Table Of Contents

Table Of Contents 1

About The Publisher 3

About The Author 5

Building Contacts At Schools Without Networking Events 6

6 Keys To Getting Noticed (The Right Way) At Networking Events 8

How To Successfully Network In The United States And India 11

How Social Networking And E-Recruiting Can Get You Hired 14

Q&A: How Do You Network With Indian Consultants? 17

How To Tap Into Personal Networks To Secure Consulting Internships 18

Like What You're Reading? Spread The Word! 20

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 Copyright 2010-Present. Hyperink Inc.

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 About The Publisher
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 About The Author
Jaineel Aga is a management consultant at The Parthenon
Group, a boutique strategy consulting firm headquartered in
Boston. Over nearly 2 years of consulting experience, Jaineel has
done strategy projects in various geographies spanning across
Australasia and Middle East.
He is a key member of the recruitment team at The Parthenon
Group.
He graduated from Duke University ( in conjunction with the
Fuqua School of Business) with a Master s of Engineering
Management and holds an undergraduate degree in Electronics
Engineering from DJ Sanghvi College of Engineering, University
of Mumbai. He has previously interned in various industries
ranging from Ernst & Young (Consulting), Ujjivan (Microfinance)
and World resources Institute (Green Strategy).
Follow @Consulting101 for more exclusive updates and free
content!

Building Contacts At Schools Without

www.indianconsulting.org. 5
 Building Contacts At Schools Without
Networking Events
For an Indian user without exposure to networking events on campus, the best way to make
contact is to use social media. Take Facebook and LinkedIn as examples. LinkedIn itself has at
least 3 or 4 sites or groups dedicated to consulting, whether theyre groups dedicated to
McKinsey or Bain or BCG, or how to get into consulting, or consulting networks. When you
have access to great social media, make full use of it by joining these groups. Invest a little
money in getting the type of account where you can reach out directly to someone at
Parthenon or BCG or Bain.

You should request time for a networking session. Dont explicitly say networking
session, but rather you ask for 10 minutes of his or her time to show an interest in a
particular company.

Nobody in consulting, no matter how busy he or she is, will ever refuse you communication
by email or over the phone if its a genuine request to understand more about the company or
the people there. Every consultant in the company has come up through the same channels,
and they know exactly how the system works.

I normally network with and talk to at least 5 or 6 students a month, whether its by phone or
email. In a way ,its returning the favor that someone along the way did for me. Its an
extremely common mindset among consultants, and students in India as well as in the United
States shouldnt be shy about leveraging that. However, having said that, what works really
well is networking through your own channels and contacts. Instead of cold calling someone,
reach out through a common friend or common channel. A tool like LinkedIn is a great way
to figure out what sort of connection you might have to these people.

You might be connected through a brother or a professor, or many other channels which could
actually lead you to a person at a consulting firm. Request that your common contact get you
10 minutes with them to talk. While my major Parthenon networking event was on-campus, I
must emphasize that I had networked rigorously, aggressively, throughout the time I was at
the Duke program.

www.indianconsulting.org. 6
 For example, I have two cousins in the U.S., one of whom went to Columbia undergrad and
Yale MBA and has a lot of friends who are consultants or ex-consultants. Youd be surprised by
the number of meetings I created through that one contact. I had a chance to speak to an engagement
manager at McKinsey, a partner at Navigant, a partner at Deloitte, a partner at ENY, through
one effective person.

If youre aware of the kind of people your friends, your family, and your circle knows, theres
a high possibility that youll y know someone at one of these firms through a common link.
Again, you have to be intelligent in figuring out who the most effective person would be in
reaching out to these contacts. For example, I reached out to my cousin, whos currently a
strategy consultant at Deloitte, but had previously worked at consulting firms like Bearing
Point and Price Waterhouse Coopers. If I had to apply for a finance job in the future, I would
talk to my other cousin, who works in Manhattan. Make sure that youre reaching out to the
most effective and right people while networking.

www.indianconsulting.org. 7
 6 Keys To Getting Noticed (The Right
Way) At Networking Events
Information sessions are common on U.S. campuses, and theyre a great way to learn about
the company; however, the most important part of the information session is networking with
the consultants, which normally follows the information session. During the networking
session, we break into small groups where several Parthenon consultants are spread across
the room. You can reach out to them in groups of 5 or so to network and ask specific questions
that were not covered during the information session.

Here are the 6 keys to getting positive attention at networking events:

#1. Dont come across as an extreme extrovert or introvert.

In general, you shouldnt come across either as extremely loud or, on the other end, extremely
shy and introverted. You should come across as intellectually curious, and interest them in
your story. Theres a way of talking about your achievements and experiences. Dont go up to
the consultants and start talking of all your amazing achievementsyou should be able to spin
this through a conversation that ideally starts with a question.

