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(WetFeet) IBM Business Consulting Services The We PDF
(WetFeet) IBM Business Consulting Services The We PDF
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Table of Contents
Quick TOC
Cheat Sheet The Industry On the Job T h e Wo r k p l a c e Getting Hired Fo r Yo u r R e f e r e n c e 1 3 13 19 27 31 The Firm Overview A Quick History Lesson Strategy: Integration & Services The Bottom Line Industry Position Organization of the Firm On the Job Research Associate Consultant The Workplace Lifestyle & Hours Culture Workplace Diversity Compensation Travel Vacations, Benefits & Perks Training Career Path Insider Scoop & Watch Outs! Getting Hired The Recruiting Process Interviewing Tips Grilling Your Interviewer For Your Reference Recommended Reading Other Resources The Numbers Key People & Recruiting Contacts 4 5 7 9 10 11 The IBM Business Consulting Services Cheat Sheet 1
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C H E A T
S H E E T
> Be aware of current events. Show that youve read the papers, been on the IBM website, watched Louis Rukeyser on CNBCs Wall Street. > Know the history of IBM. About Thomas Watson, Senior and Junior; about the PC; the early 90s troubles and how Louis Gerstner turned it around > Be ready for casesthey are a big part of our interview process. Maybe study up on some famous ones so that you can reference similar concepts and fundamentals. The recruiters want to see how your mind works. > Dont try to play a role. We want nice, smart people, and you cant fake either one. At IBM, were looking for a commitment, a long-term relationship. What Insiders Say > Its a great company to work for, but there is a protocol that comes with working at a big organization. > IBM is always voted one of the best places to work, and they arent stuffing the ballots. Its true. > Bigness has its benefits. You do have the ability to change careersand the opportunity to live all over the world. > Consulting is rough. Frankly, at times, I dont know why anybody would want to do this for a living. On the other hand, sometimes I cant imagine having a normal job. The Career Ladder Undergraduates enter as research associates. MBAs enter as consultants. Personnel Highlights, WorldwideIBM Business Consulting Services
Total number of professionals/employees, 2001: Estimated number of new undergraduate hires, 2002: Estimated number of new MBA hires, 2002: Estimated number of new summer hires, 2002: 60,000 n/a n/a n/a
C H E A T
S H E E T
Relocation bonus:
The Industry
Consulting would be hard, challenging work no matter what company you went to work for. But all the firepower we have here gives me sort of an undefinablemaybe psychologicaledge.
I N D U S T R Y
Overview
For some, the three letters IBM may conjure up visions of giant mainframe computers filling up entire floors of office buildings, but the reality is far different today. In the 1990s, under the gun competitively and thought to be in real danger of disintegrating by industry pundits, Big Blue made a fast-paced transformation to a services-led company under then-CEO and current Chairman of the Board Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. How fast-paced? In 1991, IBMs nonmaintenance services did less than $6 billion in business, about 9 percent of IBMs total revenues of $64.8 billion. Last year, IBMs Global Services division did $35 billion, about 40 percent of IBMs revenues of $85.9 billion. Tellingly, it was the first time that IBMs service-derived revenue exceeded IBMs hardware sales revenue. What this means is that, more than anything else, IBM today is a service company. And one of its biggest services is consulting. Remember the date October 2, 2002. Thats when IBMs metamorphosis to a service company reached a new milestone, when a huge, new business group under the Global Services umbrella was unveiled: IBM Business Consulting Services (BCS). BCS is so new that the paints barely dried on the lettering. At the moment, the old parts from which it was assembled are being re-jiggered; titles, functions, and hiring needs are being sorted out. But this much we know for sure: BCS combines PricewaterhouseCoopers Consultinga Big Five consultancy that IBM acquired for $3.5 billion in the summer of 2002with IBMs existing Business Innovation Services unit. The result: the worlds largest consulting and services organization, with estimated revenues of around $16.3 billion (according to Consultants News) and more than 60,000 professionals in 50-plus countries. To give you an idea of how big that is, BCS dwarfs the number-two consulting firm, Accenture, by $6 billion and is three to seven times the size of the rest of the top ten consultancies. It accounts for more than one-sixth of IBMs total revenues.
