Consultants are hired to solve complex problems quickly and convincingly. But what do consultants do that makes their approach so useful for job interviews, sales calls, and college interviews? This post translates the consultant playbook into a practical, repeatable method you can use to treat any conversation as a short consulting engagement: diagnose, analyze, recommend, and deliver. Read on for day-in-the-life breakdowns, concrete skills to practice, case and behavioral strategies, common traps, and a step-by-step preparation toolkit you can use immediately.
Sources and further reading used in this post include job descriptions and role breakdowns from hiring sites and consulting prep resources like Workable and CaseInterview, and guides on interviewing stages from Prosple and Indeed. See links sprinkled throughout for deeper dives.
What do consultants do in a day in the life breakdown
At its core, what do consultants do every day is run focused, time-boxed projects that diagnose problems, generate options, and create implementable recommendations. A typical consultant’s day includes:
Meeting stakeholders to gather requirements and align priorities. Consultants invest in stakeholder interviews to understand constraints and desired outcomes before jumping into solutions Workable.
Collecting data through surveys, interviews, document review, and market research. Rigorous fact-gathering is the backbone of an evidence-driven recommendation CaseInterview.
Structuring the problem: breaking large, ambiguous issues into clear subproblems that can be tested and solved sequentially.
Analyzing quantitatively and qualitatively: from simple back-of-envelope math to deeper financial and process analysis.
Presenting findings and recommendations in concise, persuasive deliverables (slide decks, memos, or workshop outputs).
Implementing solutions or supporting change through training and coaching.
Measuring outcomes and iterating on the approach.
Key insight: consultants act as temporary external experts who swiftly diagnose root causes and propose prioritized, actionable strategies rather than just opinions CaseInterview. Translating this to interviews means you can approach every high-stakes conversation as a short consulting engagement: clarify the client (interviewer) problem, hypothesize, test, and recommend.
What do consultants do to build core skills you need for interviews
Consultants train specific skills that map directly to interview success. Knowing what do consultants do to be effective will show you what to practice:
Analytical thinking and structured problem solving: consultants learn to decompose problems, use MECE-style frameworks, and communicate logic step-by-step. Apply this to case answers and technical explanations CaseInterview.
Communication and storytelling: turning analysis into a 2–3 point narrative with supporting evidence is a consultant habit. Interviews reward concise framing and a strong headline recommendation.
Stakeholder management and influencing: consultants build consensus without formal authority by asking questions, aligning incentives, and framing trade-offs—useful for behavioral answers about influencing teams or clients Workable.
Project and time management: consulting deadlines are relentless; practicing tight time-boxed responses prepares you for back-to-back interviews or multi-stage hiring days Prosple.
Adaptability and hypothesis-driven thinking: consultants form quick hypotheses and then validate them with available data—ideal for ambiguous case prompts and open-ended interview questions.
Resilience under pressure: frequent feedback and high stakes train consultants to iterate quickly after failures—practice post-mortems for interview simulations.
Why does this matter? Because interviewers (and customers in sales calls) rarely just want a correct final answer—they want to see the process, how you handle ambiguity, and whether you can influence results. Mirror consultant habits and you’ll show both skill and judgment.
What do consultants do during case interviews and behavioral prep
If you’re wondering what do consultants do when preparing for interviews, break it into stages and tasks:
Recruiter and screen calls: consultants and candidates alike prepare concise motivation and fit narratives. Expect high-level questions about goals and culture fit—have a clear thesis about why the role matters to you Prosple.
Case interviews: consultants practice structured problem solving under time pressure. The flow consultants use maps directly to case preparation: clarify the problem, state your framework/hypothesis, run analyses (numerical and qualitative), and conclude with a recommendation and next steps CaseInterview.
Behavioral / PEI (personal experience interviews): consultants prepare concise stories using a process-driven STAR/CCAR approach (Situation, Task/Challenge, Action, Result). Emphasize your role, the decision process, and measurable outcomes—firms care more about reasoning than “perfect” answers Prosple.
Partner rounds and fit interviews: consultants practice business acumen, industry awareness, and cases that test depth of insight—have questions and hypotheses about the company ready Ascent Pros.
Practical tip: treat each interview as a mini consulting project—start by diagnosing the “client problem” (what is the interviewer trying to learn), then apply a structured approach to demonstrate your thinking.
What do consultants do to apply tactics to sales calls and college interviews
Consulting methods work beyond hiring. Consider what do consultants do in client-facing scenarios and how you can adapt them:
Sales calls
Discovery first: consultants ask diagnostic questions to uncover pain, priorities, and decision criteria. You should probe before pitching so your recommendations map to needs Workable.
Tailored solutions: rather than a generic pitch, consultants frame recommendations with implementation steps and ROI. In sales, propose a phased plan with quick wins and metrics for success.
Objection handling and consensus building: consultants reconcile competing stakeholder priorities and build buy-in—practice articulating trade-offs and escalation plans.
Follow-up: send concise summaries, next steps, and responsibilities—consultants close the loop with deliverables and milestones.
College interviews
Research and relevance: like consultants surveying a market, research the institution’s values and programs. Use that data to match your strengths to program needs CaseInterview.
Narrative as recommendation: present a coherent story about your fit, contributions, and a short plan for growth in college—address gaps proactively by suggesting how you’ll bridge them.
Group and extracurricular dynamics: consultants often participate in workshops and group problem solving—practice group interviewing and think-aloud problem-solving to show collaboration skills Prosple.
Across both scenarios, the consultant habit of asking diagnostic questions, proposing prioritized solutions, and documenting next steps raises you from a candidate to a trusted advisor.