#2. Ask other people a little bit about themselves.

Ask about their background in consulting. If the consultant happens to be an alum from your
school or your program, take tips on what types of courses helped most in consulting. While
they answer these questions, you can certainly talk about your experiences if they suit the
context. If it was genuinely an interesting experience, youll see that reaction in the face of the
person youre networking with. Itll score you a point, because now youve brought out your
well received story; this has already put you ahead of your competition.

#3. Do your research.

Research the company youre going to network with. Occasionally, people end up at
information sessions having no clue what the company does or which industry it specializes
in, which are easily available on the company website! Above average preparation requires

www.indianconsulting.org. 8
 only twenty minutes of research beforehand.

#4. Devote time to internet searches.

Id like to share a strategy I adopted that I found immensely effective. Every time I had a
networking information session, Id do several things. First, Id devote at least half an hour
before the information session to browsing through the website. Second, Id take
subscriptions to paid and unpaid services that talk about the inside scoop of these companies.
Before my networking session at Parthenon,a boutique firm with only about 200 people across
the world, I did a ton of research because it was my top choice.

I went onto Vault Guide and looked at some of the most high profile cases that Parthenon had
worked on. Interestingly, Parthenon was involved in the merger strategy of 2 big companies in
the technology space back in 2002. I read that Parthenon had advised them not to do this
merger, but the company ended up doing it anyway. During the event I networked with a
partner and brought up this case, because I was curious how Parthenon reflected back on this
deal 6 or 7 years later. Consultants love giving you their insights.

#5. Ask an enthusiastic question, and you will get an equally enthusiastic
response.

Continuing with the Parthenon example, the partner who was on campus had been involved
in that same merger case. There was palpable excitement in his voice when he heard this
question, even though it was a tough question for him to answer because the client had gone
against his advice. I knew that I had scored a point because I had made the effort to do some
research that wasnt available to the general media. He gave me a very satisfactory answer,
and told me about some of the problems that they assumed that the company would face that
they are in fact facing today. It was an interesting and intellectual discussion, and I knew that I
had already left an impression on that partner.

#6. Take the extra step to know your audience.

People like if you show genuine interest in their company beyond Googling it or just
figuring out what they do. So what if you know that McKinsey does consulting and you want
to do consulting? When I applied to BCG, I knew the presenter was a champion in change
management, and simply reading up about some of their work and some of their viewpoints,
structuring your questions around these topics helped them keep you in mind. The point of

www.indianconsulting.org. 9
 networking is so that when they leave the hall they have 5 or 6 in their heads of people they want to.
You should aim to be one of them.

How Proper Networking Gives You Job Opportunities

The impression you leave on your recruiter is up to you, but these are some of the most
effective tools in getting your name out there. During my networking event, I had quite a few
great discussions with Parthenon associates and principles. On the last day of my resume
deadline, I was approached by one of the consultants who contacted me and asked me why I
hadnt submitted my resume yet!

This means that they had already shortlisted my resume in their head, and asked me why I
hadnt turned it in yet. I told them that I had thirteen hours left and wanted to do a thorough
quality check to make sure that I hadnt made any stupid mistakes.

Given that theyd never seen my resume, that networking session was a big step toward that
coveted interview call!

www.indianconsulting.org. 10
 How To Successfully Network In The
United States And India
Most business schools of the world will emphasize the value and power of networking.

The first day of orientation, we were repeatedly told that networking was the key to landing a
job. To be visible to any recruiter, you need to spend considerable time talking to them,
understanding the company, and understanding the companys fit for you. While youre
networking with them, they are evaluating you in their head, with a checklist of internal
questions Does this person have a personality?, Does she have good communications skills?, Can I put
her in front of a client?

Lets understand what networking means. Networking doesnt mean going up to a person
and asking for a job. Networking doesnt mean asking a question for the sake of it, asking
about something that could be found by doing a quick Google search.

Networking is twofold: its partly your way of understanding if you fit in the company. Your fit in
the company depends on what you want to get out of the job. Are there any specific questions
that may be a deal breaker? For example, the issue of H1-B visa sponsorship, which allows
United States employers to hire foreign workers, is a deal breaker for most international
students on US campuses. This is something you want to clear up front.

Here are some common questions potential applicants have asked me during networking
sessions:

Is it easy to move across offices?

Is this a company which has an up or out structure?
Does the company need an MBA to climb up the ladder?
Whats the partner to consultant ratio?
What kind of mentor programs exist?
Will the company sponsor my MBA?

