Being successful in the consulting industry requires adaptability and the ability to learn a business fast. What would be your approach to help you learn the ins and outs of a new client?

"As you can see from my resume, I've been in corporate training and education for over ten years. In my current role, I have to use similar techniques working with different departments to try and tailor programs that meet their specific needs. I feel that my current approach of hosting an intake meeting with leaders would be effective in a consulting role with external customers. The current intake meetings that I lead are an opportunity for me to ask questions and learn as much as I can about my customers. In turn, it is an opportunity for me to lay the groundwork for the project and set expectations. Do you see this as an effective approach for this role?"

Berkeley Research Group contracts with businesses in different industries for their services and it is likely that your job would require you to learn the fine details of each business that you would work with. Demonstrate your ability to be flexible by giving examples of times you've had to do this during your career. As well, describe the approach that you would take to get the know the businesses you would be working with so you can apply your knowledge and expertise toward helping them.

"Having worked in quality roles for most of my career in both the private and public sectors, I think my career experiences have shaped me well for this role. Transitioning to a consultative role would definitely be a transition for me and the biggest transition will be this need to work in many different industries. For me, researching clients, their business and their industry will be the first step to my approach in learning about them. I want to make a great first impression when I am face to face with a new client and that first impression starts with my knowledge. Then, my openness and ability to communicate would take over when I am working directly with clients. I know the right questions to ask for laying out quality initiative projects and I know the right things to educate clients on."

How do you ensure accuracy and completeness in accounting records?

"In the world of accounting and bookkeeping, one small financial error on the data entry side of things can spin off an entire web of negative consequences. Because of this, I've always taken pride in being thorough in the integrity of data and the accuracy of final reports. To ensure accuracy, I use a systematic approach of first following all procedures and formats for data entry. Then, I use a thorough reconciliation process to verify information once entered. It is always important to rely on sound record keeping procedures for the reconciliation process. In this role, I fully understand that I'd be working with clients and relying on their prior ability to keep accurate records. I feel an important piece that I'd bring to the table here is educating clients on the importance and need for accuracy on the accounting end of their business."

For this question, pull from your experience working with accounting records to give your interviewer the sense that you understand why accurate records are important and how common mistakes occur. Talk about tools and tactics that you've used or would use to ensure that the numbers you'll be basing decision off of in this role and accurate and complete because your clients will rely on it.

"In today's digital world, I've trained on and worked with several of the large accounting software programs like Sage, GnuCash and QuickBooks. All modern programs have the sophistication of helping businesses organize their finances and accounting books and I would bring a great ability to train clients on the use of these programs. But, these programs are only as effective as the data going into the programs so data entry and data integrity are vital to end result. To ensure data integrity, each business needs a checklist of vital information that is unique to their situation and the checklist should include items like bank account balances, inventory, accounts receivable, loan payables and total assets. I've witnessed too many organizations miss critical components in their accounting processes and I'd be able to work effectively with the clients here at Berkeley Research Group to build their accounting inventories for future use."

An often difficult part about working for Berkeley Research Group and our clients is the need to be fluent and adaptable to the cultures of our clients. Why would you say that you'd be able to handle this aspect of the job with ease?

"During my career to this point, I've been very fortunate to say that I've worked for one employer for over ten years and the experience that I've gained with them is a huge asset to me personally. But even though all of my relevant work experience is with the same employer, I've worked under six different department managers during my time there and each person had their own unique management style and expectations of me. As well, my organization has undergone three mergers in my time there and each merger brought a new and bigger organization to light with new values and culture. Whether it was a manager change or an organization change, I always prioritized openness and asking questions to get to know new processes better. I would bring this approach with each and every new client that I would work with in this role."

In the business consulting world, organizations work with clients that all have different backgrounds, leadership styles, cultures, industries and motivating factors. Consultants hired to come in to these organizations have to possess a chameleon-like ability to ingrain themselves in a new company's culture. For you to be successful in the role that you are interviewing for, you must possess this same ability. In your answer to this question, be sure to point out your fluidity to adapt to new situation in your work by giving an example or two of a time you had to do this to give your interviewer a sense of your ability to be flexible with clients.

"I would liken this role as a Client Manager to working with my customers in my current job. I approach each new customer with an open slated mind while getting to know their motivations, their needs and their expectations of me to help me get a better understanding of how I can best suit them. If hired for this position working with your clients here at Berkeley Research Group, this approach would be vital because of the variety of businesses and industries that I would be working with."

In this role with Berkeley Research Group, how would you evaluate a new client's financial position?

"If I were assigned a new client in this role, the first logical step would be to analyze their current financial performance to see where initial improvements and/or work would need to be done. My first goal would be to meet with key leaders and finance staff for both fact finding on my end and for me to explain my processes as the consultant. This process would also help build rapport with those that I will be working with. From there, my approach would be to review the company's balance sheet. Here, I could get detail on the assets and liabilities of the company and be able to calculate their current ratio. From there, a solid plan of action can be outlined."

