CV Skills for PhDs – Management ConsultingCambridge Careers Service

9 October, 2008

1

Agenda

Introduction

How to write a CV and cover letter

• PhD skills

• CVs

• Cover letters

The interview process

Questions and wrap-up

10 mins

30 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

10 mins

10 mins

2

Introductions – who we areTwo former PhD students

Karthik Tadinada

Junior consultant with BCG

Joined as a junior consultant in March 2008

Has worked in energy, private equity, and

healthcare sectors

Prior to BCG

• PhD and postdoc in structural biology,

Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge

• Bachelor of science in chemistry, Vanderbilt

University

Frank Breitling

Consultant with BCG

Joined as a junior consultant in March 2006

Has mainly worked in the healthcare,

consumer goods & retail, and private equity

sectors

Prior to BCG

• PhD in chemistry, Imperial College London

• Undergraduate studies in chemistry and

business administration in Aachen and

Hanover

• Internships at IBM, Bayer, BASF

3

Who are you?

How many of you are doing PhDs?

What fields do you work in?

What areas do you want to work in?

Who has started applying for jobs?

Has anyone got interviews yet?

How many of you brought your CV?

4

So is there life after a PhD?There are many future career options

Education

48%

• Teaching (Uni. & school)

• Research

• Administration

Manufacturing

16%

• Pharmaceutical firms

• Chemical companies

• Engineering firms

Health & Social Work

16%

• Hospitals

• Medical research

• Social work

Finance, business & IT

9%

• Commercial & industry

managers

• IT professionals

• Finance professionals

• Marketing, sales, media &

advertising occupations

• Consulting

Public Administration

6%

• Civil service

• Lawyers

• Central & local government

Other

6%

• Armed forces

• Journalists

• Charity work

• Clerical & secretarial

occupations

• Other

Source: UK Grad Programme

Backup

5

Applying for jobs is a structured process

Choose a fieldSegment

the field

Select target

employers

Research

your targets

Work out

what they

look for

Tailor your

application

Academia, industry,

business etc

Decide what you

like about your

chosen fields

What sort of work

do potential

employers do?

Where are

they based?

How big are they?

Who do

they employ?

How much do

they pay?

Which segments

are most attractive

and realistic

for you?

Do some

employers have a

good or bad

reputation?

What work do they

do, what

distinguishes them

from other firms?

What is the

culture like?

What sort of

people do they

tend to employ

What education,

training, and

personal qualities

does the

employer want?

Use multiple

sources

Look for subtle

differences

between

companies in the

same industry

Your CV and cover

letter should reflect

all you know about

what the employer

does and what

they look for

Your qualities and

achievements

should match what

the employer

looks for

6

Your CV should be tailored

Academia

Rely heavily on

academic credentials

• Details of PhD work

• Supervisor

• Examiners

• Details of publications

• Conference attendance

• Teaching experience

Extracurricular activities only to

round the picture

Industry

Understand what the company

is looking for

Tailor your CV: Being one of the

'best and brightest' is usually

not enough

Highlight relevant

technical skills

Include evidence of project

management skills

Extracurricular activities are

important for interview

Consulting

Provide evidence of

'academic excellence'

• Focus on few key

achievements

Demonstrate drive and

achievement in at least one

area not related to your studies

Focus on quality not quantity

Guidelines for fellowshipsCompany website and

job advertisementCV skills workshop

7

What does BCG look for?Interview assessment criteria

Analytical skills

Strong logic and problem solving

• Fact oriented analysis

• Structured thinking

Numeracy

Ability to prioritise

Interpersonal skills

Communication and listening skills

Team working skills

Leadership

Maturity

Creativity

Ability to generate hypotheses

Ability to deal with ambiguity

• Make assumptions, see patterns and generalise

Ability to synthesise and see the big picture

Interest and drive

Excited about business

Not intimidated by process or problems

Demonstrate initiative and energy

Fun to work with

Not looking for prior industry knowledge

Backup

8

Agenda

Introduction

How to write a CV and cover letter

• PhD skills

• CVs

• Cover letters

The interview process

Questions and wrap-up

10 mins

30 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

10 mins

10 mins

9

What specific skills can PhDs offer?

PhDs bring a range of qualities to consulting

• High level of academic ability and intellectual curiosity

• Problem solving and analytical skills

• Organised and disciplined approach

• Bringing new insights into a field (original thinking)

• Mature and self-motivated

• Written and oral communication skills

Based on the opportunities and experiences a PhD offers

• Working independently to solve a problem

• Using a range of approaches and skills (often self-taught)

• Teaching undergrads

• Organising meetings, conferences etc ...

• Proposal and grant applications

It is important to emphasise these points in your application

• You should come across stronger than undergraduates

• You may be up against people with business experience or qualifications

10

So what skills do we look for?

Research

• Deciding on the next experiment

• Writing a research paper

• Convincing your peers / supervisor

• Giving presentations / seminars

• Working in teams / collaborations

• Teaching / supervision

• Breadth of experience, age

• Designing a new experiment

• Pursuing a new experiment

• Writing up your findings in your

thesis, paper, seminar...

