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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

Send us Fan Mail

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