This questions gives you the opportunity to both show some of your experience and knowledge in the field while also showing that you may be able to bring a creative approach to working with new clients. Talk about your personal experiences in evaluating financial situations for organizations you have worked for and be upfront about what you have experience doing and what you haven't been a part of in the larger grand scheme of things. Give your answer a personal touch by talking about the key stakeholders you'd have to work with at the client and how you'd go about building trust with them.

"From my experience, there are some key measures that are critical in measuring an organization's financial health. First off would be liquidity to measure the organization's ability to handle short-term debt. If an organization isn't financially sound in the short-term, they can't possibly be in the long-term. If things check out on that end, the next important pieces to gauging financial health for an organization would be to look at and measure their operating efficiency and profitability to ensure that they are built for the long haul. As you can see from my experience, I'd bring a strong ability to work with the clients here at Berkeley Research Group in these areas."

Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

"Probably the aspect that I love the most about my current job is being the lead for training new hires into our department. Because of my years of experience and my innate ability to effectively orientate new employees, my director asked me to take this duty about four years ago. My approach with any new hire is to customize their training based on their knowledge and experience so the training is effective for them. What works for one person may not work for another and I always need to be fluid with this. I also prioritize the need to make orientation and training a hands on experience for the new hire because classroom learning can only take a person so far in the learning process."

The role that you are interviewing for with Berkeley Research Group will likely involve providing education to clients in your area of expertise. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable and effective in providing education by having you talk about a time that you have done so. In the example that you provide, try to point out some key items to making business education successful like developing a plan/goals, respecting differing viewpoints/opinions, making it hands on and making it fun.

"As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last seven years working in the corporate tax field. While in this job, I worked very independently for a private organization, so I've been out of the training and education side for a while now. During my first job out of college as a CPA though, I was very adept at providing education to the clients that I worked with on a daily basis. What I learned in that experience was the importance of putting material out there in a manner that the person being trained understood. As well, talking to clients and understanding my client's wants and needs were very important for me to be able to best educate them. I really believe that these skills would enable me to hit the ground running with Berkeley Research Group and your clients would benefit greatly."

What tools and programs are you comfortable and experienced working on that would help you in this role with Berkeley Research Group?

"As a proficient user and fan of the Microsoft Office Suite, I am very proficient using all of the pieces of the suite. I rely on Outlook for email communications, calendar appointments and managing daily and weekly tasks. I regularly use the Visio tool for diagramming and Excel for tracking purposes. In preparation for this interview, I've been researching common requirements management tools like Rational Requisite Pro and I feel confident in my technical abilities to learn and utilize a new business analyst program."

As business technology has increased over time, the business analytics field has flourished with great tools becoming more easily available. Your interviewer is looking to get a sense of what programs you have familiarity working with and, on top of that, how fluent and efficient you are in using those tools. Be sure to touch on programs/tools that touch effective communication, project management and modelling/visualization and highlight the fact that you are proficient in and open to learning new programs if needed.

"As a trained IT professional looking to breakthrough into the analytics field, you can be assured that I have a wide breadth of experience working with many different programs and tools. On top of the normal Microsoft Office programs, I've worked on email programs like Zimbra and Mailbird for communications and am comfortable learning any new system. I think one unique aspect I can bring to Berkeley Research Group is my experience working with SQL database management and queries."

Tell me about a time when you took charge of a meeting. Was the outcome a positive one?

"My employer asked me to lead a lunch and learn meeting to train 15 employees on our new client management software. I was already a subject matter expert on the software so it wasn't difficult for me to plan the lesson. The challenge was making the content entertaining enough to keep the employees engaged. I created a strong PowerPoint presentation that included pop quiz questions throughout. The presentation was a success, and my employer asked me to lead a follow up meeting a few weeks later."

The interviewer would like to know that you have the confidence to lead a meeting successfully. Think about a time when you have driven a meeting - big or small. This example could be a phone meeting, a lunch and learn, or a large client presentation. Begin by telling the interviewer the reason for the meeting, who was involved, and what approach you took to prepare for the meeting. Finally, be sure to mention why you felt the meeting was a success! What did you do in that meeting to create an effective and positive outcome?

"Just last week my boss had a personal emergency and could not make it in time for our monthly staff meeting. Everyone was already gathered, and so he called to ask me to take control of the meeting. I feel that I did a great job relaying the information and my boss was thankful for the way that I was able to step in."

Give an example of a finance project that you worked on during your career. What was the project, what role did you play on the project team and what was the outcome of the project?

