Articulating Your Value

Education Session: September 17, 2017

 Agenda

 Recruiting Audience
 Key Evaluation Factors
 Qualifications/Skillsets for Consulting
 EXERCISE: Relating Your Experience to Consulting
 Your Story
 PANEL: How to Articulate Your Value

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 Let’s go back to your application essays

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 You told your life story and future career goals for Ross

Remember her? What did Soojin want to see?

Likes
• Impact in previous work / personal experience
• Academic achievement/ability
• Thought-out career goals
• Collaborative outlook
• Passion for Ross program / UMich

Dislikes
• Inconsistency / Spottiness
• Working poorly with others / cutthroat attitude

Knowing what your audience was looking for was critical for a successful
application

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 Our audience has changed for consulting recruiting

Let’s meet Mike, a Bain Associate Mike’s Bio

• Graduated Ross with an MBA in 2015

• Interned at the firm and has been an Associate
for two years, approaching promotion
• Does recruiting for firm-building credit – comes
to campus 10 times each year for coffee chats,
events, and interviews
• Interested in strategy at the intersection of retail
and technology but currently staffed on an M&A
project in the health care space
• Interests include Michigan football,
Shakespeare’s comedies, cooking and fine
dining, and travel (particularly to East Asia).

Say you are at a networking event -- what does Mike want to get out of an
exchange with you?

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 Recruiters want to know and understand you

Major Evaluation Factors

Qualifications “Airport Test”

Cultural Fit
Business Acumen

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 Let’s revisit what Mike is looking for at a recruiting event

Mike
Likes
• Interesting people who stand out
• Likability / Can relate to
• People interested in learning about consulting
• People he can shepherd and root for
• Have hobbies and interests

Dislikes
• Unclear about what consulting is or learning more about
it
• People who dominate conversation / monopolize his time
/ don’t heed social cues
• Poor listeners
• Unknowledgeable about recent business news

Recruiters will take note of people they like and fit well with their firm

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 What if Mike interviews you or reviews your resume?

Mike
Likes
• Interesting people who stand out
• Likability / Can relate to
• People he can shepherd and root for
• People interested in learning about consulting
• Have hobbies and interests
• Has appropriate qualifications

Dislikes
• Unclear about what consulting is or learning more about
it
• People who dominate conversation / monopolize his time
/ don’t heed social cues
• Poor listeners
• Unknowledgeable about recent business news
• Cannot connect experience to needed qualifications
Articulating your value and your qualifications is key to having an application-
ready resume and successful interviews

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 Let’s focus on qualifications – answers the question “can
you do the work” for your resume and applications

Major Evaluation Factors

Qualifications “Airport Test”

Cultural Fit
Business Acumen

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 Consulting firms look for people who can articulate their
qualifications in relation to the needs of the firm
Key Qualifications
Communication
• Your experience: have you had
experience taking lead
communicating your work to drive
results?
• Firm Perspective: can you
communicate a work stream so that
the team and the client understand
the content and value of your work?
Executive Presence/Influence
• Your experience: have you been in
a situation where you had to
influence leaders, superiors,
stakeholders to impact the direction
of a project or workstream?
• Firm Perspective: can the firm put
you in front of a client and be an
effective representative of the firm?
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Remember this is for
your resume and
later on applications
Analytical/Problem Solving
• Your experience: have you faced a
situation that required you to break
down a problem and analyze potential
solutions?
• Firm Perspective: do you have the
analytical mindset to succeed in a
fast-paced consulting career?
Strong
Candidate Project Management/Teamwork
• Your experience: do you have an
instance where you were responsible
for managing a project and a team to
accomplish it?
• Firm Perspective: will you be a self-
starter that manages your workstream
while working well with others to
achieve the objectives of the project?
 Your story with your unique experiences will make you
stand out positively – this is your brand
My Key Experiences from My Odyssey
Communication
• “I had the opportunity to serve as
the spokesman on several
campaigns, interfacing directly to
the press to convey our key
messages in the media.”
Executive Presence/Influence
• “As campaign manager, I worked
directly with the candidate to create
campaign strategies and influence
the candidate and community
stakeholders to implement them.”
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Analytical/Problem Solving
• “In my role as a Field Director, I
worked in challenging states where I
learned how to analyze a new
situation, assess the best ways to
reach our target voters, and choose
the best path forward.”
Project Management/Teamwork
• “On the Obama campaign, I was
given the opportunity to manage staff.
In this role, I was in charge of the
work of eight people, and I learned
important time-management,
delegating, and leadership skills.
 What stories highlight your experience and your story in
a compelling way?