T H E
BCSs goal is to get more involved in a clients business than ever before by offering a unique end-to-end capabilityan all-inclusive one-stop shop that can help clients capitalize on information technology to improve business performance, from strategic thinking to implementation, with accountability for results. BCS offers general business consulting as well as information technology consulting. In the former, it advises customers on how to become more
competitive; better support their own customers; be more efficient; and become an e-business. In the latter, it offers a wide range of evaluative, advisory, and implementation services geared toward helping customers maximize the return on their technology investment. Services include information technology strategy, business recovery, networking, and systems management. In short, BCS tries to develop solutions for a company, then build and deploy those solutionseven if this involves adapting other companies computer equipment. That last statement would have shocked the founders of a company that strictly made business equipment for nine decades before a crisis made it re-think its business. And it illustrates how important IBM Global Services and its new Business Consulting Services group is and will be to IBMs future from this point forward.
T H E I N D U S T R Y
I N D U S T R Y
IBMs first steps to computing came during World War II, when it made bombsights, rifles, and engine parts as well as the 50-foot-long, eight-foot-high, fiveton Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, also called the Mark I. It was the first machine to execute long computations automatically. It took less than a second to solve an addition problem, but about six seconds for multiplication and twice as long for divisionfar slower than any pocket calculator today. In the 50s, things sped up fast as vacuum tubes and transistors replaced electromechanical switches and Thomas J. Watson, Jr., took over as CEO. Eisenhower was still president when the IBM 7090 transistorized mainframe computer came on line; it could perform 229,000 calculations per second. Other major innovations followed: In 1964, System/360, the first large family of computers to use interchangeable software and peripheral equipment came into beinga bold departure from the monolithic, one-size-fits-all mainframe. In 1973, the price-reading supermarket checkout station and an early form of todays automatic teller machines were introduced. In 1981, a product was developed that would ultimately lead to a new era in computing, rock IBM down to its foundations, spur IBMs metaporphosis to a services-oriented company, and ultimately lead to the development of IBM Business Consulting Services. It was a desktop machine with off-the-shelf parts, 16 kilobytes of user memory (expandable to 256 kilobytes), one or two floppy disks, an optional color monitor, a processor chip that came from Intel, and an operating system called DOS (Disk Operating System) from a 32-person company called Microsoft. It was the phenomenally popular IBM Personal Computer. The PC. Ironically, as the decade progressed and PCs from many companies were coupled with servers that linked them with larger computers in the background, IBM found itself in deep trouble. Individuals and individual departments now made their own computer purchases; sales of the all-in-one computer systems that IBM sold plummeted. Piece-part technologies took precedence over integrated solutions. By 1993, the companys annual net losses reached a record $8.1 billion. IBM considered splitting its divisions into separate independent businesses. Articles in The Wall Street Journal and business magazines began to suggest the unimaginable: Break up IBM.
T H E
T H E I N D U S T R Y
I N D U S T R Y
In the summer of 2002, the stage was set for a massive manifestation of the integration plan that the now-retired Gerstner had set in motion: the acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Consulting and the subsequent creation of the new $16.5 billion behemoth, IBM Business Consulting Services (BCS).
T H E
of IBM Global Finance and the strength of IBMs software and hardware brands. Will the marriage work? Despite the differences in capabilities, and the clamor of some naysayers, Rometty stresses that the couple speak the same language: Over the last decade, IBM had established a respected consulting organization of our own, while PwC Consulting was rapidly strengthening its technical skills, particularly in the areas of process integration and application development. Both also bring longstanding client relationships at the senior executive level. Among their top accounts, more than 40 percent have been customers for ten years or more.
