Ework+ Guides & Resources

Have you been invited to an interview for a consulting assignment? Congratulations! To increase your chances of landing the assignment, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here, Michael Hellman, Skill Practice Lead, shares some simple tips to help you prepare. 

Being called to an interview for a consulting assignment is similar to being invited to a job interview. The biggest difference is that the assignment is time-limited and often requires a more specialized skill set. Another significant difference is that, in some cases, you may not know which company the assignment is for when you apply. 

Michael Hellman is Skill Practice Lead at Ework and has helped hundreds of candidates on their path to securing their dream assignments. We asked him for advice on how to best prepare. 

“First of all, I want to say that you’ll always know which company it is before the interview. So, you don’t need to worry about walking into a meeting with an unknown company,” Michael laughs and continues: 

“After that, I’d say you should approach it just like any other job interview. Be prepared, research the company, and check your network to see if anyone you know has worked with the team manager or has been interviewed by them before.” 

Can Ework help with preparation? 

“Of course we can! We’ve often worked with the company for a long time and know what’s important to them. So, we can—and do—always try to help with preparation. In general, I’d say it’s important to take the time to thoroughly review the required skills and think about how you can demonstrate that you meet the criteria. Consider preparing specific examples from your own experience to illustrate your competencies.” 

Three Concrete Tips for Interview Preparation 

1. Be prepared: Research the company and what they do. 
   
   
2. Think through your responses: Prepare answers about the skills you have that match the assignment’s requirements and how you’ve used them in previous roles. 
   
   
3. Have questions ready: Prepare a few questions that are important for you to have answered, such as how the company’s processes work or other key aspects for you. It’s also important to show genuine interest and curiosity about the assignment if you are interested in the assignment. 

“Beyond that, it’s just general advice like showing up on time, dressing appropriately, and being polite and friendly.” 

Are interviews for assignments digital or in-person? 

“It varies. Before the pandemic, interviews were almost exclusively in-person. Then, for a period, everything shifted to digital. Now, many have returned to in-person interviews, so be prepared for it to vary depending on the company.” 

Should you include as much information as possible or keep it short and concise? How do you create a winning profile on Ework’s Verama? What should you remember, and what should you avoid? 

We asked Michael Hellman, Skill Practice Lead at Ework Group, for advice on creating a strong profile on the platform. 

The first step to finding a consulting assignment through Ework is to create a profile on our platform, Ework’s Verama. But how do you create a standout profile, and what should you keep in mind? 

Michael Hellman, Skill Practice Lead at Ework, has spent many years helping candidates on their way to securing their dream assignments. 

“If you want to stay ahead, a good tip is to keep your own or your consultants’ CVs updated and to act quickly when you find the right assignment. Clients often have urgent needs, and being fast increases your chances of progressing in the process. Ensuring that your CVs reflect all your skills and experiences also improves your chances of being discovered and proactively contacted for new assignments.” 

Applying for Assignments 

Once you’ve filled out your profile, it’s time to start searching for exciting assignments and applying for those that interest you. Just like with your profile, it’s important to demonstrate that you have the skills the company is looking for. 

Is there anything specific to keep in mind when applying for an assignment? 

“It’s important to carefully read the assignment description. It might sound obvious, but it’s relatively common for people to not thoroughly review the description and end up wasting time on assignments that aren’t relevant or interesting,” Michael says, adding: 

“A good tip is to include a short but clear motivation in your application, highlighting your experience with the most critical requirements for the assignment. This makes it easy to quickly get a positive impression of you as a candidate. Many job ads include specific questions tied to the assignment’s requirements. Make sure to answer these properly. The responses don’t need to be long, but since these questions are linked to essential criteria for the role, it’s crucial to address them.” 

How Detailed Should You Be? Should you emphasize soft skills, work experience, or education? 

“It’s usually a good idea to tailor your application to the structure of the job ad. Most often, work experience and specific skills are what’s being sought, so it’s best to focus on concise answers that describe your experience related to these. However, it’s also helpful to describe how you worked on a particular project and make it clear how long the project lasted.” 