Mid-Session Exercise

• Take five minutes to outline important stories that highlight your experience and your
own “brand” for recruiting. Think about what are some key accomplishments where
you made a difference and pertain to major consulting skills.
• We will discuss briefly.

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 Beyond your resume, these stories will also make you
stand out during networking
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Resume
• Write bullet points of personal and professional accomplishments -- qualifications
• Emphasize your action and results – (1) Action, (2) Context, (3) Results
• Review further in FACT Group next week

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Networking Events
• Deliver your odyssey or elevator-pitch – brief synopsis of your story
• Prepare for upcoming coffee chats, happy hours, corporate presentations, etc.
• Focus on other three evaluation factors -- will elaborate further in next session
3
Interviews
• Elaborate on your stories in further detail
• Revisit this topic in behavior interview unit in December

You need to take time to plan and think about how to communicate about
yourself in each of these situations

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 You need a succinct odyssey and elevator pitch to give
context to your experience and start networking convos
Elevator Pitch
• GOAL: a quick conversation starter that quickly
states who you are and generates conversation. A
good elevator pitch would tailor your interests
and experience to the person you are engaging.
dddddd
• TIPS
• On average it will last 15 - 45 seconds
• Clearly state your name and say something
interesting or memorable about yourself
• Be brief: Open a conversation, do NOT make a
speech
• Tailor to each specific person / circumstance. More
focused rather than general
• Use Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” framework
• Use at larger networking events
Start writing and building an inventory of stories now because they are used in
every step of the recruiting process
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Odyssey
• GOAL: tell your story and connect the dots
between your jobs, college experience, and why
you are interested in consulting. A good odyssey
will have interesting points that will get follow up
questions.
• TIPS
• On average it will last 2 – 3 minutes
• Think of this as the plot summary of a movie – what
are the high-level points that define you
• Focus on why you made certain moves in terms that
people not familiar with your industry/background can
understand
• Write it out and practice
• More than just a recital of resume – adds the context
of why, passions you have, etc.
• General, but able to be tailored for different firms and
other career paths
• Use at one-on-one interactions or small events
 Map your experiences to the skills requisite for
consulting to write odyssey and resume points
Category Skill Context Action Results
Skilled in presenting
My candidate (Totten) was I created a crisis Stopped the negative stories and
Interacted with the Press,
Communication (*mostly attacked unfairly on communications plan earned positive press, resulting in
Media, Stakeholders, etc. experience to stop negative press 15% polling boost
demonstrated during
networking) My candidate (Patrick) Wrote policy My candidate felt more
Wrote briefs, white papers,
etc. needed to know more about documents to educate comfortable about issues, talking
issues / made bad mistakes candidate to voters and donors.
Worked with Company
Executive Leadership
Presence/Influence Experienced in “Managing Candidate micromanaged Influenced candidate Overcame large polling deficit to
(*partially demonstrated Up” causing campaign to lag to restructure org. make race competitive
during networking) Managed Crisis or Leading opponent caught in Unified team to alter Second tier candidate became a
Challenging Situations a DUI, dropped out campaign strategy front-runner, earning 40% of vote

Identified and Analyzed Working with a candidate in Created an outreach Ran 11% ahead of other party
plan to reach non-
Problem a challenging state for party candidates.
party voters
Created Data-driven
Analytical/Problem Solutions
Solving
Worked with Quantitative Need to identify target voters Supporter regional team, my
Did a voter analysis
Data on Obama campaign analysis led to win all counties
Navigates Ambiguous Numerous problems / few See “Influenced
Situations resources. Hard to prioritize candidate” See “Influenced candidate”