• Pursuing a research project for

three years...

Problem solving

Communication

Creativity

Interest and drive

Strategy Consulting

• Ability to prioritise

• Strong logic & analytical skills

– Structured and fact based

• Numeracy

• Interpersonal & listening skills

• Team working skills

• Leadership

• Maturity

• Ability to generate hypotheses

• Ability to deal with ambiguity

• Ability to synthesise &

see the big picture

• Not intimidated by problems

• Initiative & energy

• Broad interest, steep learning curve

Not looking for prior industry knowledge

11

Agenda

Introduction

How to write a CV and cover letter

• PhD skills

• CVs

• Cover letters

The interview process

Questions and wrap-up

10 mins

30 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

10 mins

10 mins

12

Highlighting these skills in your CV is crucialStrong academic achievement is vital

We look for two things in your CV:

1. Evidence of strong academic achievement

2. Drive, commitment, initiative and achievement in non-academic activities

1. Make sure your CV very clearly explains your academic record

• Include your A-level, Undergraduate and any Post-graduate results

– Writing just “BSc from Oxford University” looks like you got a third

• Include papers, conferences, book chapters and other publications – but be sure to explain their

significance

– “Published a high-impact paper in 2nd year of my PhD

Published a first-author paper in Physics Review Letters, the highest impact-factor journal in the

field”

– “Presented my work at a major international conference

Selected from 50 applicants as one of 10 speakers for an international conference. Presented my

work to an audience of 200”

• Describe your awards and scholarships

– “ARC PHD Studentship

Awarded an Arts council scholarship worth £15,000 p.a. for 3 years. 500 awarded from 3000

applicants”

13

Your CV will determine if you get an interview or notWith non-academic achievements valued as highly as academic abilities

2. Show that you have achieved outside your formal study

• This is not an academic job, so don’t leave out your non-academic activities

• Think carefully about what are your most impressive achievements

– Better to have a smaller number of clearly explained, convincing activities, than a laundry list of club

memberships

– “Elected president of a university society eg, ballroom dancing

200 peers elected me from a field of 4 to manage 10 events per year and a budget of £20,000.

Designed and negotiated a new room allocation system for graduate students”

– “Organised a conference in my field for 120 delegates

Secured £10,000 funding from the university and the Arts Research Council, designed a speaking

program for 12 invited speakers, ran successful publicity program (220 applicants for 120

spaces), and organised logistics for a 3 day residential event”

Format, format, format: don’t make reading your CV hard work

14

Academic excellence isn't just about university and gradesShow that you can communicate effectively with non-specialists

Details of

your PhD

• What is the topic? Can you explain it laymen's terms?

• Why do you think it is important?

• Which achievements are you most proud of?

Scholarships• Did you receive a scholarship?

• How competitive was the application?

Publications• Have you published in peer-reviewed journals?

• Have you been first author on a peer-reviewed article?

Presentations

at conferences

• Have you presented at a national or international conference?

• Were you invited to speak?

• How big was the audience?

Prizes and

awards

• Have you won any awards from your department or university?

• Have you won a prize for a conference poster?

• How many entrants were there?

15

Non-academic activities highlight personal qualitiesGreat for examples of teamwork, communication skills and personal traits

University• Did you play a leading role in a university/college committee?

• Which impact did you have with your committee work?

• Did you organise a major event? How big was it?

Sports• Are you engaged in any sports at competitive level?

• Are you taking a leading role in your sports club?

• What are you doing differently to previous leaders?

Arts• Are you playing an instrument? At which level?

• Are you selling your paintings? What do they cost?

• Published a book? How many copies were sold?

Charity• Have you organised a major fundraising event?

• How much money did you raise?

• How many people did you involve?

Work experience• Who have you worked for?

• What was your task?

• What did you achieve that you are most proud of?

Other ... • Other areas of life where you have had impact ...

16

An exercise

Imagine you are applying to BCG

Think about how you would write a two-line CV entry to describe

• Your most impressive academic achievement

• One of your non-academic roles or activities

• The subject of your research

2

3

1

17

Agenda

Introduction

How to write a CV and cover letter

• PhD skills

• CVs

• Cover letters

The interview process

Questions and wrap-up

10 mins

30 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

10 mins

10 mins

18

What to think about when writing a cover letter

Your cover letter has to pass a very basic hygiene test

• Spelling and grammar have to be correct

• Facts should be correct, eg,

– Which company are you applying to?

– Which position are you applying for?

How long should my cover letter be?

• One page Ideal, two ok, more not good

• Most job applications get looked at in a limited amount of time

Use the opportunity to highlight your strengths and motivation

• Great place to emphasise rounded set of skills, but

• Be structured and concise

Sometimes cover letters will get only superficial attention

• Make sure all important facts are in your CV

If you are worried about showing your cover letter to your

friends because it makes you cringe — write it again!