T H E I N D U S T R Y
I N D U S T R Y
Industry Position
IBM Business Consulting Services (BCS) is the worlds largest provider of business consultants and services experts, providing a wide range of general management and information technology consulting services. Specializing in helping customers leverage technology to improve performance, it competes with other large consulting firms. As you might expect, a consulting firm as immense as IBM BCS has deep experience in major industries across the globe, including aerospace and defense, automotive, banking, chemicals and petroleum, consumer packaged goods, education, electronics, energy and utilities, financial markets, government, health care, insurance, life sciences, media and entertainment, retail, telecommunications, travel and transportation, and wholesale. Of those, BCS has seen strong activity particularly in health care, insurance, and telecommunications. Health care, which includes providers, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences, is experiencing rapid growth with the aging population and concomitant pressure to upgrade its IT systems to reduce errors, speed drug approvals, enhance customer experiences and improve overall business performance. Insurance industry firms use BCS services to increase customer retention, reduce costs, and develop new distribution strategies. Telecommunications companies need a game plan for leveraging wireless and broadband to improve service to customers. Consultants News estimates that BCSin combination with PwC Consulting figureshad a global consulting revenue of $16,300 million for fiscal year 2001 and enjoyed a 3 percent growth in global consulting. U.S. consulting revenue for the same period was $5,500 million with a 4 percent decline in growth. As a comparison, IBM, Accenture, and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young came in one, two, and three in Consultants News June 2002 ranking of the 50 Largest Management Consulting Firms in the World, with global consulting revenues of $10,800 million, $9,460 million, and $5,875 million, respectively, for fiscal year 2001. Against these numbers, its clear that the merging of PwC and IBM makes for a giant among giants.
Note: Revenue information used for the CN ranking was based on estimates; most companies that were ranked are private and do not release revenue information.
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T H E I N D U S T R Y
I N D U S T R Y
6. Enterprise Application Services/ERP Addresses fundamental issues associated with planning, selecting, implementing, and extending ERP solutions. 7. Portals, Knowledge, and Content Management Services Helps companies access and leverage huge e-business information streams to fuel innovation, responsiveness, and efficiency. IBM provides workplace, knowledge, and content management services for consultative and implementation services around four major areas: dynamic workplaces, portals, content management, and knowledge management. 8. Procurement Services Supports clients strategic sourcing, business process transformation, e-procurement technology strategy, and a menu of custom acquisition and supplier management services to drive efficiencies, achieve savings, and enable faster time-to-value in the marketplace. Includes e-procurement strategy consulting, strategic sourcing, and package implementation for software providers such as Ariba, CommerceOne, and Rightworks. 9. Product Lifecycle Management Services (PLM) Provides applications and services that let companies design, build, and maintain products while reducing cost, increasing quality, and shortening development cycles. Includes end-to-end CATIA, ENOVIA, and SMARTEAM application consulting and implementation capabilities, product development business process consulting, and relationships with MatrixOne and SAP. 10. Security and Privacy Services Helps clients address IT and e-business security and privacy requirements to run a secure trusted environment for the collection and use of customer and employee personal information. 11. Strategy and Change Consulting This wholly purchased consultancy aligns business goals and direction with technology decisions, helping companies solve internal strategic, organizational, operational, and IT issues within their companies.
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T H E
12. Supply Chain Management Services (SCM) Uses industry and supply chain business area expertise to deliver a financial return through operational improvements. 13. Wireless E-Business Solutions Develops customized integrated wireless solutions that include the devices, software, servers, and services for companys unique needs.
On the Job
Ask enough questions, do enough research, and suddenly you think youre a genius. Its great for your ego. Tiring as hell, but extremely satisfying.
