So I have been collecting information from google analytics since I started this site and finally have over 23,000 hits. I think that this is a big enough sample size to start drawing a few conclusions.
Before I give you some data, it has to come with a caveat that traffic to my blog probably isn't the BEST indication of who is interested in consulting, although since you probably have to dig a little bit to find me, it might be a good indication of who is really serious about consulting and is searching hard for information.
First, the US is by far the biggest reader of my blog, which probably has to do with a few things....high levels of education and interest in consulting, my blog is written in the English language and is relevant to US recruiting. The next biggest reader is the UK with about 33% of US readership, then surprisingly Turkey is a close third, followed by India, Switzerland,France, Canada, Australia, Germany and Russia.
I will breakdown the interest within the US in a little more detailed fashion. I will use 1 as the nationwide average for hits...so a score of 5 would be five times the average hit rate for a state. Here's the data:
NY- 14.5
MA- 6.6
CA- 5.3
IL- 4.1
MI- 2.9
TX- 2.2
PA- 1.6
VA- 1.3
MD- 1.3
GA- 1.3
It all makes pretty good sense when you think about the target schools for consulting firms and where they are located...Columbia, NYU, Cornell, etc in NY; Harvard and MIT in MA, Stanford and some of the tech heavy colleges in CA; Northwestern and U of Chicago in IL; U of Mich and Ross in MI....I'm a little surprised that PA didn't score higher with all of the Wharton folks that end up with consulting gigs, but the data is the data.
Just thought I'd share a bit of that with you to let you know where your competition is coming from. Looks like the stiffest local competition is for those of us in NY and MA...lucky us!
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Does this data take in account those that read through feed readers?
ReplyDeleteI don't think that does include feed reader data...I don't think google analytics collects that kind of data.
ReplyDeleteI will defer to the above post...I don't think I get feed reader data
ReplyDeleteI use feed reader to follow up on new posts here, and I am sure if I'm included in the list of viewers. By the way, I'm living in the UAE...
ReplyDeleteMy home is really dirty these days. With the lots of cleaning companies around I wish to use their services first. Because I need professionals to clean my house. And I believe they are capable of doing what they are promising.
ReplyDeleteDear Considering,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. I found it because I was doing some research to prepare for our move to San Fran and toying with the idea of joining one of the big shops as an “Experienced Hire”.
I have been in consulting for 16 years now. I love the consulting business. From what I read, I think you would do well too. Don’t stress about your lack of “creativity”. Personally, I don’t think you can learn about it from a book, or by doing more case study than what you already have. Creativity comes from your ability to learn and reflect on your work experience and interaction with the world around you. Some times, it’s hard earned lessons from your battle scars. Like many advanced degree holder, you tend to look at the world like a maths equation that can be studied and solved neatly. It doesn’t work like that. Sometime, you just have to get out into the real world to see, to observe and take mental notes of little things. For example, your “toy store” case interview. I could feel through the pages just how intense you were trying to find the “right answer”. But, from this side of the table, you were talking like a backroom accountant, who thinks if he just stares at the numbers a little longer, or shakes the complex formula a little harder, the answer will come. Meanwhile, if you have ever walked into a toy store and looked around, you would have asked “What are the top two selling items in the store?” (You have found out about the computer games); If they say they have no specifics, ask “What section of the toy store is doing the best? Girls’ section? Boys’ section? Infant? Teenagers?” I don’t think they teach that at Wharton School.
For the “travel agency” case. Your “criteria” were good, but a bit “loose”. I would have said that the new business needs to be 1) easy for existing staff to learn and train; 2) a business that doesn’t make the staff feel like they are now carrying a second job; 3) a business that they can partner with someone else, while shouldering minimum risks, no requirement to expand staff count and has the potential to be created into a brand for future off-shoot. Travel insurance would be the first thing on my mind.
I think you got enough from the books. It’s time to apply them with some real world limitations and constraints. You were surprised that Turkey was third on the list of readership. You shouldn’t. Turkey has a very high quality education system and most young people speak English very well. Much better than most Indian high-tech workers in USA. They would be a force to be reckoned with in the not too distant future.
To me, a consultant is someone who helps people understands what actually the problem is; sees through the problem and offers a solution with acceptable risks and impacts. This is what they trying to test you through the case interviews.
Good luck with your job hunt. Will try to follow your pursuit.
Hi Considering,
ReplyDeletejust a simple question: did you look to absolute hit numbers or number of hits per internet connection in the country? This changes a lot the results. I would guess that with a population 5 times bigger in the US than in the UK, a number of internet connections per person roughly equal, and a 3 to 1 hit ratio, the UK is a bigger fan of your blog than you think. The same can of course be said for interstate comparison NY vs MA: about 3 to 1 in pop and 2.2 to 1 in hit ratio. and so on...
BR,
J.
Jack,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughtful post...I appreciate the comments.
J.-Thanks for the thought...I didn't take population density into account, as I just wanted to give a raw representation of what I was seeing. You are right, however, in order to draw the best conclusions, a more thorough analysis should be completed.
ReplyDelete