If you’re new to consulting, facing your first interview can feel intense.

Your palms sweat. Your heart races. Then comes a deceptively simple question:

“What was your role?”

Many candidates stumble here because they’re not sure how to frame them.

But this question is a golden opportunity to show your value, if you know how to answer it right.

I’ve coached hundreds of candidates through this exact moment. In this guide, I’ll show you how to:

• Understand what this question really tests
• Frame your answer using proven structures
• Avoid the most common mistakes
• Add polish with advanced tips

Let’s turn this high-pressure moment into one of your strongest answers.

Why Interviewers Ask: “What Was Your Role?”

This question may sound basic, but it reveals a lot. 

Interviewers use it to assess whether you’re ready for the real demands of consulting.

Specifically, they’re evaluating your ability to:

• Understand your position – Can you clearly explain how you contributed to a team or project?
• Quantify your impact – Did your work move the needle?
• Show leadership potential – Even without the title, did you take initiative or influence outcomes?
• Solve problems – How did you approach challenges tied to your responsibilities?

And here’s why it matters even more for consulting roles:

What They’re Testing	Why It Matters in Consulting
Client Communication	Can you explain complex work clearly and concisely?
Project Ownership	Do you understand how roles fit into a bigger system?
Adaptability	Can you pivot roles quickly in fast-changing environments?
Business Impact	Can you tie your work to ROI, KPIs, and results?

Nail this question, and you demonstrate the core skills that top firms value most.

Now let’s explore exactly what elements your answer must encompass.

Key Elements to Include in Your Answer

When asked “What was your role?”, the strongest answers follow a clear structure. I recommend using the RICE method, it’s a simple way to highlight what matters most:

1. Role – What was your title and main responsibility?
2. Initiatives – What key projects or tasks did you own?
3. Concrete Results – What quantifiable impact did you create?
4. Engagement – How did you collaborate with teams or influence stakeholders?

Let’s look at how each element works, and what good answers sound like.

A) Role and Responsibilities

Start by setting context. What was your title, scope, and main focus?

Go beyond a job description. Show how your role connected to the bigger picture.

For Example:
“As Project Manager at XYZ Corp, I led cross‑functional consulting teams to optimize delivery timelines for five client engagements. My focus was orchestration, aligning diverse strengths into one cohesive unit.”

B) Initiatives and Projects

Bring your role to life with real examples. Which initiatives best highlight your problem‑solving and leadership?

For Example:
“I led a full revamp of our social media strategy, partnering with Marketing, Sales, and IT to relaunch three key channels in ten weeks.”

These examples show the traits consulting firms look for innovation, ownership, and measurable progress.

C) Concrete Results and Impact

Impact matters more than activity. Quantify your results wherever possible:

“Website traffic increased 220%, conversion rates rose 30%, and acquisition costs dropped 15%.”

Here are common KPIs by area you can draw from:

Business Area	Key Metrics	Example
Sales	Revenue growth, conversion rate	“Increased quarterly revenue by 25% through targeted account strategies.”
Marketing	ROI, customer acquisition cost	“Reduced acquisition cost by 30% while expanding market reach.”
Operations	Efficiency, cost reduction	“Cut cycle time by 40% through streamlined workflows.”
Customer Service	CSAT, retention, response time	“Improved CSAT from 7.5 to 9.2 within six months.”
Product Development	Adoption rate, time-to-market	“Launched a new feature with 80% adoption in the first month.”

Use metrics that align with the firm’s business focus, and always tie numbers back to outcomes that matter.

D) Engagement and Leadership

Consulting is a team sport. Show how you worked with and influenced others.

Say for example:
“I led a five‑person campaign team, two designers, one copywriter, one analyst, and myself, and presented performance insights directly to the CMO for next‑phase alignment.”

When you connect all four elements, you show not just what you did but why it mattered, and that’s the kind of ownership consulting firms value.

How to Structure Your Response

Now that you’ve identified what to include using RICE, it’s time to assemble your answer with structure.

Because even strong content falls flat without clear, logical flow.

A) HCAR Method

I recommend starting with the HCAR method, a structure built for consulting-style storytelling:

• Headline – Start with a one-sentence summary of the story and result.
• Context & Challenge – Briefly set the scene and define the problem.
• Alternatives & Chosen Approach – Walk through what you considered and what you actually did.
• Results & Reflection – Quantify the impact and share what you learned

Let’s see how HCAR structuring plays out:

“During my internship at Insurrexi, I helped reduce complaints by 15% by launching a photo upload tool for claims. At the time, the team had no standard process, claims were delayed, and customers were frustrated. Instead of waiting on surveys, I analyzed existing complaint data and discovered delays were caused by missing documentation. I proposed a photo upload feature, collaborated with Product, and launched it within 4 weeks. Complaints dropped 15%, processing time fell 30%, and I saw firsthand how small operational changes can drive real customer impact.”