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Research Associate
Research associates (RAs) are not computer geeks. They are not technical people. And while they must have an analytical bent, they usually arent business majors, as BCS concentrates its recruiting at schools that dont offer undergraduate business programs. Ideally, RAs are well-rounded individuals with lots of extracurricular interests, usually with liberal-arts backgrounds ranging from economics to English. They have sharp minds, powerful curiosities, an ability to write well, and a strong sense of responsibility. All will come in handy, because there may be occasions where the on-the-job responsibilities of RAs often dont differ fundamentally from those of consultants. Yes, you do a lot of grunt workafter all, the first part of the title is research. But you will quickly gain exposure to clients on a daily basis, endlessly contributing ideas and energy to the team. In simple terms, RAs spend most of their time looking up things, interviewing people, and making reports. IBM prides itself on being a meritocracy, and exhibiting thoroughness, sharp analysis, and professionalism is a good way to make your way up the ranks. If you do well on your research assignments, the scope of your work increases. Higher-ups will be happy to pile on more important responsibilities if you show you can handle it. Here are some typical duties: > Seeking out data through client interviews, research, and observation > Conducting operational and financial analysis of data > Presenting findings to team members; persuading managers to adopt your recommendations > Researching and preparing sales proposals > Systems analysts: designing and testing program modules
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J O B
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9:30
10:00
Arrive at client site after two-hour drive. Day One. Was falling asleep at the wheel. But the second I go through the front door, I feel all tingly. New place, new project. Its show time! Check e-mail and voice mail. Head to project room to meet the team of sixa couple other RAs, consultants, a manager. Know some of them already from the office, and others from a conference call. Funny how they never look like what you thought. We organize, decide whos
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going to do what, reassess, agree on a timetable. Im on my toesact like Im paying attention. Heck, what am I saying? I am paying attention, writing everything down like a frantic court stenographer. Im afraid not to. Lots of info to process here. Like heading into the great unknown. Still talking. Meetings running long, so we order lunch. Weird, working at IBM, makin the big bucks, and its McDonalds again. But the receptionist tells us later theres a great Indian restaurant just around the corner. No more Big Macs after this. Check voice mailsignificant other wants to know how long this project will take, how long Ill be away. Never asks, How was the work? anymore. Just How long? Our guys meet with the client point man and a coterie of his righthand men and women. Outline the plan in detail. We have some sticking points that need to be hashed out. Takes longer than expected, but were finally on the same page. We move to a bigger room that has a whiteboard. They call in the troops. A couple dozen of the rank and file roll in. I fiddle with my hair, check my collar, tuck in my shirt, and try to look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Good first impression, good first impression, I repeat in my mind. Hey, Im still a rookie, and I look young for my age. I want to come out of the blocks like a racehorse, and need them to respect me upfront. They introduce us IBMers to all of the clients need-to-know personnel, who in turn introduce themselves. I note whom I need to talk to, and when its done, I rush over before the room empties to grab the right bodies and set up interviews. Others go for coffeenot me. Im on a natural high. I leave the room shooting the breeze with my first interview subject. After all, its a lot harder to interrupt her later, when shes busy on the phone with her housekeeper. Plus, I want the word to get out quicklyto my bosses and to client personnelthat Im all action, here strictly for business, squeezing every bit of productivity out of the clock. Its happy hour for the clients workers, but not for me. The locals make for the exits, but Im just getting rolling. Check e-mail, voice mail, the Internet. Research, research, research. No time to lose. A state of the industry report is due tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. sharp. Talk to the team about dinner. Hey, what about Indian? I volunteer to make the food run. Ulterior motive: I need to actually see daylight at least once every 24 hours. Wipe the curry off my chin and plunge into PowerPoint. How in the world did they do this in the old days? My batterys going dead. Call significant other. Check e-mail. Grab a shake at Mickey Ds and head home to the Holiday Inn.
