Consulting Case Competition FAQ

Excited about the upcoming competition? Eager to waken the consultant spirit lying in you?

BOILING with enthusiasm and ideas?

Or simply looking for a fun and enriching Saturday activity?

Either way, whether you have questions buzzing in your head or a couple interrogations, we have compiled these frequently asked questions for you to read before hitting us up:

Q: I am an undergraduate/Master’s student or post-doctoral researcher. Can I still participate?

A: Yes. The competition is not targeted towards PhD students, and we strongly encourage applications from teams with a mix of students and researchers at various education levels (i.e., undergraduates/master’s students/PhDs/post-docs). Please note that all competing participants should be students currently enrolled at - OR - post-doctoral researchers (i.e., research associates) currently employed by a UK university.

Note: students from all academic levels and subject areas, local professionals and members of the public with or without a university affiliation are all welcome to participate in an afternoon of activities on Saturday, 9th June 2017 – the day of the competition.

Q: I don’t have any relevant business experience. Can I still participate?

A: Absolutely. We invite students and post-docs from any discipline who are interested in gaining exposure to management consulting in the biopharmaceutical sector to participate in the competition. If you want to sharpen your critical and analytical thinking, communication and team work skills, then you are fully qualified to enter the competition.

All of the information that your team needs to create a strategic solution to the assigned case will be provided for you ahead of the competition (details to come). However, we do encourage participants to form interdisciplinary teams so as to draw from the largest variety of member strengths.

Q: What are you looking for in a participant?

A: We invite all UK-based students and post-docs from any discipline who have an interest in business, science, research and the biopharma industry to participate in the competition.

However, anyone from the general public with an interest in learning about career paths at the interface of scientific research and business can join us on the day of the competition as a non-competing attendee.

Q: I don’t have a team. Can I still participate?

A: Yes. If you want to compete, but don’t have a team please send your CV and a short cover letter explaining why you want to participate to nbi.applications@gmail.com by Tuesday 29rth of May and we will do our best to match you to an already existing team OR other individuals who are keen to form a new team. Please note that we can’t guarantee that you will be matched to others from your university, therefore it is likely that you will have to collaborate remotely with a team in order to compete.

For those who are not competing but still want to benefit from the discussions and workshops led by our expert guest speakers on the day of the competition, just show up and bring a friend on Saturday the 9th of June!

Q: My University isn’t in the North West. Can I still participate?

A: Yes. Despite the name of our competition, we welcome teams from all over the UK to apply and represent their university or region during the competition. Please note that at least 3 team members must be physically present in Manchester on the day of the competition.

Q: How and when should I register?

The registration process has a few steps depending on your situation:

EVERYONE who wants to get involved in this event (whether as part of a competing team or as a non-competing attendee) must register via Eventbrite by clicking HERE . Do it now!

If you want to compete and want us to help you find a team to join, please send us your CV and a short cover letter highlighting your strengths as a teammate to nbi.applications@gmail.com by Tuesday 29th of May.
Third, if you already have a team and are ready for the challenge, please email us EACH team member’s CV and ONE SHORT cover letter describing why your “consultancy” should be chosen to participate in this competition by Tuesday 29th of May. We encourage teams to have fun with this cover letter and write it from the perspective of a consultancy firm (i.e., give yourselves a name, come up with a history and specialisms, and even throw in a logo!).