David A Fields

JUNE 24, 2015

Text and images are © 2015 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.

Consulting 300

Consulting 300

Management Consulted

JUNE 23, 2015

In May, we launched the Consulting Case Interview Bootcamp – Online. You have told us – over and over again – that you loved it. In June, we launched BBS – our once-a-year program for aspiring consultants to work together, as a group, to be the best that we can be. It’s almost July, and we’ve got big plans – MBA meet-and-greets and a 1-month consulting immersion course in South Africa.

Interviews 116

Interviews Case Interview Consulting Oliver Wyman 116

Tom Spencer

JUNE 21, 2015

I recently had the opportunity to communicate with Janine Clifford, Recruitment & HR Manager at L.E.K. Consulting. L.E.K. Consulting is a global management consulting firm that uses deep industry expertise and analytical rigor to help clients solve their most critical business problems. Please read my discussion with Janine below. This will be of particular interest for students and recent graduates who are looking to pursue a career in the management consulting industry.

Consulting 103

Consulting Case Interview Cover Letters Recruiting 103

MishTalk

JUNE 21, 2015

The NPR claims the most common job in 29 of 50 US states is truck driving. This seems a bit overboard, and depends on how jobs are categorized, but here is the chart. The above chart from NPR "Planet Money" report that says. We used data from the Census Bureau, which has two catch-all categories: "managers not elsewhere classified" and "salespersons not elsewhere classified.

Insurance 61

Insurance Insurance Automotive Sales 61

Advertisement

Mastering data visualization in PowerPoint will help accelerate your career because it positions you as someone who can present data that drives business decisions forward. think-cell's PowerPoint Best Practices eBook was created specifically for professionals aiming to master the art and science of data-driven storytelling. What’s inside: Practical Insights: Uncover valuable tips for crafting engaging and persuasive presentations.

Data

David A Fields

JUNE 23, 2015

A consultant asked me the following question: How do you keep track of your history with prospects? I write things down, but they get lost until that moment when I think “Oh! Crap, I haven’t talked to Max for 18 years.” What advice would you give this consultant? Is there a particular system you use that works for you? Please share your thoughts below.

System 150

System Consulting 150

Tom Spencer

JUNE 20, 2015

(Source: Flickr ). We have seen this week some heated negotiations between Greece and its European lenders. Here are some of the issues facing Greece at the moment: Technical default: Greece is due to repay €1.6bn (£1.2bn) to the IMF at the end of June. On Wednesday, Athens announced that it is stony broke and will not be able to pay up. As I understand it, this amounts to a technical default.

Banking 93

Banking Government Financial 93

MishTalk

JUNE 22, 2015

Early this morning, we saw reports of a last minute deal offer by Greece. That was followed by a Financial Times headline that read " Hopes Fade of Breakthrough Greece Deal ". The exact same link now displays this headline: Greek Concessions Keep Hopes of Bailout Deal Alive. Greece on Monday kept alive hopes of an eleventh-hour deal with creditors to avoid default after Athens presented its first substantial concessions in months of fruitless negotiations.

Finance 59

Finance Banking Conference Financial 59

Strategy+Business

JUNE 25, 2015

Companies can significantly influence the media visibility of their CEO with certain kinds of press releases -- but having a prominent CEO can also work to shareholders' detriment.

Media 44

Media Company 44

Seth Godin Blog

JUNE 24, 2015

Ask a hundred students at Harvard Business School if they expect to be up for a good job when they graduate, and all of them will say "yes.". Ask a bright ten-year old girl if she expects to have a chance at a career as a mathematician, and the odds are she's already been brainwashed into saying "no.". Expectations aren't guarantees, but expectations give us the chance to act as if, to trade now for later, to invest in hard work and productive dreaming on our way to making an impact.