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O N T H E J O B
Consultant
Consultants are expected to use everything in their MBA bag of trickspeople skills, management skills, and quantitative skillsto come up with client solutions and keep them smiling while doing it. They often have primary responsibility for a small project team or a small part of a larger team. Specific responsibilities include: > Guiding and motivating the team, encouraging contributions, and determining the appropriate analysis and course of direction > Leading brainstorming sessions > Keeping the program on track > Interpreting the results of the teams analysis > Preparing and delivering presentations to IBM and client management > IT practitioners: managing IT systems development through design, programming, testing, and implementation A Day in the Life of a Consultant 5:00 Eyes open. Immediately check e-mail and voice mail. Its an automatic response to the alarmlike Pavlovs dog. In this business, never know when youll have a change of plan. Ride to airport. Wolf down a bagel and a grapefruit in the cab. This is why I wait till later to put on my tie. Catch 7:18 flight to the clients headquarters. Arrive at the clients. Week Two. Trade pleasantries with whats-hisname and whats-her-name. My weakness: names. Theyre paying IBM all this money, and I dont remember Sam and Sheila. Thats it. Those two and 20 others. Wave a how was the weekend? at the incoming (other members of the IBM team). Check e-mail and voice mail. Meet with the client. Hit him with some amazing insights I came up with over the weekend. He nods. Not sure if he thinks theyre valid. Check messages and e-mails. Dig into a client presentation left over from Saturday. (Yes, I did some work at home on Saturday. What else is new?) Lunch. Client asks me out to Mexican food. On the way back, we stop at the plant to see if the idea I mentioned earlier will work. Bingo. It looks like it might fly. Client likes that Im always thinking about how to improve his business. So what if Im slow on names?
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Team meeting. Everyone provides updates. I present my idea and findings. Nods of approval. Yep, way more efficient that way. Boy Wonder does it again. Check e-mail. Bang out PowerPoint presentation for the next meeting. Hour-long presentation with client brass. They like where were going, but get antsy. Note to self: late meetings not a good idea. Call my manager to report what just transpired with the client. Hell be in next week. Spend next hour writing up issues raised in the previous phone call. Boss wants to see a detailed e-mail by morning. Check e-mail and call it a day. Strange. Strange to be out this early. I think Ill catch a movie. Naw, forget it. Need food first. Forgot to eat again.
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The Workplace
Instead of the conformity you tend to associate with the pre-1990s IBM, the new IBM culture actively celebrates the individual.
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W O R K P L A C E
T H E
Culture
As you might have surmised, IBM has loosened up quite a bit in the last decade. Nobody wears a suit here, one insider says. If the clients dontand most dont anymorewe dont. Thank god. They must be doing something right. Computerworld ranked IBM number 12 in its 100 Best Places to Work in IT eighth annual survey (June 4, 2001); and number four in its Top Ten Places to Work in IT for Hot Projects (June 25, 2001). One veteran insider sums up those results in this way: IBM has the feel of a small company, with all the resources and benefits of a big one. Instead of the conformity you tend to associate with the pre-1990s IBM, the new IBM culture actively celebrates the individual. Promotions are based solely on achievement. Community involvement is also stressed. IBM encourages volunteerism and donations on a vast scale. The company contributed more than $127 million in 2001 to charitable programs worldwide, and employees contributed another
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$51.2 million on their own. The largesse went to more than 7,500 educational institutions and non-profit organizations. As of March 2002, IBMers volunteered more than four million hours of time and expertise to a broad range of local causes.
T H E W O R K P L A C E
Workplace Diversity
To increase its focus on local or unique diversity issues back in the 1990s, IBM established diversity councils and eight executive-led task forces representing women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Gays/Lesbians, the disabled, and men. The programs had immediate payoff, according to Ted Childs, vice president for global workforce diversity at IBM. The number of African American executives doubled in a three-year period from 62 to 115. Over the past five years, the number of female executives at IBM worldwide has more than tripled from 185 to 596, with more than half of those working mothers. Thats one reason IBM has been named in the top ten of Working Mother magazines Best Places to Work for Mothers for ten of the last 14 yearslonger than any other companyand in the top 100 all 16 years. IBM was recognized by Catalyst (a for-womens-advancement non-profit), for its leadership in advancing the careers of women throughout the workforce. And, finally, the head of IBM Business Consulting Services is a woman, Gina Rommety, which bodes well for future increases in diversity at BCS.
