Using Linked In

Just a quick note that may prove to be as invaluable to you as it has been to me. USE LINKED IN! As you may have heard, getting a job in consulting is as much about who you know as what you know and it isn't always easy to meet the right people....you have to want to meet them and you have to work at it.

Having a better network than another applicant is just as important to beating him to the job as having a better resume. When a recruiter or a team of consultants are screening resumes, they may look at 2000+ in a couple of weeks and only commit to interviewing 50-100 of those applicants. That means that you only have a 2.5% chance of making it through the initial resume scan....pretty grim statistics.

If the people reviewing resumes recognize you, can put a name to a face, or even just remember that you've expressed interest in their organization, you will have a distinct advantage over the 1,900+ people they haven't ever heard of.

One of the best ways to get in contact with the people you need to know is through Linked-In. make a profile...a GOOD profile that sells your capabilities as a consultant. Remember, anyone that you contact through Linked-In will see your profile and you want it to be a selling point for you...if you have an intriguing profile, the odds of getting a response will be much greater!

I have found it is helpful to reach out to a consultant or a partner in an office that you are interested in working in. Ask to speak to them about their particular office or their experiences. If they agree to talk...shoot them a copy of your resume. Ask if there is a particular recruiter for their office that you should get in touch with...this is how I met the McKinsey consultant from the Cleveland office....and he eventually became one of my advocates and was instrumental to my re-application to McKinsey!

I have also made some really wonderful contacts with some smaller boutique consulting firms like the Campbell Alliance out of Raleigh, NC. Some of these smaller companies may not recruit at your institution, but this is a great way to reach out and make that initial contact and get on their recruiting radar.