Why Consulting?

Consulting firms recruit broadly and have huge attrition, so they screen hard for genuine motivation. 'Why Consulting?' tests three things: (1) Do you understand what consultants actually do (advise clients on strategic and operational problems, work in teams, travel, structure ambiguous problems)? (2) Are your reasons specific to consulting rather than generic ('I like working with smart people' applies to any job)? (3) Is there a credible thread connecting your past experiences to this choice? A weak answer signals you're applying because everyone else is, which predicts early exit.

Build your answer around three pillars, each tied to a real experience. Pillar 1 — Variety & Steep Learning Curve: consulting exposes you to many industries and functions in a short time, accelerating how fast you build a generalist toolkit. Pillar 2 — Structured Problem-Solving: you're drawn to breaking ambiguous, high-stakes problems into testable hypotheses (reference your interest in frameworks like the profitability framework or issue trees). Pillar 3 — Impact & People: you want to influence senior leaders' decisions and work alongside sharp, collaborative teams. Open with a one-line thesis, deliver the three pillars with evidence, and close by linking to why THIS firm. Keep it under 90 seconds.

'Why Consulting?' almost always pairs with 'Why our firm?' Have one or two firm-specific reasons ready: a practice area (e.g., McKinsey's implementation/QuantumBlack, Bain's PE due-diligence and Results Delivery, BCG's digital ventures), a conversation with someone you networked with (name them), or a case study/office culture point. Generic praise ('great brand, smart people') reads as filler. Tie the firm reason back to your three pillars so the whole answer feels coherent rather than two stapled-together responses.

Expect: 'Why not banking / industry / a startup?' (have a crisp contrast — consulting offers breadth of problems vs. banking's depth in one discipline, and structured mentorship vs. a startup's sink-or-swim). 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years?' (it's fine to say you're keeping options open but want to build a problem-solving foundation first). 'What's the hardest part of consulting and are you ready for it?' (acknowledge travel, ambiguity, and demanding clients honestly — maturity scores points). Never bad-mouth the alternatives; just articulate the trade-off you're choosing.