Compensation
IBM personnel are notoriously tight-lipped about salary information, reflexively trained to dismiss outsiders inquiries with we pay very, very well. Well, you can probably take that to the bank. IBMs policy is to attract and retain the best people by making sure that the value of its total compensation package compares favorably with that of competitors. Given that the slumping economy has sent salary packages and signing bonuses for new consulting hires plummeting throughout the industry, new research associates salaries, once nearing $65,000, are now in the $50,000s, while starting salaries for MBAs range from $90,000 to $120,000. Bonuses, officially called variable pay opportunities, are healthy10 to 15 percent of annual earningswith more for extraordinary performance. Merit-based raises, keeping with IBMs entrepreneurial model that rewards results, can jump your salary up very rapidly.
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W O R K P L A C E
Travel
Update all your frequent-flier programs before coming on board. Unless youve been living in a cave for a couple of decades, youre certainly aware that travel and consulting are joined at the hip. The case of the person who travels so much that he no longer keeps an apartment is, of course, rarebut telling. Being on the road half the time or more is not unusual. You go to where the client is, period, and where he is isnt always pretty or glamorous. Weekend travel is rare (although weekend work isnt).
T H E
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Finally, at age 40, IBM annually credits a personal tax-free Future Health Account of $2,500 to help employees pay for the cost of post-career IBM health coverage. The fund can be used to pay for IBM health care coverage upon leaving IBM at, or after, age 55 with at least 15 years of service.
T H E W O R K P L A C E
Training
Like other consulting firms, IBM BCS puts its new hires through consulting boot camp. Both undergrads and MBAs go on short, intensive training programstwo weeks for MBAs, four weeks for undergrads. The latter, of course, focuses more on business fundamentals. Training magazine ranked IBM fourth in its April 2002 annual Top 100 List at training and developing their employees. Rankings were determined by financial investment in employee development; type and scope of training and development programs for employees; quality of programs and how closely development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.
Career Path
The career ladder looks like this: research associate (undergraduate hire), consultant (MBA hire), then, after two to three years, senior consultant. From this point, dont hold your breath. Its a pretty big jump to the next levels principal, managing principal, and vice president, says an insider. Of course, if youre exceptional, skys the limit. Only exceptional RAs get the opportunity to move up to consultant without going back to business school. There are frequent opportunities for foreign postings in BCSs vast overseas consulting network. Those who tire of the consulting lifestyle need not leave the company, as they might at another consulting firm. BCS and parent IBM Global Services are so huge that challenging jobs requiring normal hours and little or no travel are available. I got sick of the consulting life and wanted to start a family, but couldnt imagine leaving IBM, says a consultant-turned recruiter.
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W O R K P L A C E
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T H E
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T H E W O R K P L A C E
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Getting Hired
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G E T T I N G
H I R E D
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Interviewing Tips
> Do your homeworkdont come unprepared. Show that youve done a lot of research about IBM Business Consulting Services, IBM Global Services, and IBM in general. Attend the information sessions and the career fairs held on campus. Talk to alums working at IBM. Search the Internet. Do whatever it takes. > Dont waste IBMs time and yours by using the interview to ask questions about the companyunless they are fairly specific questions that show you know your stuff. In fact, come into the interview with a list of questions, and ask them one-two-three. > Intelligent, yes. Arrogant, no. Over and over, IBM people mention two desirable qualities: nice and smart. > Take the initiative and start talking. Dont wait for recruiters to prompt you with questions. Tell them why you are a good match with the company and the job. Talk about your experiences, what they taught you, and how they helped you develop your management skills and world view. > Loose cannons need not apply. True, the man in the blue suit image is long gone; IBM has loosened up quite a bit in the last decade. The 2001 annual report talks of IBM being fast and entrepreneurial. But remember that this is an immense organization that by its nature has a huge chain of command and channels. > Expect to be asked, What type of consulting do you want to do? Provide a definite area of interestsuch as the entertainment industrybut mention two or three others, too. > Be ready with success storiesexamples from work, school, and life that demonstrate initiative, character, flexibility, and leadership. Dredge your memory; be ready to provide fresh, flattering anecdotes that show your potential as a consultant. > In the second interview, be prepared to act like a consultant. As the partners walk you through a case, calmly ask questions. Theres no right answer. But youll impress by focusing the discussion on the implementation of your recommendations as they apply to various models.