"With my current organization, my Analyst role finds me working on some great projects and I'd love to bring that experience to the consulting world here at Berkeley Research Group. Recently, I lead a project that revamped my organization's forecasting out to ten years. Appointed as the lead on this project, my first task was to gather relevant team members from engineering, sales, production and leadership. From there, I spent a good amount of time and effort education the newly assemble project team on the importance of and the process for accurate forecasting. As the project concluded, we now have numbers forecasted out that far and it is helping our budgeting and planning immensely."

For this question, your interviewer is looking to find out a couple different things about you and your work style based on how you answer this question. First, they'll be looking to gauge your ability to work as part of a larger team. Make sure your example involved an aspect of teamwork. Next, they'll be looking to gain insight on your ability to manage a project from start to finish so make sure that you example provides a sense of that ability.

In what ways would our clients here at Berkeley Research Group benefit from your knowledge and services?

"As you can see from my resume, I have extensive experience in risk management in the healthcare industry. Having worked with some major players in the industry, your healthcare clients would benefit the most from the experience and solutions I could help provide them. Not to leave other industries out, I think my experience in the healthcare realm will also translate nicely to your clients in other areas of the private sector."

This question is your chance to talk about the unique skills and knowledge that you would bring to Berkeley Research Group and that is exactly what your interviewer is looking to hear. In your answer, keep your focus centered on how clients of the organization will benefit from the things that you bring to their table because Berkeley Research Group is client focused in all that they do. To be effective with this answer, be sure to do your research on the clients at Berkeley Research Group and think about how your experience will be beneficial for them.

"Having worked in accounting and tax law in a few different industries during my career to this point, I also have the unique experience of creating new organizational policies and procedures in my current role. In hearing more about this role, I think this experience would be very beneficial for your clients as I would be helping advise them in their practices and creating new policy would be crucial in that process."

A key component to success here at Berkeley Research Group is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?

"I am a firm believer that success in any role I've played in my career was due in part to the relationships that I've built in those roles. Whenever I have the chance to work with a new colleague or a new customer, my approach is to create an initial connection with them to build trust. After that point, my interpersonal skills take over through active listening. I use my listening skills to learn about the motivating factors and needs of the person that I will be working with and this helps mold that respect and trust between us even more. I think this approach would be very critical in working with new clients on a regular basis here at Berkeley Research Group and I'd love the opportunity to bring these skills to the table for you."

The fast paced world of business consulting requires the ability to build relationship after relationship with all of the clients that you will potentially be working with. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you build relationships with new people from the first time you interact with them. In your answer, talk about how you gain and build trust with new people and explain how the little things in your initial interactions go a long way toward building long lasting working relationships.

What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?

"I am really comfortable working in any role within a team and I think my experiences throughout my career demonstrate this well. At many times in my career, I've been the legwork of team operations and have easily taken direction on projects and been able to hit pre-established deadlines. As well, I've lead many projects and have shown my ability to lead others in a team effort and the ability to delegate tasks and set milestones for projects. If hired for this position, you can be rest assured that I have the ability to be a key team players with your clients in helping better their business."

Coming to work for a consulting business requires the ability to work as part of a larger team on the projects you will be heading. Teamwork in this setting requires versatility and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have that versatility in your answer to this question. Many times, you will be taking the bull by the horns and leading the way. Other times, you will be the worker bee researching behind the scenes. You may be tasked with being the organizer of projects behind the scenes as well. Make sure that you highlight your ability to be flexible when working as part of a team here.

"From a very young age in my career, I've always been a natural leader in a team based environment. My excellent communication skills, honesty, critical thinking and decision making skills have proven time and time again that I can lead others in the most effective way possible. And while being a leader comes naturally to me, I can easily let others take the lead on projects."

During your career, have you ever had to terminate an employee? How about having to handle mass job eliminations?

"While I don't have experience with large scale staff layoffs, I do have experiencing terminating employees for performance related issues. Early in my career, when working for a small company, I'll be honest in saying that I did struggle in this aspect of the job. Perhaps the best advice I ever received was from a colleague who told me that employees fire themselves and I just have to bring them the bad news. Through the terminations that I've handled during my career, I've learned that a systematic approach to performance documentation and record keeping is vital to ensuring that my organization was making the right choice. I've also learned that keeping personal feelings aside is extremely important as I am a representative of my organization. I feel these are both important things to work through if given the opportunity to work with clients who would be facing mass layoffs or position eliminations."

Consulting firms like Berkeley Research Group, that specialize in the HR side of businesses, often get called upon to analyze and assess businesses, their staffing and their overall practices. Part of the assessment phase can involve staffing numbers and getting an organization to the optimum number of employees. Because you may have to deal with layoffs or single terminations, your interviewer will be looking to hopefully hear that you have some experience with this during your career up to this point. Be sure to speak openly and honestly about your experiences while walking them through important things that are necessary during a termination or a layoff.

"As you can see from my experience, I have spent a good portion of my career in the unionized manufacturing setting and I have had to work through some mass layoffs during that time and individualized terminations as well. I know that my experience, particularly in the union setting, will be very beneficial in this advisory role with Berkeley Research Group."