What if you’re unsure whether your CV includes all relevant information? 

“You can always talk to us at Ework. We review large volumes of CVs daily and are available for tips, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you want feedback. Keep in mind that we handle a lot of applications, so it might take a little time to get a response. My advice is to submit your application and then supplement it if you realize you’ve forgotten something.” 

What Makes You More Attractive? Are there specific qualities or experiences you shouldn’t forget to include if you have them? 

“The ad often indicates if there’s a ‘golden nugget’ for the assignment. The listed requirements are always the most important, so you should clearly highlight those, but certain extra features, like working with notable clients, industries, or projects, might also be worth emphasizing. Often, experience in the same industry is requested. Sometimes, experience with the same client is a bonus, though in some cases, the client might see experience with direct competitors in the industry as valuable.” 

Lastly, Give Us Three Key Things You Look For 

1. The techniques/methodologies/projects you’ve worked on, which clients you’ve worked with and years of experience. 
   
   
2.  Availability and ability to be onsite. If this is important, it’s usually stated in the client’s requirements, and if so, it’s essential to meet this criterion. 
   
   
3. Pricing is, of course, a factor, and in some cases, it’s regulated by a price list we cannot influence. If the application rate is too high, we often have a dialogue to see if you’d still be interested at a lower level if the candidate is a strong fit.” 

Having a strong network is crucial for success as a consultant. But how do you actually go about building your network, and how do you maintain it? 

We asked Michael Hellman, Skill Practice Lead at Ework Group, for his best tips. 

Building a strong network is a vital part of achieving success as a consultant. But how do you go about creating a network, and why is it so important? 

“Having a strong professional network is one of the most important factors for succeeding as a consultant. Beyond increasing your chances of finding and securing new assignments, it contributes to skills development, new perspectives, and a sense of community.” 

How Do You Build a Network in Practice? 

“Most people already have a network, so you’re not starting from scratch. Begin with the people you know—former colleagues, friends, classmates, or individuals you’ve met in other contexts. To stay updated easily, it’s smart to remain active on social platforms like LinkedIn. Comment, like, and create your own posts to keep your network engaged.” 

What if your network doesn’t include relevant people? 

“There are several ways to expand your network. It could involve reaching out to relevant people on LinkedIn or asking your contacts for introductions. Maybe your neighbor knows the procurement manager at the company you want to work for? Or your kids play football with the manager’s kids? The path to the right connection is often shorter than you think. You just need to be a little brave and willing to ask.” 

What if you’re not naturally outgoing—are you out of luck? 

“No, of course not. There are other more industry-related ways to expand your network. This could include joining professional networks, taking courses, or attending seminars in your field of expertise.” 

What are the benefits of having a strong network? 

“There are many advantages. Above all, your network can provide you with information before it becomes widely known, giving you a head start before jobs or assignments are publicly advertised. It’s also about relationships—recruiters or procurement managers are people, and they often prefer to hire or engage individuals they have some connection to. A reference or recommendation can move you higher up the list of candidates when it’s time to choose a new consultant.” 

Once you’ve built your network, how do you maintain and nurture it? 

“You should approach it as an ongoing process. Building and maintaining your network is a lifelong activity, which you do by staying active and reaching out to people. A mistake you can make is only contacting people when you need something. Very few people appreciate feeling used. So, remember to provide just as much help and value to your contacts as you expect to receive.” 

Five Quick Tips for Building Your Network 

1. Be active on social media. 
   
   
2. Attend industry events, meetings, and networking gatherings. 
   
   
3. Learn more about your field and stay updated with new skills, courses, and seminars. 
   
   
4. Give as much help as you expect to receive. Offer recommendations, introduce people to one another, and be generous with your time. 
   
   
5. Don’t focus solely on LinkedIn or other digital platforms. Make an effort to meet your network in real life as well.