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G E T T I N G H I R E D
G E T T I N G
H I R E D
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R E F E R E N C E
Recommended Reading
Consultings Romantic Comedy During the early to mid 90s, big accounting firms were valued as architects while IT services suffered from the plumber syndrome. Hence, IBM believes that PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting will fill more of a generalist void and allow Big Blue to work its way up the clients value chain.
Source: Inside Consulting, Tom Rodenhauser, 7/31/02.
F O R
Y O U R
Cheap as Chips IBM buys PwC Consulting The announcement by IBM that it plans to acquire the consulting arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers, highlights the effects of the economic slowdown and recent corporate accounting scandals on the value of consulting firms. It could also trigger further consolidation in the IT services and consulting market, according to this article.
Source: Accountancy Age, 8/20/02.
IBM Corp reasserted its position at the top of the IT services market by buying PwC Consulting for $3.5bn yesterday IBMs takeover of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting at a bargain price of $3.5 billion widens the gap between Big Blue and Hewlett-Packard, which expanded its own services business through its takeover of Compaq Computer Corp. earlier this year. It also seems likely to force a series of realignments between vendors and services firmsPwC has strategic relationships with a number of IBMs competitors including HP and Sun Microsystems Inc.
Source: ComputerWire, Joe Fay, 7/31/2002.
Other Resources
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Insiders say required reading at IBM Business Consulting Services is The Wall Street Journal. As well as the Harvard Business Review, and Consultants News, published by Kennedy Information (www.kennedyinfo.com/mc/cn.html).
The Numbers
Numbers for IBM Business Consulting Services are not available as they are not reported separately from figures for IBM.
F O R Y O U R R E F E R E N C E
Key People
Samuel P. Palmisano, President and CEO Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Chairman of the Board John M. Thompson, Vice Chairman of the Board
Recruiting Contacts
IBM National Recruiting Organization (NRO) Dave Farrel, Director, Staffing Channels and Programs Bernise Winston, Staffing Manager Gigi Williams, Administrative Assistant, ext. 1144 4800 Falls of Neuce Rd. Raleigh, NC 27609 919-850-5800
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Who We Are
WetFeet is the trusted destination for job seekers to research companies and industries, and manage their careers. The WetFeet Insider Guides provide you with inside information for a successful job search. At WetFeet, we do the work for you and present our results in an informative, credible, and entertaining way. Think of us as your own private research company whose primary mission is to assist you in making more informed career decisions. WetFeet was founded in 1994 by Stanford MBAs Gary Alpert and Steve Pollock. While exploring our next career moves, we needed products like WetFeet Insider Guides to help us through the research and interviewing game. But they didnt exist. So we started writing. Today, WetFeet serves more than a million job candidates each month by helping them nail their interviews, avoid ill-fated career decisions, and add thousands of dollars to their compensation packages. The quality of our work and knowledge of the job-seeking world have also allowed us to develop an extensive corporate and university membership. In addition, WetFeets services include two award-winning websites (WetFeet.com and InternshipPrograms.com), Web-based recruiting technologies, consulting services, and our exclusive research studies, such as the annual WetFeet Student Recruitment Survey. Our team members, who come from diverse backgrounds, share a passion about the job-search process and a commitment to delivering the highest quality products and customer service. WetFeet is headquartered in San Francisco. You can visit us any time at www.wetfeet.com, by calling 1-800-926-4JOB (or 415-284-7900 from outside the U.S.), or by sending an e-mail to comments@wetfeet.com. We would love to hear from you, whether you have a job success story, information about a company, new product ideas, or a suggestion for improvement. Thank you for your support!
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