What do consultants do when facing common challenges and how can you overcome them in interviews
Consultants face recurring challenges that map directly to candidate pitfalls. Knowing what do consultants do about these problems helps you prepare answers and behaviors that demonstrate competence.
Challenge: handling ambiguity
Consulting description: projects start with fuzzy goals; consultants form hypotheses and test them CaseInterview.
Interview application: when a case or interview question is vague, state assumptions, propose a simple framework, and outline what data you’d seek. Interviewers reward clarity of process.
Challenge: influencing without authority
Consulting description: convincing executives requires framing incentives and building consensus Workable.
Interview application: in behavioral answers about persuasion, describe stakeholder mapping, tailored messaging, and follow-up that led to alignment.
Challenge: managing stress and multiple priorities
Consulting description: consultants juggle overlapping deadlines across projects Prosple.
Interview application: describe prioritization frameworks you use (impact × effort) and provide examples of triaging work under pressure.
Challenge: feedback and failure
Consulting description: iterative approaches and frequent reviews normalize course correction Ascent Pros.
Interview application: for questions about mistakes, emphasize what you learned, how you changed process, and what measures you used to prevent recurrence.
Actionable note: firms and interviewers often care more about your method and reasoning than any single “right” answer—focus on communicating your process clearly Prosple.
What do consultants do to prepare and what actionable steps can you use right now
If you want to prepare like a consultant, use this practical checklist to build your interview and sales-call readiness.
Step 1 — Gather data
Run mock interviews and short surveys: ask peers or mentors what they want to learn about candidates in interviews. Treat this as stakeholder discovery Workable.
Step 2 — Structure responses
Use a consistent framework: define the problem, outline the approach, analyze, recommend, and suggest next steps. This sequence mirrors consultant deliverables and keeps answers crisp CaseInterview.
Step 3 — Master STAR for behavioral stories
Situation, Task, Action, Result: quantify outcomes wherever possible. Include reflections on trade-offs and learning Prosple.
Step 4 — Practice timed cases and verbal reasoning
Practice solving cases aloud within time limits and summarizing conclusions in 2–3 bullets. Use mock case partners or online case libraries CaseInterview.
Step 5 — Build domain knowledge
Consultants maintain a knowledge bank. Read industry reports and news to speak confidently about trends and implications for the organization you’re interviewing with Workable.
Step 6 — Simulate pressure and feedback loops
Do back-to-back mock interviews, run immediate feedback sessions, and iterate on gaps. Post-interview, write a short “project post-mortem” focusing on what worked and what to change next.
Pro tips
For group assessments, show leadership by facilitating the group to reach consensus—ask clarifying questions and draw out quieter voices Prosple.
Prioritize process over perfection: interviewers often look for a rational method rather than a single correct result Ascent Pros.
Use simple visuals (a one-slide framework or a quick sketch) to summarize your recommendation when appropriate.
Downloadable next steps
Build a 30-60-90 style template that maps your recommendations and quick wins.
Prepare five diagnostic questions to use in interviews or sales calls.
Maintain a one-page “case cheat sheet” with go-to frameworks and mental math shortcuts.
How Can Verve AI Copilot Help You With what do consultants do
Verve AI Interview Copilot can simulate interviewers and give targeted feedback as you practice consulting-style answers. Verve AI Interview Copilot runs mock case interviews, scores your structure, and suggests phrasing to improve clarity. Verve AI Interview Copilot also provides realtime prompts to help you adopt consultant habits like hypothesis-driven thinking and stakeholder questioning. Try it at https://vervecopilot.com to get structured practice and iterative coaching tailored to what do consultants do in interviews.
What Are the Most Common Questions About what do consultants do
Q: What is a consultant’s main role in a company
A: Diagnose problems, recommend prioritized solutions, and help implement changes
Q: How do consultants prepare for case interviews
A: Practice frameworks, timed problems, and clear hypothesis-driven answers
Q: Can consulting skills help in sales calls
A: Yes—diagnostics, tailored solutions, and clear next steps increase buy-in
Q: What should I emphasize in a behavioral interview as a consultant
A: Your process, stakeholder influence, outcomes, and learning reflections
Q: How do consultants handle ambiguous interview cases
A: State assumptions, ask clarifying questions, and outline a testable approach
(Note: Each Q/A above is intentionally concise to reflect common, high-utility concerns.)
Closing: How to practice the consulting approach and win conversations
Summarizing what do consultants do into a routine you can practice:
Diagnose first: always start by clarifying the objective and constraints.
Structure your answer: use a short framework—problem, approach, analysis, recommendation, next steps.
Communicate headlines: lead with a concise recommendation, then justify it.
Quantify where possible: even rough numbers demonstrate rigor.
Influence thoughtfully: align recommendations with stakeholders’ priorities.
Iterate and learn: treat each interview or call as a project and run a brief post-mortem.
If you make these consultant habits part of your regular preparation—daily domain reading, timed case practice, mock stakeholder interviews—you'll move from reactive answers to confidently advising. That’s the difference between answering questions and consulting your way to success.
Further reading and resources
Consultant job description and daily responsibilities Workable
What consultants actually do and how they structure work CaseInterview
What to expect in consulting interview stages Prosple
Typical consultant interview questions and guidance Indeed
Ready to practice? Start today with one mock case, one behavioral story refined using STAR, and one 5-question discovery script for your next sales call or interview. Treat every conversation like a consulting engagement and you’ll change how interviewers perceive both your competence and your leadership.