The second half of networking is to be able to pitch yourself as a strong candidate for an interview.
Have an elevator pitch ready for those 2 or 3 minutes that you have with the recruiter. This is
your chance to make an impression and wow the consultant. Maintain a mature yet

www.indianconsulting.org. 11
 interesting conversation without sounding like a braggart. Theyre looking for driven people
who have excelled but they also want to hire people they can work and hang out with at a bar
after work, so make sure that youre able to sell yourself well through a well structured
elevator pitch; check the arrogance at home.

Networking events happen round the year on most campuses abroad and are also
now becoming increasingly popular on Indian campuses.

So how does a networking event work?

Lets say Parthenon is hosting an information session on your campus. Most consulting firms
have long-term relationships with certain campuses and internally dedicate a team to each
campus. For example, we have a LSE team, an IIT Delhi team and a NUS team. Each team is
responsible for recruiting at its respective campus. A team comprising of associates,
principals, and a partner or senior principal will be present at recruiting events (the guys at
the Indian School of Business (ISB) this year even got a chance to meet the Parthenon Vice
Chairman at the ISB Parthenon networking event)

Hyperink Note: The Parthenon Group is a management consulting firm with offices in Boston and
Mumbai. Consulting firms often recruit from campuses like LSE (London School of Economics), IIT Delhi
(Indian Institute of Technology Delhi) and NUS (National University of Singapore). Calendar events
time and location are listed under MBA or Undergraduate careers of consulting firms websites. Take
advantage of these online networking resources.

Typically, a huge seminar hall booked for the event for 2-3 hours. Theres usually a 30 45 minute
presentation about the company while brochures and company memorabilia are handed out.
The partner sells the company/office and tells you about the exciting opportunities that this
job will expose you to. This is your chance to take notes and get the inside scoop on the
company. In my experience, talking to 3-4 consultants and keenly listening to the presentation
is good enough to form a first impression about the companys culture. When I met people at
Parthenon on Duke campus, I knew it was the company I wanted to work for. Generally, a
round of questions follows the presentation. Make sure you have some smart, insightful
questions ready for the company. After the general Q/A round, the room breaks up into
smaller groups for more personal interaction with the consultants.

During the smaller group breakdown, take these 4 steps. Introduce yourself with your full
name, prepare and ask insightful questions, stay for a maximum of 10 minutes, and leave by
shaking the consultants hand and asking for a business card. Sample questions include asking

www.indianconsulting.org. 12
 about their background, reasons for why they joined the firm, and projects that they have
worked on.

www.indianconsulting.org. 13
 How Social Networking And E-
Recruiting Can Get You Hired
Theres always something happening on campus; theres always something going on in
terms of clubs or sororities or frat houses. Make sure that you have your ears glued to the
right sources. Every U.S. university has an e-recruiting website. Its almost a given that every
university here has a recruiting website. Its the job portal that becomes really active during
the job recruiting season. The problem, though, is that most people log on to the e-recruiting
website only during the job season.

Instead, I had an RSS feed, that sent new updates from the e-recruiting system from the first
day I landed on campus. This served 2 purposes: A) to know what kind of campus
opportunities would be available to me, and B) to always be on the lookout for opportunities which
had nothing to do with a full time job and nothing to do with internships, but provided an opportunity to
actually build a resume. In fact, thats how an American Red Cross volunteer position I held came
about; I found out about it only because it was posted on e-recruiting. That is where a lot of
other people applied as well during the job phase. Some people only look at it when they
know the consulting companies are coming, when the finance companies are coming, but I
looked all the time, and thats how I got that position.

In an Indian context, its slightly difficult when looking at the tier 2 colleges. My
undergraduate college, even though it was one of the top private colleges, didnt really have
an e-portal to manage jobs and placements; it was more on an ad-hoc basis. When a job
opportunity came through, we would be told through a common job board, where a piece of
paper or a document stuck on the board would provide details of the job profile.

This is one of the challenges, especially for Indian students: you have to dig outside of the
university network. These kinds of opportunities may be difficult to come by on their own.
You have to take the initiative of networking with companies that dont typically come to
campus. Where can an Indian student find such opportunities? Weve already discussed the
power of networking, but today there are various web portals like LinkedIn that have various
job postings available directly applicable to undergraduate students. Try to work for a startup
or hold an unpaid internship if you have to so that you can gain solid experience and build
your resume.

www.indianconsulting.org. 14
 While I was in engineering in Mumbai, a start-up based out of the entrepreneurship cell at IIT
Bombay came to recruit for seniors to work on a patent outsourcing start-up. At least 3 of my
classmates lapped up this opportunity and used this experience to sell their resume. One of
them is in California with Microsoft, one is with Apple in the U.S. and the third one chose to
work full time with the company today.

I leveraged the e-recruiting website at Duke during a lean phase, in the middle of the spring
semester when activity on the portal had significantly reduced following the core recruiting
season. The key is to always be on a lookout for opportunities that are aligned with your
goals.

