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Strategic and Business Consulting (BBA80286)

General information

Type:

OP

Curs:

1,2,3,4

Period:

S semester

ECTS Credits:

2 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group Teacher Department Language
Ed: 1 Óscar Batista Zazurca Dirección General y Estrategia ENG

Group Teacher Department Language
Ed: 2 Óscar Batista Zazurca Dirección General y Estrategia ENG

Previous Knowledge

Fundamentals of Management, Marketing, Accounting and Finances are highly recommended for this course

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

Strategic and Business Consulting is one of the most popular professional opportunities among management students.

This elective course aims to complement all the core courses of the Program and provide the students with a better understanding of the consultancy world and opportunities (especially in Spain). We will work as well in the soft skills required to increase the probability to get a job in such a demanded professional opportunity.

Course Learning Objectives

This course aims to:
- Provide the student with an overview of the world of Strategic and Business Consulting, the main players and the opportunities, especially in the Spanish market
- Work on the key skills that a good consultant requires
- Familiarise students with methodological and working tools used in Strategic and Business Consultancy
- Show how to face the selection process of the important Consultancy firms
- Present and discuss with students real-life case studies and consulting stories by the hand of professionals working for strategic and business consultancy firms

By the end of the course, students will:
- Have a global picture and a better understanding of the consultancy market and will be able to take an informed decision about the future of their professional career
- Understand how the different consultancy firms recruiting process works and be prepare to face it with more probability to success
- Have available some frameworks, methodologies and tools to understand the needs of a client (or any company problem) in an analytic and structured way
- Improve their skills of: critical thinking, analysis, problem-solving, discussion and public presentation

CONTENT

1. Session 1. Introduction to Consulting & Case I

Contents:
¿ Who is who in the consultancy world
¿ Main segments in the market
¿ Current situation of Consultancy in Spain
¿ Skills, role and tasks of an Analyst / Consultant
¿ Career path in companies such as McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, BAIN&Company, PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, E&Y, Accenture, Delta or Minsait

CASE I - Consulting experience from a former consultant at McKinsey

Bibliography:
¿ Chung, E. & Walker, L. (2007). Vault Career Guide to Consulting. Vault Career Library, USA
¿ Rasiel, E.M. (1999). The McKinsey Way. McGraw-Hill, USA
¿ Nelson, B., Economy, P. & Albon, P. (2009). Consulting for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. Chichester, West Sussex, England
¿ Sadler, P. (1998). Management Consultancy. Kogan Page, London

2. Session 2. The Strategic & Business Consulting Project, Case II & III

Contents:
¿ The project Life Cycle
¿ The basic vocabulary of a project in Consulting
¿ Project Management

CASE II - Consulting experience from a consultant at BCG
CASE III - Consulting experience from a former consultant at Bain & Company

Bibliography:
¿ Chung, E. & Walker, L. (2007). Vault Career Guide to Consulting. Vault Career Library, USA
¿ Rasiel, E.M. (1999). The McKinsey Way. McGraw-Hill, USA
¿ Nelson, B., Economy, P. & Albon, P. (2009). Consulting for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. Chichester, West Sussex, England
¿ Sadler, P. (1998). Management Consultancy. Kogan Page, London

3. Session 3. Methodologies and Frameworks in Strategic & Business Consulting & Case IV

Contents:
¿ Most used methodologies in strategic consulting
¿ 80:20 and Diagnostic tools
¿ Strategy approaches

CASE IV - Consulting experience from a consultant at PwC

Bibliography:
¿ Chung, E. & Walker, L. (2007). Vault Career Guide to Consulting. Vault Career Library, USA
¿ Rasiel, E.M. (1999). The McKinsey Way. McGraw-Hill, USA
¿ Nelson, B., Economy, P. & Albon, P. (2009). Consulting for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. Chichester, West Sussex, England
¿ Sadler, P. (1998). Management Consultancy. Kogan Page, London

4. Session 4. The Interview in Strategic & Business Consulting, Case V & VI

Contents:
¿ The recruiting process
¿ The Interview
¿ The Case interview
¿ Market estimation
¿ Brainteasers
¿ Important skills, attitude and preparation of the candidate

CASE V - Consulting experience from a consultant at Minsait
CASE VI - Consulting experience from a consultant at Delta Partners

Bibliography:
¿ Chung, E. & Walker, L. (2007). Vault Career Guide to Consulting. Vault Career Library, USA
¿ Cheng, V. (2012). Case Interview Secrets. Innovation Press, Seattle (USA)
¿ Whitehurst, D. & Robinson, E. (2016). The Case Interview: 20 Days to Ace the Case: Your Day-by-Day Prep Course to Land a Job in Management Consulting. Tycho Press, USA

5. Session 5. Working on the main consultant competences and skills & Case VII

Contents:
¿ The consultant attitude
¿ Critical thinking
¿ Analysis
¿ Problem-solving
¿ Discussion
¿ Effective presentations
¿ Ethics

CASE VII - Consulting experience from a consultant at Deloitte

Bibliography:
¿ Chung, E. & Walker, L. (2007). Vault Career Guide to Consulting. Vault Career Library, USA
¿ Rasiel, E.M. (1999). The McKinsey Way. McGraw-Hill, USA
¿ Nelson, B., Economy, P. & Albon, P. (2009). Consulting for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. Chichester, West Sussex, England

6. Session 6. Final session: Students presentations and learnings from the course

Contents:
¿ Students presentations in groups
¿ Life after consulting
¿ Learnings from the course (¿take aways¿)

Methodology

Assessment criteria

Given the nature of this course, attendance is required and active participation is critical.
Course assessment will be based on:
25% class participation
75% integrative exercises and presentations

Bibliography

- Chung, E. & Walker, L. (2007). Vault Career Guide to Consulting. Vault Career Library, USA
- Rasiel, E.M. (1999). The McKinsey Way. McGraw-Hill, USA
- Nelson, B., Economy, P. & Albon, P. (2009). Consulting for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. Chichester, West Sussex, England
- Cheng, V. (2012). Case Interview Secrets. Innovation Press, Seattle (USA)
- Whitehurst, D. & Robinson, E. (2016). The Case Interview: 20 Days to Ace the Case: Your Day-by-Day Prep Course to Land a Job in Management Consulting. Tycho Press, USA
- Sadler, P. (1998). Management Consultancy. Kogan Page, London

Timetable and sections

Group Teacher Department
Ed: 1 Óscar Batista Zazurca Dirección General y Estrategia

Timetable Ed: 1

From 2018/2/5 to 2018/3/5:
Each Monday from 17:00 to 20:00.

Monday 2018/4/9 from 17:00 to 20:00.

Group Teacher Department
Ed: 2 Óscar Batista Zazurca Dirección General y Estrategia

Timetable Ed: 2

From 2018/6/4 to 2018/6/15:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 17:00 to 20:00.

Monday 2018/7/16 from 9:00 to 11:30.