System 43

System Culture Energy Education 43

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

How To

Tom Spencer

JUNE 26, 2015

I had coffee in early June with Chris McKenna , Associate Professor at Oxford’s Said Business School. When I say we “had coffee”, we didn’t actually drink coffee, but I had offered to buy Chris one as I thought it might give him a reason to meet with me. Chris’s area of expertise is strategy and business history, and he is also Director of the Centre for Professional Service Firms.

Course 78

Course Research Strategy Strategy 78

MishTalk

JUNE 26, 2015

In a surprise move that's sure to deflate the nannycrat's hope of early elections that could force prime minister Alexis Tsipras out of power, Greece’s Tsipras Calls July 5 Referendum on Creditors’ Demands. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called a referendum on whether he should accept the latest demands of the country’s creditors, the most dramatic move yet in a debt crisis that started five years ago.

Banking 57

Banking Finance Government Management 57

Martinka Consulting

JUNE 24, 2015

A recent newsletter from Business Brokerage Press had an article applicable to all businesses. Its title was, “ Are You Shaking Hands Or Hitting Send.”. The gist of the article was too many business brokers use the Internet to advertise businesses for sale, never meet the buyers, and therefore there was no relationship so it became nothing more than a transaction.

Advertising 43

Advertising Sales Meeting Industry 43

Seth Godin Blog

JUNE 21, 2015

is that your hands are then too full to hold onto anything else. It might be the competition or a technology or the lousy things that someone did a decade ago. None of it is going to get better as a result of revisiting the grudge.

42

42

Advertisement

Savings Consultants are needed in today’s market more than ever. With an increase in expenses, businesses are looking for opportunities to save. Often unknown to businesses are savings in expense reduction, specialized tax savings, specialized savings including medical underpayments, health benefits cost reduction, zero cost processing, and more. Blue Coast Savings, with over 20 years in business, assists Savings Consultants in helping these companies move toward more profitable businesses.

Consulting

Tom Spencer

JUNE 25, 2015

(Source: Flickr ). If you get stuck during a case question then there are four (4) things you can do to regain momentum. If the interviewer has just given you some information then you can say something like “let me take a second to consider that information”. You can safely stay silent for up to 90 seconds or so while writing down and reviewing the key facts of the case.

Case Interview 71

Case Interview Interviews Consulting Company 71

MishTalk

JUNE 20, 2015

National Journal writer and senior political columnist Ron Fournier is calling for " shared sacrifice " to fight ISIS. His odd definition of " shared sacrifice " is forced conscription for all 18- to 28-year-olds. Please consider How to Defeat ISIS With Millennial Spirit and Service. " I know a better way to fight ISIS. It starts with an idea that should appeal the better angels of both hawks and doves: National service for all 18- to 28-year-olds ," says Fournier.

Journal 58

Journal Management Strategy Strategy 58

Martinka Consulting

JUNE 22, 2015

A sports reporter was asked to ask himself the perfect question and answer it. He wrote, “What has football meant to me?”. His answer started with, “It’s meant everything to me. I don’t know what I would have done with my life without it. It’s given me purpose. It’s provided for my family and me.”. Now look at this from Gallup in 2014: 72% of people aren’t happy with their jobs. 31.5% are engaged (enthusiastic and committed to their work and workplace). 51% aren’t engaged. 17.5% are actively dis

Sports 43

Sports Report Industry Productivity 43

Gina Abudi

JUNE 24, 2015

An example of a team moving through the four stages – Part 2: Storming Read Part 1 of the case study. Stage 2: Storming. Prior to the second meeting of the Committee, I reviewed the postings on the SharePoint® site. While overall the conversations were professional, in a few cases, committee members seemed to shoot [.]. The post The Four Stages of Team Development – Part 2 appeared first on Gina Abudi.

Development 42

Development Case Study Case Studies Study 42

This White Paper targets opportunities for Management to develop proficiency in the Decision Framing and Analyses element of input to Decision, & Risk Analyses for Major Project Funding Decisions.