To set the record straight, a few of my classmates who had also understood the importance of
building their resume on the way and here is an example of a success story from a classmate.
Every year Stanford holds a big entrepreneurship meeting (I think it goes on for a couple of
days, probably a week) where business ideas from students across campuses are presented.
First, you present your idea internally to your college, then 1 or 2 are selected to fly to
California and interact with venture capitalists and professors.

This was another thing that I applied for, but given that I really had no data to back up my
entrepreneurial spirit, my application wasnt approved; however, one of my colleagues in the
same program did get selected for this program, and that was something he ended up putting
on his resume as well. He had been part of a small start-up company back in Hyderabad, and
he leveraged that, even though it was a tiny company, conceived straight out of
undergraduate school. He leveraged his story to get shortlisted to go to Stanford and be a
part of the entrepreneurship summit. Plus one on the resume for him!

There are plenty of opportunities available on every campus, but you have to dig for them.
There are at least 5 start-up competitions at various points throughout the year where you
could present a business plan. There are at least 5 or 6 clubs doing interesting things. For
instance, at Duke there is a club known as the Smart Home, where they build a house thats
100% sustainable, where everything will be built and powered using renewable energy, and
any and everything out there is completely eco-friendly. Thats a very interesting project they
are working on, a great bullet point on your resume and a great story to talk about during
your consulting interviews. One of my friends who worked on the Smart Home project is
today an analyst with Blackrock in New York.

Anything that you do that differentiates you and shows that you have drive outside of the

www.indianconsulting.org. 15
 classroom should go on your consulting resume, because it shows the consultants that you are
intellectually curious and have the drive to push beyond the minimum requirements of the
program.

www.indianconsulting.org. 16
 Q&A: How Do You Network With Indian
Consultants?
Q: What is the right way to ask your friend to introduce you to his consultant contact, and,
from there, how do you get him to forward your resume internally to consulting recruiters
and/or partners?

A: The right way is always to first set up a meeting, to first meet in a social backdrop and say,

I graduated with a degree in X and am interested in moving into

consulting. I understand that you recruit on-campus to move into a
consulting domain and would like to know what the typical life, role
and responsibilities of a junior analyst are. I would love to to sit and
talk.

Once you set up this communication, you have a certain amount of rapport going with this
third person, who you can meet in the presence of your contact depending on how close you
are, once that is done, in my experience, 99% of the time once you have indicated your interest
and youve had a good conversation, they will be more than happy to forward your resume.

Click here for more info about networking in consulting!

www.indianconsulting.org. 17
 How To Tap Into Personal Networks To
Secure Consulting Internships
Securing an Internship

My first ever internship was with Ernst & Young in their consulting division. The internship
was crucial both in terms of getting into the Duke MEM degree and making my profile more
consulting friendly when applying for consulting jobs.

Consulting firms like any internship experience that reflects your desire to go into
consulting. The consulting internship experience on your resume shows that you are smart
and analytical.

I identified the consulting firms in India who would want a student not from a top
engineering college, but one comes from a reputable college, has had a great education and
speaks knowledgeably. I knew that I had the ability (and confidence) to be successful.

To get my resume to the firm, I figured out where these firms went to recruit for the junior
analyst level. Junior analysts are typically recruited at commerce and arts colleges.

Finding Recruitment Spots

I found that Ernst & Young, for example, recruits at Jai Hind College. Jai Hind College was
where I did my 11th and 12th. After 11th and 12th, junior college, which Americans call high
school, I went to a 4-year engineering college. The same high school, or the same junior
college, also offered a program in commerce an courses in management. This is where I had a
good network of friends. The next step was to find contacts from these colleges at E&Y then.

Building Network Contacts

I leveraged friends at junior college to gain contacts of other people at E&Y. My friend Megha
knew someone from her program who had made it to E&Y.

In India, I tried cold calling and sending e-mails through the companies Web site, but no one
responded. I knew that the resume should reach the desk of HR or the decision maker, so I
sent my resume to my friends contact who then pushed it to the manager who I eventually

www.indianconsulting.org. 18
 ended up working for!

After that, I got a call.

The right way to build contacts is to set up a meeting in a social backdrop and say, I have done
my engineering and Im really interested in moving into consulting. I would like to know what is it like to
be a typical consultant is and what is the role and responsibility of a junior analyst, a position that I am
keenly eying based on my skill set and education.

Once you set up this communication and you have a certain rapport going, you can even
request t meet in the presence of your contact depending on how close each of the
relationships are. 99% of the time once you have indicated your interest and have had a good
conversation, a person will be more than happy to forward your resume.

www.indianconsulting.org. 19
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