Strong time management is important at Berkeley Research Group. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?

"I manage my time by exercising the idea of 'time-blocking'. This approach means that I won't incessantly check my email; instead, I will allow myself to return emails in 30-minute time blocks, four times per day. Setting calendar alerts and personal deadlines for myself has also helped a lot."

The interviewer would like to know more about the types of tools you use to stay on task and meet deadlines. Discuss how you prioritize when everything demands your attention at once. Think about the ways you manage your projects and daily tasks and how those will help you to succeed in your role with Berkeley Research Group.

"Very carefully! I prioritize deadlines and work that need to be done. Then work backward from there. When necessary, I utilize my resources and team to pitch in and contribute."

If you are hired for this position here at Berkeley Research Group, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

"As you can see from my resume, most of my career experience is in the food industry. If fortunate enough to be hired for this position, the biggest area for learning for me would be the finance side of other industries like technology, telecommunications and healthcare. From day one, I would begin by thoroughly research the clients here at Berkeley Research Group and speaking with as many industry experts that I know through business networking. While learning the ins and outs of other industries is the biggest learning curve for me, I see it as a great opportunity for me to become more proficient and effective in the work that I'd be doing for you."

For this question, you can showcase your research that you've done on both Berkeley Research Group and the role you are interviewing for by being upfront and honest about what you feel would be the biggest learning curve for you if hired for the position and giving your plan for how you would approach this hurdle. In your answer, make sure that you highlight your skills and abilities in making a molehill out of a mountain on your way to success in this role.

"While this may sound funny to you at first, I think the biggest challenge for me from the start will be adapting to the great corporate lifestyle and culture here at Berkeley Research Group. When I saw this position being open for applicants and I did my research, I was extremely excited to hear about the flexibility and openness to the ideas of your staff members. I've been working for six years in an environment that is very opposite of an open culture for new ideas and for me personally, it will feel foreign for me to bring new ideas to the team here and have them be accepted."

Being successful in consulting and working here at Berkeley Research Group requires the ability to work effectively with Type A personalities. What are your experiences in working with this personality and how did you make the relationships a success?

"For the last six years, I have worked under your prototypical type A personality as my director. Being a self admitted type B, being under my new director was difficult at first. For me to be successful under her and for our relationship to flourish, I learned quickly that she liked me to regularly communicate timelines for projects and give updates when necessary as she was very time driven. As well, small talk and getting to know me personally wasn't a priority so our communications to this day are pretty succinct and to the point. In this role, I would feel very comfortable with working with high level type A's because of my firsthand experience."

To first understand this question, it is important that you know that Type A personalities are exemplified by being competitive, motivated, organized and goal driven, among many other traits. These traits often lead to success in high level roles within organizations and your chances of working with this personality type are high. Think of a time you worked with a typical Type A personality and explain the methods you used to ensure that you had a sound and successful working relationship. Make sure that your interview walks away knowing that you can work effectively with difficultly driven individuals with high expectations.

"If you haven't been able to tell during my interview so far, I am a type A personality myself. My personality has helped me become very successful as a Financial Analyst. Having had formal training in the different personality types, I know that I need to take a meticulous approach when working with other type A personalities. My current team is loaded with type A's and regular communication is key in ensuring that expectations are clear and timelines are being met. If hired for this position, I would know my place in working with leaders from clients and I can easily be both cognizant of my approach and have the ability to put my desire to be in the lead aside with them when needed."

Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?

"In my current role, I have a customer that flies off the handle very easily if things don't happen just right and I learned this from my first interactions with him. In seeing this happen from the start, I have always maintained a calm demeanor when he was upset and showed empathy by asking questions about his expectations and how to fix situations for him. To this day, I expect difficulty from him when we work together and the years we've had a working relationship together have better prepared me for more clients like him in the future."

At some point in any person's career, they have to work with a colleague or customer who is extremely difficult. Rather than looking to hear the fine details as to why this person was difficult, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you personally handled the situation and others like it to ensure that a sound relationship was fostered even when you faced difficult circumstances. In your answer, some key things to focus on are your ability to be tolerant, understanding and a great communicator in these situations.

"A couple of years ago, a close colleague of mine had a very abrupt turnaround in her attitude and performance on the job. She was very curt and abrasive in conversations when she was normally very talkative and friendly on the job. After noticing some concerns in her work, I approached her with an open mind and asked her what was going on to cause these things to change. I showed concern and approached her as a friend and this approach prompted her to tell me about some issues happening in her personal life. By taking this approach, rather than getting upset or even made with her, I showed her that I cared and valued her as a person and my approach helped her open up and turn her life at work back around to the positive side."

Do you have any experience in 1:1 coaching of business leaders? If given the opportunity to coach leaders as a consultant here at Berkeley Research Group, what skills would you bring to the table?

