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Student FAQ
What is Spartan Consulting?
Spartan Consulting is Michigan State University’s only student run, fee-based consulting firm. Since 1997, we have drawn from the diversity and expertise of the MBA students at the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management to deliver high value, custom fit solutions to clients ranging from startups to fortune 500 corporations. With access to cutting-edge management technology and research, Spartan Consulting provides the link between the classroom and the boardroom, developing strategic solutions in the areas of: Business Strategy, Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management.
Who can join Spartan Consulting?
All MBA students at the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management are welcome to apply.
What is Spartan Consulting looking for in a consultant?
You do not need to have prior consulting experience in order to join Spartan Consulting. Every skill set, background and major will be considered. Some of the most important attributes of successful consultants are the individual’s ability to work well in a team, communicate effectively and manage their time well. Interest, enthusiasm, work ethic and commitment to the client and the organization are more important than your background. Spartan Consulting is looking for individuals who have the potential to be great consultants, and we are convinced that every MBA student has that potential.
What is the Spartan Consulting interview process like?
Spartan Consulting conducts a behavioral as well as a case interview. This allows students to show their analytical skills, communication skills, and problem solving abilities. When formulating your answers to behavioral questions, use the STAR method.
If you are not familiar with the STAR method it is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.
Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
Task: What goal were you working toward?
Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.
Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.
Make sure that you follow all parts of the STAR method. Be as specific as possible at all times, without rambling or including too much information.
When analyzing the case question, feel free to use any framework that you want. Just keep in mind that being able to explain why you did what you did, or how you reached your conclusion is just as important to us as the answer itself.
How do I get staffed to a project?
Once you become a Spartan Consultant your skill set will be matched against incoming projects. If you are well suited for a project you will receive an offer to be part of the project team. If your schedule will not allow you to fully participate in the project you do not have to accept the offer.
How many hours per week does Spartan Consulting require?
When you get staffed to a project the time demands will vary according to the requirements of the project. On average, Spartan Consultants spend about 10-20 hours per week on their projects. Of course, throughout the course of the project there will be peaks/valleys that will require more or less time.
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