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Whether you’re targeting McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or Tier 2 / Big 4 strategy firms, your evaluation can start before interview invites even go out.

Many firms bring MBA candidates in for a group case or a 1-on-1 session first – the sessions are evaluative.

Maile Dyer, a former Bain manager and Chicago Booth MBA, went through one of these sessions as a first-year and later helped decide who got interviewed.

She joins the podcast to share how to prep for an evaluation that happens before the invite, and the mistakes she sees first-year MBAs make all the time.

Hit play to get the full plan. If you want help running it, check out the resources below.

Resources:

• Check the free consulting deadlines tracker – MBA internship dates for MBB, Big 4, and boutique firms in one place
• Practicing cases but can’t tell what an interviewer would catch? See how Black Belt coaching works – you get 1-on-1 coaching with an ex-MBB coach who finds your gap areas and helps you close them
• Not sure if MC support is right for you? Book 15 minutes with Katie – you’ll find out if Black Belt is the right fit

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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AI was supposed to kill junior consulting jobs. Then McKinsey, BCG, and Bain raised starting pay to $120,000 for pre-MBA hires and $200,000 for post-MBA hires.

So why would 3 firms lock in higher base pay for junior consulting jobs?

And is the raise as big as it looks? Namaan shares his take, plus what it means if you’re an undergrad, an MBA, or an experienced hire.

The pay data behind it comes from candidates who shared their offers – listen, then add yours below.

Resources:

2027 Consulting Salary Report

• Share my pay for the 2027 Consulting Salary Report – anonymous, and it helps the next class of candidates know what they’re worth
• Read the full MBB salary breakdown – base pay by firm and level, plus what the raise means for undergrad, MBA, and experienced-hire candidates

Free guides

• Read the complete case interview prep guide – how a case runs, the core frameworks, and a prep timeline for your candidate type
• Read the complete consulting resume guide – the 5 key sections, 10 tips, and examples
• Read the consulting networking guide – who to contact, outreach and follow-up email templates, and when to start

Work with the team

• Not sure what’s standing between you and an MBB offer? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1-on-1 with ex-MBB interviewers who find your gap areas and help you close them
• Not sure if MC support is right for you? Book 15 minutes with Katie – you’ll find out whether Black Belt is the right fit

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Ben van der Schaaf of Arthur D. Little and Stephane Budel of DeciBio land in the same place on AI – it makes everyone faster, but the experience to know which questions to ask is what clients still pay for.

Ben’s example: a colleague with 25 years in quality systems built a 17,000-line model over a weekend. Someone without those 25 years couldn’t have built it.

And that idea runs through the rest of the conversation: specialists are winning work against firms 50 times their size, clients want measurable outcomes over slide decks, and both partners explain what they look for in the people they hire.

It’s all from the research behind our 2027 ranking.

Resources:

• Read the 2027 Top Healthcare Consulting Firms ranking – see where Arthur D. Little and DeciBio placed, the full top 10, and who leads each segment
• Want your firm’s insights featured in MC’s next ranking, podcast, or research piece? Book time with Namaan
• Not sure what’s holding you back in consulting recruiting? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1-on-1 with an ex-MBB interviewer who finds your gap areas and helps you close them
• Browse open healthcare consulting roles on the MC Job Board

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Juliane Hoss spent 3 years at Bain, and she’s interviewed plenty of candidates since. In this live Bain case interview, she coaches Abhirav after every step.

The case: a UK healthcare consulting firm wants to double its revenue in 3 years. Abhirav, an engineer turned DJ turned finance student, solves it from clarifying questions to recommendation while Juliane coaches him.

But the moment that sticks isn’t a framework. Juliane says the question she and other interviewers keep coming back to is whether they’d want you on their team. She says that matters more than being impressive.

Juliane says if she hears the perfect answer 5 times a day, she can’t remember who you were at the end. So see how your own cases compare.