Managed Conflicting Same as Nav

Priorities Ambiguous Situations

Worked Well with Team Progressive organizations Pulled together a table Pooling resources led to lots of
running separate efforts of stakeholders in AZ victories for AZ Dems.
Project Management/
Teamwork Led Others First time managing on Managed staff Learned to manage people, won
Obama campaign my region for Obama (1st in 16y)

Election Day required five Ran 5 separate efforts

“Kept Trains Running” on Election Day and Won race by 5 points
efforts, short on leadership
coordinated staffing

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 Map your experiences to the skills requisite for
consulting to write odyssey and resume points
Category Skill Context Action Results
Skilled in presenting
Sometimes you won’t
My candidate (Totten) wasI created a crisis Stopped the negative stories and
Interacted with the Press,
Communication (*mostly attacked unfairly on communications plan
have a great example earned positive press, resulting in
Media, Stakeholders, etc. experience to stop negative press 15% polling boost
demonstrated during
networking)
Wrote briefs, white papers,
of every skillWrote policy
My candidate (Patrick) My candidate felt more
etc. needed to know more about documents to educate comfortable about issues, talking
issues / made bad mistakes candidate to voters and donors.
Worked with Company
Executive Leadership
Presence/Influence Experienced in “Managing Candidate micromanaged Influenced candidate Overcame large polling deficit to
(*partially demonstrated Up” causing campaign to lag to restructure org. make race competitive
during networking) Managed Crisis or Leading opponent caught in Unified team to alter Second tier candidate became a
Challenging Situations a DUI, dropped out campaign strategy front-runner, earning 40% of vote
Created an outreach
Problem
Shows Working
Identified and Analyzed that I with
makea candidate in
a challenging state for party
plan to reach non-
Ran 11% ahead of other party
candidates.
party voters
Created Data-driven
an impact to reach
Analytical/Problem Solutions objectives
Solving You can repurpose
Worked with Quantitative Need to identify target voters Supporter regional team, my
Did a voter analysis your stories. Good if
Data on Obama campaign analysis led to win all counties
Navigates Ambiguous Numerous problems / few See “Influenced
Situations resources. Hard to prioritize candidate” Seethey fit numerous
“Influenced candidate”

Managed Conflicting Same as Nav Ambigous Same as Nav situations. Leads to

Priorities Situations Ambiguous Situations
Progressive organizations Pulled together a table
your brand
Pooling resources led to lots of
Worked Well with Team running separate efforts of stakeholders in AZ victories for AZ Dems.
Project Management/ This is First
an unusual
Teamwork Led Others time managing on Managed staff Learned to manage people, won
Obama campaign my region for Obama (1st in 16y)
(makes me stand
Election Day required five Ran 5 separate efforts
“Kept Trains Running” out) story
efforts, short on leadership
on Election Day and Won race by 5 points
coordinated staffing

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 What are your experiences?

Category Skill Context Action Results

Skilled in presenting
Communication (*mostly Interacted with the Press,
demonstrated during Media, Stakeholders, etc.
networking)
Wrote briefs, white papers, etc.

Worked with Company

Executive Leadership
Presence/Influence
Experienced in “Managing Up”
(*partially demonstrated
during networking) Managed Crisis or Challenging
Situations
Identified and Analyzed
Problem
Analytical/Problem Created Data-driven Solutions
Solving Worked with Quantitative Data
Navigates Ambiguous
Situations
Managed Conflicting Priorities
Worked Well with Team
Project Management/
Teamwork Led Others

“Kept Trains Running”

Don’t let this template of skills limit you. You might have other stories/skills that
show the major categories of what consulting firms are looking for.

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 Next Steps

TO DO
 Use the experience map template (available electronically and on paper) to start
collecting stories [1 HOUR]
 Prepare for FACT Group by writing resume points in ACR (Action, Context, Results)
format from experience map [1 HOUR]
 Reflect on stories, skills, and experiences that are interesting and/or unique to your
story [1 HOUR]

NEXT WEEK
 Focus on networking events
• Types of events
• Approach for each type
 Review of Odyssey and Elevator Pitch

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Questions?
Panel: How to Articulate Your Value
 Meet the Panelists

 Panelist Bio Page

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