"After obtaining my MBA, I embarked on a career path that involved organizational development and corporate training in the healthcare and manufacturing fields. During my time in the healthcare industry, I was an integral part in coaching high level leaders and did get the opportunity to do so on an individual basis. In my training and experience, I believe that the key component of individualized leadership training is that it is customized to each individual to suit their needs. I have extensive experience in evaluating skill sets and developing individualized training to work on critical leadership skills. Last year, I developed an individualized training for my organization's new Chief Nursing Officer that was centered around having difficult conversations with staff. The new leader was highly equipped with all of the great skills for the position, but lacked the ability and confidence in this necessary aspect of the job."

In looking to hire staff to work with the leaders of their clients, Berkeley Research Group may be considering candidates from many different backgrounds. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear if you have experience in working with and possibly coaching high level leaders in the business world. Talk openly about any experience that you have and, most importantly, talk about the unique skills that you would bring to the table if hired for this role at Berkeley Research Group.

"During my experience working with and training leaders in the manufacturing industry, I think I have a great knack for working with Type A personalities and really reaching them and their needs. I am skilled at creating desired challenges for them to help develop and hone their skills like I did a few years ago with a newly hired Chief Operating Officer that struggled with interpersonal skills. My key with him was setting challenging goals in between our meetings and the plan worked to perfection. If hired for this role here at Berkeley Research Group, this ability would be key with the leaders I would be working 1:1 with."

What knowledge do you have of differing leadership styles and how would you work effectively with each in this role?

"I have received training on working with the most common leadership styles in the sales industry: transformational leadership, transactional leadership, autocratic leadership, bureaucratic leadership and democratic leadership. I also fully understand the important characteristics and personality traits that leaders in each style display. I have some personal experience training an autocratic leader very closely on promoting teamwork within his department due to low morale. For this leader, it was important for me to personalize my approach by teaching him about his leadership style and what the pro's and con's both were. From there, my focus remained outward towards his team and their performance and how his approach could help impact that positively. Moving forward from our training, his team definitely felt a positive uptick in their morale and production."

People that work their way through the ranks of the business world and find themselves in high level positions can lead with many different styles. For this question, be sure to do your research on the differing leadership styles and be able to speak about specific times you have worked with leaders with that style or how you would effectively work with each style. Make sure to speak to the importance of differing leadership styles equating to the need for an individualized approach to training leaders.

"Having worked with leaders all across my current organization, I quickly came to realize that every leader works in and is motivated by their own unique set of circumstances. And because of those facts, it is important for me to take a personalized approach to training. I've worked with leaders that had a hard time delegating work and ruled with more of an iron fist than most others. For these leaders, a direct approach from myself as the trainer was required and a focus on the importance of teamwork and recognition were important. I've also worked with leaders on the opposite end of that spectrum that approached leadership from a very hands off perspective and were successful more on the administrative side of their roles. With these leaders, I had success in approaching training with an emphasis on establishing standards and procedures for their department and promoting their involvement with their team. I think my versatility in working with every leadership style would be an advantage here at Berkeley Research Group."

As a consultant with Berkeley Research Group, you will be relied upon to build trust with our clients as you work with them on financial stability and well-being. What would be your tactics to build trust from the start with a new client?

"In this role, I think it will be extremely important for me to demonstrate my value to my clients from the start and I would do this by using examples of prior successes and by projecting my knowledge in the financial world to them. By ensuring that they know I am a subject matter expert, they will be more willing to open up and be honest with me from the start and that is the only way we will be able to get places together in our client-consultant relationship. Moving forward from there, communication will be of utmost importance. I am a firm believer in regular updates on the progress of my work and I wouldn't hesitate to give updates to any of the key stakeholders that work for my clients."

This role with Berkeley Research Group will entail you working with clients and learning about their financial status as an organization. You'll work with high level leaders with your clients and a key component to them accepting and opening up to you as their consultant will be trust. Let your interviewer know that you understand the importance of building trust with their clients and talk about the little things that you'd do to build rapport and trust with the clients that you'd be working with. If you have an example of a trusting relationship you've built during your career, don't hesitate to talk about the relationship and why it was important.

"In the consultation world of finance, I think the key components to building rapport with clients would be a positive attitude and a genuine focus on their business. From the start with a new client, I would strive to know their business and put forth an effort to show that I am invested in their processes and successes just as much as an employee of the organization. This investment really suits my personality as I can only do a top-notch job if I am personally invested in a project."

How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?

"I really pride myself on my ability to multitask and my ability to stay organized in key in multitasking. For me personally, organization starts with using technology to my advantage and I do this through the use of my Outlook calendar and tasks functions. I take time each day to update my tasks and project work and use my ability to prioritize tasks to ensure that the right things are being worked on. In looking to bring these skills to long-term project work with your clients, staying organized and on task will be extremely important for the success of both Berkeley Research Group and your clients."