Resources:

• Doing the cases but can’t tell what’s holding you back? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1-on-1 with an MBB coach like Juliane who finds your gap areas and helps you close them
• Not sure if MC support is right for you? Book 15 minutes with Katie – you’ll find out if Black Belt is the right fit

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Mini case interviews are often the first test you face at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.

And if you’ve heard them called market sizing questions, you’ve already met the most common version.

But a mini case interview plays by different rules than a full case, and the interviewer isn’t going to guide you through it.

Namaan breaks down what to expect, how mini cases are scored, and how to finish one the right way.

Resources:

• Want to know how you’d handle a mini case under time pressure? Run timed mini case drills with MBB coaches in Black Belt – you get feedback on structure, math, and communication
• Not sure if MC support is right for you? Book 15 minutes with Katie – you’ll find out if Black Belt is the right fit

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Most case interview prep is written for US interviews. If you’re recruiting for a European office, you’ll walk into a different interview than the one you practiced.

Laura Ackerman worked at McKinsey and BCG and has coached European candidates for 4 years. She breaks down where US prep falls short in European consulting interviews: the case formats, the case topics, and how conversational the fit interview gets.

And she shares how one client with a diplomacy background landed a McKinsey London offer after 10 coaching sessions in 1 month.

Resources:

• Check my firm’s deadline in the free application tracker – dates vary by country and firm, and they’re all in one place
• Worried your prep won’t match what a European interviewer expects? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1-on-1 with a former MBB interviewer who finds your gap areas and helps you close them
• Not sure if MC support is right for you? Book 15 minutes with Katie – you’ll find out if Black Belt is the right fit.

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Bain interviews have different rules, and Abi Chen spent 6 years at the firm learning them from the inside.

As a former Bain manager and now an MC coach, she interviewed candidates and helped decide who got an invite. So she knows where strong candidates lose ground.

In this episode, she walks through 4 of those mistakes – and what to do instead so you can get your offer.

Resources:

• Practicing cases but can’t tell what’s holding you back? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1-on-1 with former MBB consultants who find your gap areas and help you close them
• Not sure Black Belt is the right fit? Book a free 15-minute consult with Katie – bring your questions and leave knowing if it matches your goals and timeline

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Almost every large consulting firm has a healthcare practice. Far fewer have a healthcare position.

In this episode of The Briefing, Namaan breaks down our 2027 healthcare consulting research.

The big finding is that healthcare consulting splits into two sides, care delivery and life sciences, and a firm that’s excellent at one is often absent from the other.

So the question for any practice leader is which side your firm has built a position on.

McKinsey, BCG, and Bain take the top three spots. See where every firm lands, and who leads each segment, in the full ranking.

Resources:

• See the free 2027 Top 10 Healthcare Consulting Firms ranking – 10 firms plus the segment map showing who leads each part of the market
• Want to compare notes on what you’re seeing in the market? Email our research team: research@managementconsulted.com
• Want your firm’s perspective in future rankings, research, and podcasts? Schedule a conversation with Namaan

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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"I need to start prepping for the online assessment now, because it's the hardest part of getting an interview."

Katie hears some version of this on her calls all the time, and it's easy to see why. The test can feel like a weird game you have no way to practice for, and it's the first thing standing between your application and an interview.

So in our first episode of Case Busters, Katie puts it to the test. Should you really be grinding practice tests months before you apply? And what actually happens if you bomb one?

Myth or fact? Hit play to find out.

Resources:

• Not sure what to work on first? Book 15 minutes with Katie – she'll help you map out what to prep and when
• Doing the prep but can't tell what's holding you back? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1:1 help from ex-MBB coaches on cases, networking and your resume, plus practice tests for each firm's online assessment

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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In most cases, your interviewer already knows how they'll score you by the time you reach the closing. But when it's a close one, the closing is the tiebreaker, and it can rescue your score.