Methodologies

Tom Spencer

JUNE 24, 2015

(Source: Flickr ). The business case question is the cornerstone of the consulting interview, and consulting firms use it to assess a candidate for a number of qualities: Structured thinking; Numerical ability; Communication skills; Comfort with ambiguity; Speed of thought; Knowledge of key business concepts; Enthusiasm for consulting; Calm resolve under pressure; and.

Case Interview 71

Case Interview Consulting Interviews Analysis 71

MishTalk

JUNE 25, 2015

Air of Finality? I cannot possibly count the number of " final " offers nor count how many times the clock hit midnight only to have it move back to 11:58 PM. Today, however, there finally appears to be an air of finality. We will see soon enough. Ultimatum From Creditors The Financial Times reports Creditors Issue Ultimatum to Greece Greece’s creditors have presented Athens with a last-ditch offer for a deal to unlock €7.2bn in desperately needed rescue aid after marathon talks failed to narrow

Banking 56

Banking Finance Government Conference 56

Seth Godin Blog

JUNE 26, 2015

Fighters and pugilists are different. The fighter fights when she has to, when she's cornered, when someone or something she truly believes in is threatened. It's urgent and it's personal. The pugilist, on the other hand, skirmishes for fun. The pugilist has a hobby, and the hobby is being oppositional. The pugilist can turn any statement, quote or event into an opportunity to have an urgent argument, one that pins you to the ground and makes you question just about anything.

Course 42

Course Meeting 42

Strategy+Business

JUNE 23, 2015

Pope Francis's efforts to transform the Catholic Church show how those at the top can grapple with a bureaucracy while exemplifying spiritual leadership.

Leadership 44

Leadership 44

Advertisement

Case studies are proof of successful client relations and a verifiable product or service. They persuade buyers by highlighting your customers' experiences with your company and its solution. In sales, case studies are crucial pieces of content that can be tailored to prospects' pain points and used throughout the buyer's journey. In marketing, case studies are versatile assets for generating business, providing reusable elements for ad and social media content, website material, and marketing c

Case Study

Tom Spencer

JUNE 23, 2015

(Source: Flickr ). Factor questions are a type of question that you may come across in consulting interviews. They are designed to help the interviewer see how you think, and you might be asked a question such as “What factors influence X, Y, Z?” or “What factors would you consider when A, B, C?”. An example of a factor question is “What factors would you consider when marketing a new smart phone app?”.

Interviews 71

Interviews Consulting Examples Marketing 71

MishTalk

JUNE 21, 2015

Parties on both sides still talk as if a deal over Greece is possible, but how realistic is that? And yesterday, the ECB voted to continue ELA, but did so with an amount less than Greece requested. Last Minute Phone Talks This morning, Reuters reported EU's Juncker, Greek PM Tspiras Hold Telephone Talks. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spoke to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Saturday and will speak again on Sunday to seek a solution to Athens' debt crisis, an EU officia

Government 55

Government Finance Banking Meeting 55

Seth Godin Blog

JUNE 22, 2015

Those critical choices you made then, they were based on what you knew about the world as it was. But now, you know more and the world is different. So why spend so much time defending those choices? We don't re-decide very often, which means that most of our time is spent doing, not choosing. And if the world isn't changing (if you're not changing) that doing makes a lot of sense.

42

42

Gina Abudi

JUNE 23, 2015

An example of a team moving through the four stages – Part 1: Forming In a previous article we discussed the four stages of team development as well as provided an example of a team moving through the stages. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 of that article here and dive more in [.]. The post The Four Stages of Team Development – Part 1 appeared first on Gina Abudi.

Development 40

Development Examples Change Management Leadership 40

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

In times of economic uncertainty, account-based strategies are essential. According to several business analysts and practitioners, ABM is a necessity for creating more predictable revenue. Research shows that nearly three-quarters of marketers (74%) already have the resources needed to build successful ABM programs.

Strategy