Working for Berkeley Research Group in the role you are interviewing for will require an innate ability to manage projects from conception to final implementation. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have the ability to maintain organization to meet deadlines and customer expectations. Talk about your personal methods for organizing project work and give any examples that you have of your methods being successful. In the consulting and advisory industry, customer satisfaction and word of mouth are integral to success and growth of a business and effective project management is key in satisfaction.

"In my work, the ability to stay organized and on track comes down to having a plan of attack for each project and keeping track of the plan as milestones are hit. If you are familiar with the program Trello, it really helps me organize all of the components of the projects that I work on and give me the ability to track who is doing what, what deadlines are coming and what milestones have been hit. But even with a great program like this, I always have the ability to re-prioritize due dates and new tasks as needed with any project."

If you were to join Berkeley Research Group in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?

"In my current role, I've been asked on numerous occasions to lead finance projects for my organization and I always do so with open arms and an open mind. On a recent project, I pulled together a team that included members of sales, production and upper management. to make this project successful, it was up to me to know each team member's area of expertise and delegate tasks based on their knowledge. A great part of the teams success was due to my ability to lead in a manner that promoted communication among individuals who never had the chance to work together and I accomplished this through fun ice breaking activities with the team and regular email communications outside of our in-person meetings."

The ability to lead others in project work or any other aspect of a business comes down to the fine details and traits of being a great leader. The experience you have can come from many different areas and can include project management, supervising/managing or even mentoring others. When you answer this question, be sure to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, bring unity, lead by example and empower/teach others and talk about how you will use these skills if hired at Berkeley Research Group.

"As you can see from my background, I have extensive experience as a Sales Manager and Director and I know that the skills I honed in these roles will transfer nicely to this position. I have always found that leading teams is best accomplished by leading by example and walking the talk that I put out to my staff. I feel that I've also developed great skills in mentoring and coaching my staff and I've been commended on these skills by both sales leadership peers and my team. In this role, I would bring this same approach when working with clients."

Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

"If hired for this position, one of the first things that you'll learn about me is that I am very driven to succeed in all that I do on the job. For me, personal drive definitely centers around goals and my desire to achieve them. I have the focus to set goals myself and to work towards goals that are set by my organization, my leaders or my customers and I would bring this ability with each client that I work with here at Berkeley Research Group."

Success in business consulting is most often measured in the achievement of goals for clients and for this question, your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear that you are driven by goals and that you have the ability to set them as well. In your answer, give your interviewer the sense that you are goal oriented by giving an example or two of a time where you set and worked towards a goal as part of a team effort. Explain your part in the achievement of the goals and your ability to stay focused on the end result.

"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented in the work that I do on a daily basis. In project management, I work off of both time related goals and production related goals and these really drive my daily tasks and my delegation of responsibilities to other team members. If given the opportunity to come work for Berkeley Research Group, my clients would greatly benefit from my ability to both set and achieve goals with them."

What interests you in joining the business consulting world here at Berkeley Research Group?

"At this point in my career, I feel like I have really maxed out my capabilities in my current role as the IT Director with my current organization. Over the past two or three years, I've found so much fulfillment in my work when I've been helping others and providing education to them that I've narrowed my job search down to the IT consulting field. The prospect of helping other IT departments grow and become more efficient under my consultation is an adventure that I would love to embark on here at Berkeley Research Group!"

Anytime the question regarding why you want to join the company is asked, it is very important to do your research on the organization and the position you are interviewing for so you can match your skills and desires to the job. In your answer here, be sure that you also speak to the potential move to a consultative type role if this will be the first time for you with a consulting organization. Be sure to highlight your qualities that make you an ideal fit for the job.

"As I've grown in my role in the Training & Education department with my current employer, I've gravitated toward leadership development and succession planning with my organization and I'd like to bring these skills to work here at Berkeley Research Group as this position fits right in that mold. Using my experience and knowledge, you'll quickly find that I have a great ability to work alongside and train the top level executives with your clients in a manner that is professional and effective at the same time. My experiences in both healthcare and manufacturing sound like they'd fit well with your client base as well."

What two to three traits do you have that will lead to success in a consulting role with Berkeley Research Group?

"To be honest, one of my motivations to branch out and seek a position in the business consulting world is my desire to work with others. My ability to relate to people and build strong relationships has been emphasized throughout my career to this point, but I don't get enough of that interaction in the private business world right now. If hired for this position, your clients here at Berkeley Research Group will not only benefit from my skills as a Financial Analyst, but also through the relationships we build and my ability to relate quickly with them."

Your interviewer will be able to gain a very solid sense of your technical abilities as a financial advisor in the consulting world based off of your work history. What they are trying to dig deeper into with this question are your interpersonal skills and personality traits that will make you trusted, respected and effective with clients of their organization. Prior to your interviewer, be prepared to speak to your abilities in communicating effectively, relationship building and any other personality traits you feel make you the right fit for this job.