Namaan breaks down the 3 parts of a closing that works: the recap, the recommendation, and the risks and next steps.

Practice it in every case, so the closing is ready to rescue your score when you need it.

Resources:

• Start my free Case Foundations course – it covers all 5 core components of a case, including a deeper look at the closing
• Doing the cases but can't tell what's holding you back? See how Black Belt coaching works – 1:1 with an ex-MBB interviewer who finds your gap areas and helps you close them

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Big 4 interviews are around the corner – and most candidates need 6–8 weeks of prep to be ready.

Mitali Jalan spent years at Deloitte and Bain, then coached 400+ candidates. She sees one gap sink strong applicants again and again: they practice 1-on-1 cases and never practice the other formats the Big 4 use.

Think group cases, written cases, presentations, and AI-assisted or Excel cases.

And behavioral prep matters just as much – at some firms, it carries equal weight to the case.

So if your interview is coming up, this episode shows you where to start.

Resources:

• Black Belt builds your prep plan around your gaps and your interview dates, with feedback from coaches who've sat on the interviewer side of the table
• Not sure how much time you have or whether Black Belt fits? Book 15 minutes with Katie and she'll tell you straight

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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80% of AI projects fail.

Only 10 to 20% of enterprise AI pilots reach production, and 2 firms break down why.

Ugo Philippart of Emerton Data calls his firm the fire squad companies phone after an AI project has failed. Damien Chan of Adastra says over 75% of its pilots make it.

Both measure performance from day 1. Most teams wait until a system is underperforming. That gap turns a pilot into a failed project.

And if you want a career in consulting, this is what the work looks like. 80% of Emerton Data's people pair technical depth with strategy skills, and Damien expects analyst work like slide building to look very different soon.

Useful context if AI consulting is on your shortlist.

Resources:

• See the 2027 top enterprise AI transformation consulting firms ranking
• Want your firm's insights featured in MC's next ranking, podcast, or research piece? Book time with Namaan
• Browse open AI consulting roles on the MC Job Board

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Midway through a practice case, one of George Cary's clients did the math and said 90,000 when he meant 900,000. George didn't care.

After 5 years and 100+ interviews at McKinsey, George will tell you the right answer is the bare minimum.

The offer comes from how you got there and what the answer means for the client.

In this episode, he walks through the 3 case math mistakes that cost strong candidates the offer, even with the math right. If case math is the part you dread, all 3 are fixable with the system George lays out.

Resources:

• If you struggle with mental math, Black Belt pairs you with an ex-MBB coach who drills it with you until it's automatic
• Not sure what you need? Book 15 minutes with Katie and she'll tell you straight
• Build the recap, structure, solve and insight habit on your own with Case Foundations, MC's free case prep course

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Divya spent 8 years at McKinsey. She sat down with Sanya, a senior at Penn, and ran a case with her, live.

Divya told her afterward it would've passed a McKinsey Round 1.

Listen to learn how Sanya did it – built her structure, worked the math, and landed on a recommendation.

Then Divya breaks down what worked and what she'd tighten up.

Resources:

• Bates White is hiring undergrad summer consultants for 2027 and economists for PhD candidates – apply here
• Want this type of feedback from an ex-McKinsey expert coach? Join the Black Belt program

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Over half the firms in our latest consulting industry survey said demand is outpacing their ability to hire and deliver. Healthcare, energy, PE – the same story across the board.

The bottleneck is capacity. Firms can't staff fast enough to keep up with the work already in their pipeline.

And that reshapes the picture for mid-market firms getting squeezed from both sides and the candidates those firms are fighting over.

We cover:

• Why buyers want the full economics of AI before they sign – and what firms need to prove upfront
• How the Accenture-Google Cloud tie-up is pressuring independents from above
• What demand actually looks like in energy, PE, and healthcare right now

Resources:

• The data behind this episode is in our latest Consulting Market Outlook – download it free here
• Hear how Sendero's CEO is positioning in this market – read the full interview
• Want your firm featured in future MC research? Let's connect – book a call
• If you're targeting a firm that's scaling right now, book 15 minutes with Katie to map your approach

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Applications for the Case Competition World Cup close this Sunday, September 13, at 11:59pm PT.

