Gorgasali wrote:
Case In Point (Cosentino) anyone?
I am starting this fall and looking at consulting as a career path. Does this book provide a good overview of the process and an introduction to case interviews? Or is it something that would be a better tool once I am in classes?
(I didn't see it mentioned previously in the thread; forgive me if I missed it)
I think Case in Point is actually a great summer read prior to beginning of classes for a couple of reasons. First is the busy workload you're going to get from school will sort of prevent you from reading Case in Point. Second is simply getting all the company briefings, career services, your town, evening receptions, and everything outside of classroom situated will take a long time. Third, you can probably read that book a couple of times - once during summer and one more as you finish getting acclimated. Obviously, this is my opinion - some folks may think it's a waste of time to do it this way, but I found it to be useful (I'm no longer going into consulting, but as I went through the process I found it helpful)
As for the book, it's a great introduction to consulting and the interview process. It presents itself, I think, 12 readily available frameworks (albeit very very generic) and is a great starting point for those who are interested in this field. I'd say this is definitely a must read for those who haven't been through the consulting industry or interview. And no, I don't believe the content of the book will really help you in your classes. The book is truly geared just for those who are prepping for consulting interviews. Lastly, I really don't think the book itself will get you into a consulting firm, but it's the tens of practice cases you'll do that'll help you prep. Treat the book as things you learn in the classroom; treat case practices as real stuff. So the trick is turning theorems into practicums!