"As you can see from my resume, I bring a strong breadth on knowledge and experience in the accounting and finance fields. But what I really think will set me apart from other candidates you are interviewing are my work ethic, my wide range of experiences in the field and my ability to take an empathetic approach with clients. I'm a very motivated person in the work that I perform and I'd love to bring this motivation here to Berkeley Research Group to help your clients. On top of that, I know I will be working with some clients that are facing financial hardship and my ability to show empathy and put myself in the client's shoes would be very beneficial to them."

Working with our clients here at Berkeley Research Group often involves some initial conflict with our clients. How would you rate your ability to handle conflict or disagreements in the workplace?

"In my role as a Project Manager with a large private organization, one of my first steps on any new project is setting a budget. Last year, I was leading the effort on a project focused on waste reduction in our manufacturing facilities. In the initial meetings for new projects, our CFO is always involved so she has a high-level overview of what the project will entail. In the meeting, she immediately berated me for the initial budget that I was proposing and vehemently insisted that the amount just wasn't correct or feasible. Rather than taking offense to her thoughts, I wanted to make sure that she, and the rest of the group, had a solid understanding of all that was taken into consideration for setting the budget. After I explained and showed line by line what the proposed budget broke down to, she was very thankful and didn't realize that team member labor was part of that equation. I think that my ability to understand why she was conflicted and my ability to keep a calm, cool head in that situation was vital and a perfect reason for me rating myself high on my conflict resolution skills."

When a consultant comes into an organization to help better an aspect of their business, there are many factors that can lead to initial conflicts with the consultant and their firm. Big egos not wanting a fresh new face and the fear of change are inevitable in this business and your interviewer wants to hear that you have the experience and ability to handle inevitable conflict that will come your way if hired for the position. While obviously rating yourself highly in this area, try to talk about a time where you handled difficult conflict on the job with ease.

"From my call center days, I think I developed great conflict resolution skills where I would rate myself an 8 out of 10. Handling customers who were upset about a product or service they received required a calm tone, an educational approach and the ability to not take things too personally. If hired for this position, I would be able to bring this same approach to the client of Berkeley Research Group."

At Berkeley Research Group, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?

"In my current role, I work directly under our Chief Financial Officer and sit on a couple of different committees that our Chief Executive Officer is on. Under the direction of my CFO, we have a great working relationship. I am comfortable approaching him at any moment with questions or to bring forward new ideas. He is aware of my strengths and respects my opinions on matters in my wheelhouse, so he never hesitates to come to me with important things. I think the keys to our strong relationship are the respect we show for each other and our open lines of communication."

As a business advisory and consulting firm, Berkeley Research Group works with Managers, Directors, CEO's, CFO's, CAO's and leaders with other titles on all of our projects. Your role will likely involve working closely with these leaders. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable in working with the leadership team of the organization's clients by having you talk about your experience. Make sure that the examples you provide include some details on how you worked effectively to get the job done with the leaders you worked with.

"Throughout my career, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with employees at all levels of the organizations that I've worked with. To me, working effectively with anyone requires a personal touch and a respectful approach. Whether I work with front line sales staff or members of the C-Suite, I take the time to get to know the person, their job and how I can best be of help to them in my role. This approach really helped me build a relationship with a Sales Executive that a few of my colleagues had struck out with in recent interactions."

What do you think is the key quality for a great business leader and how would you promote and educate this quality with our clients here at Berkeley Research Group?

"Through my years of working with high level executives and CEO's and through all of the great publications I have read, I truly believe that vision is one of the key components of any great leader. Where many great managers know what it takes to get the job done and do a excellent job of conveying that message, a true leader has a vision for the future to drive business to new levels while also having the foresight to put that vision into action. While being a believer that having true business vision comes naturally to the right people, I have worked with leaders on reflecting on their visions and giving them the tools to help project their vision into words with their staff. I'd love to bring these ideas to the leadership development programs here at Berkeley Research Group."

Business research and leadership development research has shown that there are many qualities that great leaders possess. Rather than having you rattle off all of the great qualities, your interviewer is looking to hear you speak passionately about what you feel is an important quality of a great leaders. Prior to your interview, put some thought to this question to be able to speak about why you feel this quality is important in leadership and how you would promote this quality with your clients if hired for the position.

"In my experience working closely with high level leaders at the organization I've worked with during my career, I'm a believer that the promotion of teamwork and cohesiveness is one of the key qualities of successful leaders. I've witnessed to many teams and businesses fail because a leader was too stubborn to delegate work and trust others around them to help get a job done. For me, I've always stressed the importance of teamwork by promoting a trusting environment for my leaders and showing them the importance of not being the watch over your shoulder types of leaders. I have many great examples of great leaders who delegated work and entrusted their staff around them to work cohesively as a team."

