I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Frederic W. Cook (San Francisco, CA) in Mar 2022
Interview
The interview process was a bit lengthy (approximately a month), but it was clear that the hiring team invests substantial time so as to truly get to know each candidate. In total, I had 6 interviews/meeting with various principals, consultants, and directors. Each office handles its hiring process individually, so you will get to know your potential team before an offer is extended. There were two initial phone/zoom interviews/conversations, then a case study presentation on a topic/task that is common to the job (I took about 5-6 hours to complete this as its take-home). After this round, you are invited to present your case to a large panel, and finally you meet one or two of the managing directors. Everyone is extremely nice and offers stellar communication and guidance. This sets the company apart from other firms, whose processes are extremely corporate and less personal. The entire process is rigorous, but if you are versed in Excel and data analysis, you will do well. You'll also get a sense early on if the work is interesting to you. For me, I was drawn to the work after the first phone call, so I knew I wanted the job.
* Make sure you have very good questions for each interviewer to show your interest and that you've done your research. They will be impressed. They do not expect you to know much about the industry.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell us about research experiences you've had.
How do you approach teamwork assignments?
Why FW cook?
Why executive compensation consulting?
Why did you choose your undergraduate major? How does it prepare you for this role?
How would your supervisors / mentors describe you?
Are you comfortable with hard work and ambiguity? Are you good at pivoting and adapting to situational challenges?
I applied through college or university. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Frederic W. Cook (New York, NY) in Jan 2022
Interview
Overall, this was a horrible process. I applied through a college program and had a first-round interview over zoom. The interview went really well and I was asked to complete an Excel and PowerPoint assignment. After putting my school work aside for the assignment and dedicating my time and effort to it, I never heard back from anyone. I sent multiple follow-up emails to more than one person and still never heard back. At least have the decency to send a rejection email.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Do you have experience with executive compensation consulting?
I applied through college or university. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Frederic W. Cook
Interview
I saw a job posting on our university career portal, and I reached out to someone working at FW Cook to find out more about the company and position They were very timely and friendly in response. FW cook is not a huge firm, so speaking with current employees this way may replace 1st round phone screens, which is what happened in my case. Communication was rapid and efficient throughout the process. Was asked to send work examples with Excel, Powerpoint and Word each, which I needed to submit before coming to the office for an in person interview, so there was a lot of time to do it. I personally prefer this way of showcasing my skills rather than a spontaneous case study interview where I do not have any time or resources to prepare, which would not be the case in actual business situations. It would also help if you have some previous experience analyzing data in excel and presenting my results with presentations and/or reports (which is rather common for university economics/math/finance curriculums). The in-person interview ran for a day like a typical "super day" interview with lunch included. There were some basic behavioral questions and an onsite excel assessment and "attention to detail test". The excel assessment allows you to google anything online to help you--which I really appreciated since I would imagine being resourceful is just as important as memorizing everything about some skill/subject to prepare for exam-like interviews. You get to meet many people from other consultants to principals and managing directors during the day, and the people I spoke to were very friendly, professional and sharp. You also get to meet with many of the people you would work with if you become a consultant there, so you know what you are getting into without worrying about being put on a bad team/under a bad manager etc. I was not even aware of the executive compensation consulting industry before Cook, but the managing directors who have spent decades in the field gave me a great overview of the industry, how it grew, the firms' practices and what consultants' responsibilities are. If you are interested in the industry but are not familiar with it (which is most likely the case) I would recommend reaching out to someone working here and find out more about the industry and what they do.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Can you tell me about the time where you had conflicting deadlines and how you tackled the situation?
