The Consulting Interview

Anyone who has interviewed with a consultancy knows these types of questions:

-List your five strengths
-List three weaknesses
-Give examples from your past jobs how you utilized / overcame situations related to the above.

These are horrible on-the-spot questions, but with experience, I've gathered quite a repertoire to answer. I'm now answering such questions again, not so much for my upcoming interview, but for a career coach whom I've decided to visit a couple of times.

It's strange to write lists of things you are good at, but don't want to do (Ms brilliant secretary!). It's also lovely to be able to openly voice things that you are not good at, which you would never say at an interview (for me to know, for you not to find out here in such a public space...).

And it's good to realize that I'm no longer starting from scratch. I've muddled through a lot with my career, but have also made very conscious decisions: left jobs and areas I don't like, left teams and colleagues I cannot work with, retrained myself in a field that interests me.

Do I know what I want to do? Yes.
Do I know how I want to do this, and how to get there? Watch this space. For a longish while...