APPLY NOW

More information:

• Undergraduate Track, presented by Grant Thornton Stax
• Graduate Track, presented by Adobe

This is an opportunity to get in front of top employers, including Accenture, EY-Parthenon, KPMG, Kearney, Charles River Associates, OC&C Strategy Consultants, and more.

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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BCG is racing to hire forward deployed engineers – and the application window closes September 17.

This year's pay range for campus hires is $110,000 to $190,000, up from $110,000 to $160,000 last year. Same job, new title, $30,000 more at the top of the range.

Big Tech has cut entry-level hiring by more than half since 2019, opening a window for BCG to hire AI talent it usually couldn't afford. That window won't stay open forever.

But BCG isn't the only firm racing through it. McKinsey and Deloitte are already building similar teams.

Applications for both the AI engineer and AI scientist roles close September 17. If BCG's on your list, get moving.

Resources:

• BCG's actual postings, for the requirements: Forward Deployed AI Engineer and Forward Deployed AI Scientist – both close September 17
• The pay-band math and what it signals about BCG's business: read it on our site
• Every consulting firm's application deadlines
• BCG still filters on soft skills and executive presence as much as Python – Black Belt builds the interview skills the posting doesn't test

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Deloitte, PwC, IBM, and 4,500 other companies use Adobe Experience Cloud products.

And they can't find enough people who know how to implement them.

Nick Hilton, Tyler Tu, and Brian Au from Adobe's Customer Experience Certifications team named the Adobe jobs they're struggling to fill: MarTech analysts, implementation consultants, solution architects.

None of them require a technical degree – what they require is proof you can use the tools.

That's what Adobe is putting in front of graduate students this fall in the Case Competition World Cup Graduate Track.

The 50 teams selected get a sandbox Customer Journey Analytics environment and a real business problem to solve inside it, not documentation to read about. Plus a free Adobe certification voucher.

Free to enter. Applications close September 13.

Resources:

• Grad students, apply to the Case Competition World Cup – Graduate Track presented by Adobe by Sunday, September 13
• Start free with Adobe CX courses and certifications
• Students: Get 50% off your certification exam applied automatically at checkout (use your university email)

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Langston got callbacks from McKinsey and BCG. His first instinct: 10 hours a day of studying for three weeks straight, a fast route to burnout.

He'd applied to MBB once before and gotten nothing. But this time, two interviews landed in his inbox.

Katie walked him off the cramming ledge and built a plan around the time he actually had. Three weeks is enough – if you spend it right.

Resources:

• If your interview is in 3 weeks (or 3 days), Black Belt builds your plan around the time you have left – the September cohort closes September 9

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more

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Paul Edwards has led more than 1,000 private equity deals. AI took the grunt work, and now Stax consultants are getting promoted faster.

He leads the PE practice at Grant Thornton Stax. Inside the firm, that's 3 to 4 more projects a year for every consultant.

But the one thing AI still can't do, he says, is teach curiosity. You either bring it or you don't.

That's the exact bar Stax is judging this fall in the Case Competition World Cup Undergraduate Track – free to enter, teams of 4 to 5.

So if curiosity is what gets you hired, this is where you prove it. Applications close September 13.

Resources:

• Apply to the Case Competition World Cup – Undergraduate Track, sponsored by Grant Thornton Stax. Applications close September 13.
• Careers at Grant Thornton Stax.

Connect With Management Consulted

• Create a free MC account or download the MC app (Apple, Android) to start your prep today
• Schedule a free 15min consultation with the MC Team
• Watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
• Join an upcoming live event – case interviews demos, expert panels, and more