GEP: CONSULTANT - CONSULTING Interview Guide
The CONSULTANT - CONSULTING role at GEP supports client teams that improve procurement, sourcing and supply chain decisions for global enterprises. The work matters because better supplier choices, category strategies and procurement processes can directly affect cost, timelines, service quality and business resilience.
This guide is built for MBA candidates preparing for GEP consulting interviews, especially students targeting Global Delivery consulting roles. It covers the role, skills, day-to-day work, interview process, role-specific questions, case preparation and a focused four-week plan.
1. About the CONSULTANT - CONSULTING Role
A consultant in this role helps clients make procurement decisions with evidence, not guesswork. Typical work includes comparing suppliers, analysing spend patterns, preparing category recommendations, tracking project deadlines and explaining how a proposed sourcing action improves cost, quality or delivery performance.
The role sits within Global Delivery consulting and involves regular coordination with GEP teams across regions. If you want broader company context before interview preparation, the Board Infinity guide on GEP supply chain and procurement innovation is a useful companion.
2. Required Skills and Qualifications
Educational Qualifications
Skills Overview
3. Day-to-Day Responsibilities
A typical week can move between analysis, client communication, internal reviews and presentation building. You may support more than one project at a time, so clarity on priorities and deadlines becomes as important as analytical quality.
Analyse Spend Data
You review purchase data, supplier lists, category information and contract inputs to find patterns. For example, you may notice that the same item is bought from several vendors at different rates. Your output should help the team decide where consolidation, negotiation or process change can create measurable value.
Support Sourcing Projects
You help move sourcing events from problem definition to supplier comparison. This can include collecting requirements, preparing request documents, comparing vendor responses and summarising trade-offs. A strong consultant keeps the analysis tied to business criteria such as cost, service quality, delivery timelines and risk.
Build Category Insights
You study a category such as logistics, packaging, information technology services or facilities to understand demand, suppliers, price drivers and risk. The aim is not just to collect information. You need to turn the category view into actions that help the client negotiate better, reduce complexity or improve buying discipline.
Prepare Client Decks
You convert analysis into slides that senior teams can understand quickly. A good deck shows the issue, method, evidence, recommendation and expected impact. The interview may test whether you can explain a chart logically and defend the assumptions behind your recommendation.
Coordinate Across Regions
Because GEP consulting teams work with global clients, you may need to coordinate with colleagues in different time zones. This means setting clear meeting agendas, sending concise updates and confirming next steps in writing. Flexibility matters, but so does protecting quality when timelines are tight.
Track Project Delivery
You monitor deliverables, deadlines, dependencies and open questions. When assumptions change, you are expected to flag the impact early instead of letting the issue reach the client late. This is where ownership shows up through follow-ups, accurate estimates and transparent communication.
4. Key Competencies for Success
High performers in this role combine structured thinking with practical delivery discipline. GEP values ownership, results, excellence, creativity, caring and customer delight, so interview answers should show both analytical sharpness and a service mindset.
5. Interview Process at GEP
For consulting roles in procurement and supply chain, expect a process that tests communication, analytical structure, business judgement and fit with client-facing delivery. Campus and lateral formats can vary, but candidates should prepare for screening, domain discussion, case-style evaluation and final fit conversation.
Application Screening
Recruiters usually check MBA qualification, 0-3 years of experience, communication quality and evidence of analytical work. For campus hiring, shortlisting may also consider academic record, projects, internships and consulting club work. Your resume should make procurement, analytics, operations or client-facing exposure easy to spot.
Aptitude or Analytical Round
This round may test numerical comfort, logical reasoning, data interpretation and business reading ability. Expect questions where you calculate percentage savings, compare supplier bids or identify what information is missing. Accuracy, clean working and speed all matter.
Domain and Case Interview
A consulting manager may test sourcing basics, category understanding and structured problem solving. You could be asked how to reduce logistics cost, evaluate suppliers or transform a manual procurement process. The strongest answers define objectives, segment the problem, quantify impact and explain implementation risks.
Project and Communication Discussion
Interviewers may ask you to walk through an internship, live project, case competition or prior work assignment. They are checking whether you can explain scope, method, trade-offs and outcomes without rambling. Prepare one analytics example and one teamwork example in advance.
HR and Culture Fit
This conversation usually checks motivation for GEP, flexibility to work with global teams, ownership, learning mindset and clarity about consulting. Expect questions on strengths, conflict, deadlines and why procurement consulting interests you. Use specific examples instead of broad personality claims.
6. Interview Questions
Use STAR for behavioral answers, MECE for case structuring and clear calculation steps for numerical questions. GEP interviewers are likely to prioritise structured thinking, procurement relevance, client-ready communication and evidence that you can work across global teams.
Behavioral and Company-Fit Questions
Procurement, Sourcing and Transformation Questions
Case-Based and Analytical Questions
7. Topics and Areas of Focus
Preparation should focus on procurement fundamentals, structured consulting communication and business maths. The interview is less about memorising definitions and more about applying concepts to sourcing, category and transformation situations.
8. Preparation Plan
Role Foundation
Understand GEP, procurement consulting and the role expectations.
Domain Depth
Build sourcing, category, spend analysis and transformation concepts.
Interview Practice
Draft STAR stories and practise role-specific cases aloud.
Mock and Polish
Run timed mocks, refine weak areas and prepare final stories.
Pre-Interview Checklist
For additional role-aligned practice, use the Board Infinity guide on GEP consulting interview preparation after completing Week 2 domain revision.
9. Career Growth & Next Roles
Progression in this path depends on analytical reliability, client communication, ownership of workstreams and the ability to turn procurement ideas into implemented outcomes. Early growth usually comes from moving beyond analysis support into leading parts of sourcing, category or transformation projects.
CONSULTANT - CONSULTING
At this stage, you support analysis, project tracking, supplier comparisons, category research and client-ready presentations. To progress, you must prove that your work is accurate, structured and delivered on time. You also need to show that you understand why an analysis matters to the client decision.
Senior Consultant
A senior consultant is expected to own defined workstreams with limited supervision. This can include running parts of a sourcing event, managing analysis inputs, guiding junior team members and presenting sections of the recommendation. Strong candidates build category judgement and become dependable in client discussions.
Manager or Engagement Lead
At this level, the focus shifts to planning delivery, managing client expectations, reviewing work quality and ensuring the project creates measurable outcomes. You must prove that you can lead teams, manage scope changes and convert recommendations into implemented procurement improvements.
People Leader or Specialist
Beyond manager level, the path can move toward leading larger teams and client accounts or becoming a deeper specialist in areas such as strategic sourcing, digital procurement, category strategy or supply chain transformation. The differentiator is the ability to combine domain depth with trusted client advisory skills.
10. Conclusion
The single most important preparation step is to think like a procurement consultant, not like a generic MBA candidate. Every answer should show how you define the problem, analyse suppliers or spend, quantify business impact and recommend actions that a client can actually implement.
Before the interview, practise one sourcing case, one category strategy case and one procurement transformation case aloud. Also prepare examples that prove ownership, clear communication and comfort with global collaboration. For a similar role perspective, review Board Infinity guidance on GEP consultant interview preparation.
