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McKinsey Consultant Rashi Kakkar reveals why "human skills" matter more than technical expertise in consulting. She shares her unique journey and the networking conversation that changed everything, breaks down the real interview process, and explains how consulting builds a high "metabolic rate" that accelerates your entire career. Essential insights for any business school student considering consulting.

** The opinions expressed by Rashi are her views and do not reflect the views of any organization mentioned in the show.


CHAPTERS

00:00 - Intro & Rashi's Background
02:38 - What Drew Her to Consulting
05:25 - What Consultants Actually Do
08:58 - The Biggest Surprise About Consulting
11:39 - Why You Need Broad Skills (T-Shaped Career)
14:05 - The "Metabolic Rate" Advantage
19:45 - Why Ex-Consultants Succeed Everywhere
26:16 - Work/Life Balance Strategy
30:03 - Staffing & Project Selection
34:20 - What Makes a Stellar Resume
41:33 - Getting the Interview (Resume & Networking)
43:21 - Rashi's Networking Success Story
49:10 - Why McKinsey Doesn't Ask "Why Consulting?"
52:10 - The Interview Process Breakdown
55:10 - Case Interview Prep & Strategy
1:01:21 - The Secret to Standing Out in Interviews
1:09:37 - Career Takeaways & Final Advice

🎤 Podcast Recommendations:
Reed Hoffman's "Blitzscaling" podcast (business building focus)
Freakonomics podcast
McKinsey podcast
Deloitte podcast
General business/tech news podcasts

📚 Book Recommendations:
Never Enough by Jennifer Wallace
The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff

To reach Rashi Kakkar: Threads| Twitter(X) | Newsletter | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Podcast  

To see all the Career Starter Program book recommendations, click here: https://a.co/dAb1jZf

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To see all the Career Starter Program Book recommendations, click here: