?

I am still striving for answer of this question. To me, I will certainly apply for a position in consulting after graduation.

7. What is the recruiting process like in China? How does it differ from what’s been written here on Management Consulted?

In regards to the recruiting process, it’s standardized and not much different. Popular career guides like Wetfeet and Vault are among our must-reads before job hunting. I have been surrounded by highly motivated peers who are climbing toward consultancy.

I recommended Management Consulted on my school website several weeks ago because those advices are applicable to job hunting here as well, lots of students replied and applaud Kevin’s efforts.

8. (Don’t answer if you don’t want your information made public) How should readers get in touch with you?

Sure, if anyone is interested in any topic I’m involved in, feel free to reach out for me via steward(dot)du(at)gmail.com or my blog iSteward. Today is China’s biggest festival – the Spring Festival, I wish readers all the best along their career path !

Most GMCs (global management consultancies) such as Booz Allen, BCG, and Accenture recruit at only the top 25-50 U.S. undergraduate and MBA programs. Internationally, the process is even more selective. So what can you do if you’re a strong candidate, but the firms you want to work for simply don’t recruit at your school?

Exceptions include large public universities, given the sheer size of their student body and alumni base, and schools with undergraduate business programs that have strong firm relationships

What can you do if you want to work for [INSERT FIRM HERE] and they don’t recruit at your MBA or undergraduate institution?

This is a disadvantage in the recruiting process. Given consulting firms’ lack of recruiting resources, alternative application methods (such as submitting your resume online) receive less attention and carry less weight.

Here are a few options that you can pursue:

• Online application submission – companies ranging from McKinsey to Deloitte & Touche provide this option
• Direct application submission through “Contact Us” links and public email addresses – this may be the only online option available at smaller boutique firms
• Headhunters and job placement firms – GloCap is a great example
• Application submission through firm contacts – friends, school alumni contacts, etc

Your goal if you can’t do “standard recruiting” is to build contacts within the firms and get internal referrals

Here’s what you should do:

Network, network, network. Reach out to school alumni contacts that work in the industry and at that firm. Reach out to current or former work colleagues that work in the industry themselves or are well-connected. Ask your family and your friends. Tell people about your goal, because the more people that know, the better chance you’ll have of being referred to HR contacts and current consultants

Think beyond your circle. If you’re an undergraduate, consider attending the MBA job fairs to establish contacts, get a few business cards, and even submit your resume. If you’re an MBA student, look into the law school job fair and/or job fairs for nearby MBA programs. While you’re not guaranteed success, you need to take risks given the limited options in front of you

Contact headhunters. Particularly if you have a few years of work experience. Headhunters have industry contacts and a broad view of available options. Be specific about your career goals, but not close-minded

Build relationships by being direct and specific. Now you know a recruiter in Bain’s Boston office. And you know a school alumni who’s a consultant in BCG’s Dallas office. Email them first – remind them of who you are, what your goals are, and the one or two areas where they can help. Keep the email short (no more than 5-10 lines of body text). Provide multiple contact channels. If you receive no response within one week, it’s OK to call and leave a brief voicemail.

What are areas where they can help you out?

• Provide you with the right internal recruiting contacts to submit your resume/CV
• Introduce you to firm contacts with shared interests, backgrounds, etc
• Answer your questions about the industry, the firm, etc

Never explicitly ask for an “internal referral” (a good word about you sent to HR/recruiters) unless you know them well. Work on establishing a relationship first. Keep them updated on the process (eg, “I just submitted my resume to Casey in recruiting and am looking forward to what’s next”). It’s OK to drop your contact’s name in your application materials/cover letter (if it’s done properly)

If all else fails, adjust your expectations and bide your time.

If you’ve tried the above and are getting nowhere, then option 1 is to find either the most prestigious alternative available (eg, finance, Fortune 500) or a position with another strategy/management consulting firm. Continue networking in the industry and attempt the parallel hiring process. Option 2 is to attend a school where the big firms recruit – if you’re an undergraduate, attend a top-tier MBA program. A master’s degree (or other advanced study program) is another option.