19

Agenda

Introduction

How to write a CV and cover letter

• PhD skills

• CVs

• Cover letters

The interview process

Questions and wrap-up

10 mins

30 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

10 mins

10 mins

20

Getting an interview is only a start to getting the jobExamples of BCG and other firm selection tasks

Numeracy test

General interview

Short case study

Phone interview

General interviews

Case studies

Group exercise

Panel interviews

A typical BCG interview

15 min: Introduction and general interview

25 min: Case study

5 min: Candidate questions

First round Final Round

21

Interview process typically includes a case study interview

Maths and reasoning tests

What to expect:

• Multiple choice / short answer tests

• Looking for basic numeracy, logic and verbal

reasoning – often under time-pressure

How to prepare:

• SAT tests, GMAT tests, Civil Service Fast

Stream exams

CV questions

Case studies Group exercises

What to expect:

• Discussion of what you put in (and left out of)

your CV

• Questions on your motivation for and

commitment to a career change

How to prepare:

• Practice with friends or the career service

What to expect:

• A case study to be solved as a group

• Often with challenges and questions from a

‘client’ or ‘manager’

How to prepare:

• Be comfortable with case studies

• Consider how you want to come across

• Treat work-related meetings as though you

are being assessed

What to expect:

• One-on-one discussion of a real-life business

question

• Often requiring some on-the-spot mental

arithmetic

How to prepare:

• Case study examples online or in books

• Videos in career service, or from firms

• Practice with a friend

22

Focus on conveying the qualities we are looking for

Numeracy tests

• Consulting requires you to be numerate, NOT a mathematician

• You should be comfortable performing simple operations with pen and paper

– eg, 5%, adding/multiplying by 100, 1,000, 1,000,000

• Practice can improve your performance considerably (GMAT tests, Fast Stream tests etc)

Group exercises

• Designed to gauge how you interact with other people

• Are you capable of

– Courtesy

– Persuasion

– Compromise

• Looking for your capacity to work with others, not individual problem-solving skills

Backup

23

Some companies set group tasks/discussionsThese are primarily a test of behaviour

This is not like a case study interview:

the emphasis is on behaviour, not content.

How you behave in the group ...

You may be asked to participate in a group

exercise or discussion

• At BCG you are given 30 minutes to read

some material and then take part in an

assessed group discussion

You may or may not choose to take on a

specific role

• eg, Summariser, chairman, timekeeper

They key is not to stand out for the wrong reasons

• Don't dominate the discussion

• Don't be overly competitive or serious

... should demonstrate the qualities

being assessed

Engaging personality

Good listener

Respects others

Sense of humour

Fun to work with

Self confident

Doesn't waste time

Professional manner

Backup

24

Background questions allow the interviewer to engage with

you and test your communication skills

Your interviewer will want to know

• Why do you want to leave academia/research?

• Do you match the person they expected from reading your CV?

• Are you genuinely interested in and informed about the job you are applying for?

• Can you communicate clearly and confidently?

• Would you be credible and persuasive in front of a client?

• Will they enjoy working with you?

• Can you work with others or in the job environment?

• Remember first impressions count!

Interpersonal skills are as important as analytical ability in consulting

• Communication, tact (client management)

• Character (drive, confidence, ability to handle stress)

• Team work

Practice being interviewed by friends, family or career advisors

Be prepared to talk confidently about every entry on your CV

This part of the interview is no less

important than the others!

25

Prepare for the obvious questions

Remember — your interviewer has done this before, so think carefully and honestly

about these questions rather than trying to rote-learn an answer.

Background and CV

Generic

• Give me an example of a time you

showed leadership?

• What interests you about consulting?

Specific

• What did you do as Assistant Secretary of the

Athletics Club?

• What did you learn in this role that you can

use as a consultant?

Degree specific questions

Why did you choose your degree?

What do you think the day-to-day role of a

consultant is?

What difficulties do you expect moving from

research to consulting?

What did you do in your PhD?

What skills did your degree give you? and how

could these be applied to consultancy?

26

Candidate questions offer you the chance to find out more

The last part of the interview turns the tables

• You ask the questions

• But you are still being interviewed!

You may end up spending years of your life at the company in question

• It is not credible to have only one or two superficial questions

• You should have a range of questions covering different topics

– Clients and industry specialties

– Working culture (days out of the office, hierarchy, career development)

– Training and bonding activities

– Business prospects (growth, market position, outlook)

– Opportunities to travel/work abroad

– Pick up on articles you have read about the firm

– ... the list is endless (so the interview should not finish early!)

Questions should be appropriate to the interviewer

27

Agenda

Introduction

How to write a CV and cover letter

• PhD skills

• CVs

• Cover letters

The interview process

Questions and wrap-up

10 mins

30 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

• 10 mins

10 mins

10 mins

28

Questions and wrap up

Have we answered these questions today

What are selectors looking for?

What kinds of problems do they pose?

What would be an effective way to answer?

Should you take notes?

What if you ask for more information?

What basic information could you be expected to

have at your fingertips?

What if you don't have any business experience?

What can you do to practice and improve

your technique?

Applying to BCG

How to Apply

Complete the online form at www.bcg.com

Important Dates

• Cambridge PhD Presentation 14th October

• Cambridge Careers Fair 16th October

• Cambridge Presentation 21st October

• CV Deadline 7th November