Strategy Simplified
Strategy Simplified is here to demystify the consulting industry and help you land your dream job in management consulting. Hosted by the expert team at Management Consulted - the world's largest resource for consulting news and interview prep - each episode covers topics related to the consulting world, from interview preparation and case study techniques to networking strategies and industry trends. Whether you're just starting your career or looking to make a transition, Strategy Simplified is the go-to resource for anyone looking to break into the consulting industry. With actionable advice, insider tips, and real-life success stories, this podcast is the ultimate guide to simplifying your career strategy and landing your dream consulting job.
Episodes
714 episodes
S24E3: 3 Questions That Kill Your Case Interview Opening
"Any other objectives?" sounds polite. But in a case interview opening, it costs you points.Namaan breaks down the 3 questions that kill candidates in the first 2 minutes of a case.The case opening is the first section that...
S24E2: How Consulting Firms Really Score Case Interviews
You can nail every case you practice and still get rejected.That's because firms aren't grading you on vibes. McKinsey scores you piece by piece – opening, structure, math, brainstorming, closing. Other firms use 3 buckets ...
S24E1: The Hottest Consulting Sectors to Target in 2026
McKinsey is making 12% more hires this year than last. But the jobs aren't going to the same profile of candidate.Energy and utilities is projected to grow 11% in 2026 – one of the least sexy practices in consulting, and one of the hotte...
S23E30: Why Retail Consulting Firms Are Losing Market Share
Consumer and retail consulting used to be one market. Now it's 4.Each lane pulls a different lever – growth, margin, or talent. Firms that used to compete on "we do consumer and retail" are getting picked apart by specialists who can pro...
S23E29: How to Build Business Acumen for Consulting
Building business judgment is learnable – most candidates just go about it the wrong way.Tauseef Charanya spent 10 years at BCG, conducted over 300 case interviews, and coached hundreds of candidates through the process. In t...
S23E28: How to Use AI in Case Prep (And How Not To)
Using AI for case prep? For most candidates, it's costing them the offer.McKinsey and Bain are already grading how you use AI in interviews this cycle.Most candidates ask AI for answers, skip the hypothesis, and accept whatever it...
S23E27: Former BCG Consultant Runs a Live Higher Education Case Interview
This episode is presented by Bates White, one of the world's top economic consulting firms. If you're an undergraduate rising junior (Class of 2028), Bates White internship applications open in August.
S23E26: Everyone Thinks AI Is Killing Consulting. The Data Says the Opposite
Everyone assumes AI is eating consulting alive – demand shrinking, firms pulling back. That's the narrative. The data from our July Consulting Market Outlook says something else entirely.In this episode of The Briefing
S23E25: BCG HireQuotient: What It Is, How It's Scored, and How to Pass It
BCG's HireQuotient Online Assessment is the Online Case – same test, new platform.Katie – MC's Black Belt Advisor and ex-BCG – breaks down what's on it, how it's scored, and the thing that fails candidates outright.We walk through...
S23E24: Consumer & Retail Consulting in 2026 – What the Top Firms Are Watching
The consumer and retail consulting market is fragmenting. Specialists are winning deals that used to go to the big firms – and the clients driving that shift aren't going back.2 partners from this year's Top Consumer & Retail Consult...
S23E23: The Unsexy Habit That Landed Him a BCG Offer
Bruno had every disadvantage on paper: international student, non-target school, three internships that didn't add up to one clear story.He didn't let it hold him back, landing a full-time offer at BCG.In this episode of Recru...
S23E22: Case Interviews Got Harder at MBB in 2026 – Here's What Changed
Every McKinsey interviewee last year got at least 1 non-traditional case. Most candidates are still only prepping for standard business cases.Namaan breaks down what's actually different about case interviews in 2026, and it's not...
S23E21: The Real Driver Behind the Energy Consulting Boom
Energy consulting grew in line with the market for a decade. Flat. Unremarkable. Nobody paid attention.That changed. The market's now projected to grow 11% in 2026, and leverage for candidates with ops or technical bac...
S23E20: The 4 Case Prep Gaps Costing You the Offer
The reality of MBB recruiting: 100 candidates apply. 15 get an interview. 1 gets the offer.Most of the 99 who don't get it aren't underqualified. They just had a bad plan.Kabreya Ghaderi, who coached hundreds of candidates and spe...
S23E19: BCG Case Interview – Solar Energy Revenue Decline
Ish Mawla ran a BCG case in front of a live audience. Real candidate, real pressure.The case: a solar company in an emerging market watching its revenue fall while the broader market keeps growing. Aditya has to figure out why – and what...
S23E18: 5 Candidates Share What Actually Got Them MBB Offers
5 people just landed offers at McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, and L.E.K. We got them all in one room and asked them the same question: what actually worked?The real stuff – how many cases they did, how they networked, what they wish they...
S23E17: Ex-Bain Interviewer Shares What Gets You Hired at Bain
Mitali Jalan was told she couldn't break into consulting as a chartered accountant. She was told it was unlikely she'd land Bain as an international MBA student. She got the offers anyway.She worked at Deloitte India and Bain L...
S23E16: How AI is Disrupting the Consulting Model | Arda Ecevit, Ex-Bain & NexStrat AI Founder
Every week we hear the same question from candidates: Is AI going to gut consulting before I can break in?Short answer: No.Longer answer: The model is changing fast, and you need to know what's shifting and what is...
S23E15: He Quit His Job to Break Into Consulting
Walter applied to consulting out of undergrad and didn't get an offer. Went into investment banking, got another shot a year and a half later, and still wasn't ready – too busy, not focused enough, cramming at the last minute.So he qu...
S23E14: Ex-BCG Principal: Why 22 Cases Beat 100 (And What Actually Gets Offers)
BCG interviews typically start 3–4 weeks after the application deadline – and
S23E13: How to Crush Your First 90 Days in Consulting
Most new consultants walk in with work style blind spots they can't see – and their managers notice before they do.In this episode, Namaan – COO of Management Consulted – breaks down his framework for owning your first 90 days in consult...
S23E12: Energy Consulting Is Exploding – 3 Insiders Break Down Why
Energy consulting is growing 11% this year – the fastest-growing sector in consulting.AI data centers are eating power faster than the grid can supply, the energy transition is still underway, and nobody has a clean answer for how to do ...
S23E11: 400 Bain Resumes Reviewed – 3 Mistakes She Saw Every Time
Maile Dyer reviewed 400+ resumes as a Bain Manager. She was on the recruiting team, making the decisions on who got interviews.And she kept seeing the same 3 mistakes: structure, content, and formatting. Most candidates miss at least one...
S23E10: BCG Revamped the CCA – An Ex-BCG Consultant Breaks It Down
BCG just updated its Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) and most candidates approach it the wrong way.In this episode, Katie – ex-BCG, Black Belt Advisor at Management Consulted – breaks down the revamped CCA across each section, so you ...
S23E9: The 5 Places Consultants Go After MBB
Everyone wonders what comes after consulting, but the exits aren't talked about.In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae (ex-Bain) breaks down the 5 most common exit paths – and why consulting opens more doors than almost...