Berkeley Research Group Interview Questions

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1. Being successful in the consulting industry requires adaptability and the ability to learn a business fast. What would be your approach to help you learn the ins and outs of a new client?
2. How do you ensure accuracy and completeness in accounting records?
3. An often difficult part about working for Berkeley Research Group and our clients is the need to be fluent and adaptable to the cultures of our clients. Why would you say that you'd be able to handle this aspect of the job with ease?
4. In this role with Berkeley Research Group, how would you evaluate a new client's financial position?
5. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?
6. What tools and programs are you comfortable and experienced working on that would help you in this role with Berkeley Research Group?
7. Tell me about a time when you took charge of a meeting. Was the outcome a positive one?
8. Give an example of a finance project that you worked on during your career. What was the project, what role did you play on the project team and what was the outcome of the project?
9. In what ways would our clients here at Berkeley Research Group benefit from your knowledge and services?
10. A key component to success here at Berkeley Research Group is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?
11. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?
12. During your career, have you ever had to terminate an employee? How about having to handle mass job eliminations?
13. Strong time management is important at Berkeley Research Group. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?
14. If you are hired for this position here at Berkeley Research Group, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?
15. Being successful in consulting and working here at Berkeley Research Group requires the ability to work effectively with Type A personalities. What are your experiences in working with this personality and how did you make the relationships a success?
16. Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
17. Do you have any experience in 1:1 coaching of business leaders? If given the opportunity to coach leaders as a consultant here at Berkeley Research Group, what skills would you bring to the table?
18. What knowledge do you have of differing leadership styles and how would you work effectively with each in this role?
19. As a consultant with Berkeley Research Group, you will be relied upon to build trust with our clients as you work with them on financial stability and well-being. What would be your tactics to build trust from the start with a new client?
20. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?
21. If you were to join Berkeley Research Group in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?
22. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?
23. What interests you in joining the business consulting world here at Berkeley Research Group?
24. What two to three traits do you have that will lead to success in a consulting role with Berkeley Research Group?
25. Working with our clients here at Berkeley Research Group often involves some initial conflict with our clients. How would you rate your ability to handle conflict or disagreements in the workplace?
26. At Berkeley Research Group, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?
27. What do you think is the key quality for a great business leader and how would you promote and educate this quality with our clients here at Berkeley Research Group?

Berkeley Research Group Interview Questions

1. Being successful in the consulting industry requires adaptability and the ability to learn a business fast. What would be your approach to help you learn the ins and outs of a new client?

2. How do you ensure accuracy and completeness in accounting records?

3. An often difficult part about working for Berkeley Research Group and our clients is the need to be fluent and adaptable to the cultures of our clients. Why would you say that you'd be able to handle this aspect of the job with ease?

4. In this role with Berkeley Research Group, how would you evaluate a new client's financial position?

5. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

6. What tools and programs are you comfortable and experienced working on that would help you in this role with Berkeley Research Group?

7. Tell me about a time when you took charge of a meeting. Was the outcome a positive one?

8. Give an example of a finance project that you worked on during your career. What was the project, what role did you play on the project team and what was the outcome of the project?

9. In what ways would our clients here at Berkeley Research Group benefit from your knowledge and services?

10. A key component to success here at Berkeley Research Group is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?

11. What roles are you comfortable assuming in working as part of a larger team?

12. During your career, have you ever had to terminate an employee? How about having to handle mass job eliminations?

13. Strong time management is important at Berkeley Research Group. How do you manage your time, even on the busiest days?

14. If you are hired for this position here at Berkeley Research Group, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

15. Being successful in consulting and working here at Berkeley Research Group requires the ability to work effectively with Type A personalities. What are your experiences in working with this personality and how did you make the relationships a success?

16. Talk about a time you had to work with a very difficult person. What was the situation and how did you handle it?

17. Do you have any experience in 1:1 coaching of business leaders? If given the opportunity to coach leaders as a consultant here at Berkeley Research Group, what skills would you bring to the table?

18. What knowledge do you have of differing leadership styles and how would you work effectively with each in this role?

19. As a consultant with Berkeley Research Group, you will be relied upon to build trust with our clients as you work with them on financial stability and well-being. What would be your tactics to build trust from the start with a new client?

20. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?

21. If you were to join Berkeley Research Group in this role, you will be counted on to lead projects. Talk about a time you had to lead a team of individuals. What leadership skills do you have that you will bring to the table here?

22. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

23. What interests you in joining the business consulting world here at Berkeley Research Group?

24. What two to three traits do you have that will lead to success in a consulting role with Berkeley Research Group?

25. Working with our clients here at Berkeley Research Group often involves some initial conflict with our clients. How would you rate your ability to handle conflict or disagreements in the workplace?

26. At Berkeley Research Group, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?

27. What do you think is the key quality for a great business leader and how would you promote and educate this quality with our clients here at Berkeley Research Group?