Networking
What curveball questions might come up in a partner networking chat?
I have a casual half-hour networking chat with a consulting partner coming up. I will prepare my background and reasons for applying, but what sort of unexpected question could come up, and how should I think about it?
Ian’s Answer
One of my favourites is "Explain X to my 8 year old daughter" with X being a very complex topic. It forces you to be really crisp in your communication and is a good one to test consultant skills.
However, with this chat, you definitely need to be fully prepared to explain why consulting, why their firm, and where you see yourself going/what you see yourself doing.
Also, don't forget that YOU need to have questions ready. The best questions aren't basic softball ones. Rather, they show that you're thinking about the unique work the firm does (combine two observations, synthesize a hypothesis framed as a question, and ask the Partner). Anything that prompts the Partner to truly reflect/think is a win. Imagine they're on a Q&A panel being interviewed...what types of questions might they be asked?