B) The PAR Method

The PAR Method also provides solid narrative flow:

• Problem – The core challenge or issue at play
• Action – How you responded to address this problem
• Result – The outcomes achieved

Here is an example PAR response:

Our sales team heavily relied on generic email templates riddled with grammatical and spelling errors (Problem). I performed an audit identifying this content oversight as a key culprit of lagging engagement rates. To address this, I created a streamlined process for producing targeted, personalized outreach emails with proper QA checks (Action). Within 6 weeks, we increased email open rates by 100% and click-through rates by 200%.

C) The Rule of 3

When time is ultra-limited, lean on the Rule of 3. Boil down your answer to:

• 3 Key Responsibilities
• 3 Impactful Initiatives
• 3 Measurable Outcomes

For example:

As Digital Marketing Manager, my 3 core responsibilities centered on expanding brand visibility through social media channels. To achieve this, I spearheaded an initiative to revamp our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Within 7 months, these efforts tripled website traffic, doubled inbound leads, and cut CPL by 30%.

Here’s a quick comparison of the three response structures to help you choose the best fit for your situation:

Method	Components	Best For	Time to Deliver
HCAR	Headline, Context, Approach, Results	Strategic storytelling with insight	2–3 mins
PAR	Problem, Action, Result	Lean answers with tight framing	1–2 mins
Rule of 3	3 Responsibilities, Projects, Results	Ultra-brief summaries	30–60 secs

Lead with HCAR if you can, but have backups ready.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Answering in Consulting Interviews

Even strong candidates lose points here because of how they frame it. Avoid these 4 common pitfalls:

A) Being Too Vague

If your words are too vague or general, it’s hard for the interviewer to see what makes you great.

What to avoid:
“I helped with marketing, like social media and email campaigns.”

This doesn’t say what you really did or how it helped.

A stronger version:
“As the Digital Marketing Manager, I started our company’s Instagram and Twitter accounts from the ground up. In just 5 months, that work helped grow our website traffic by 215%.”

This kind of answer shows:

• You took the lead
• You created something new
• You made a big difference

B) Simply Reciting Job Descriptions

Just saying what your job was isn’t enough.

That misses the chance to show your spark, the part that makes you stand out.

What to avoid:
“My role included leading marketing projects, looking at performance data, and finding ways to improve.”

This sounds like a job description, not a real story.

A stronger version:
“I led a TikTok campaign that went viral and helped our brand grow by 75% with Gen Z. After looking at the data, I changed our website layout and content, and doubled our conversions in just 2 months.”

This kind of answer shows that you:

• Took the lead
• Used data to make smart changes
• Made a big impact fast

That’s what consulting firms love to hear.

C) Failing to Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities

Consulting firms want people who can solve tough business problems with smart ideas.

If you leave out those moments, you’re missing a chance to show your value.

What to avoid:
“I managed the customer service team and later improved satisfaction scores.”

This is too general and doesn’t explain how you made it better.

A stronger version:
“When I joined, our support team used old systems, and customers had to wait 60 minutes to talk to us. That made our scores drop by 30%. I looked at call logs and found the tools were too slow. So I set up AI chatbots and added more staff during busy hours. Wait times dropped to 5 minutes, and our scores went up by 45% in 7 months.”

This kind of answer shows you:

• Found the real problem
• Took smart action
• Got clear results

D) Downplaying Your Own Contributions

Being humble is nice, but in consulting interviews, you need to proudly share your wins.

Be clear about what you did and how it made a real difference.

What to avoid:
“I worked with some great people to help improve our social media.”

This doesn’t show what you did or the results.

A stronger version:
“I went beyond my normal role and suggested using Snapchat, a platform we hadn’t tried before. I led everything from content ideas to tracking results. That one campaign helped boost our online sales by 36%, especially with college students.”

This kind of answer shows:

• You take action
• You lead projects
• You make a real impact

Avoiding vague answers like the first one will help you say exactly what consulting firms want to hear.

Now let’s take your answer even further with a few tips that work every time.

Advance Tips to Elevate Your Answer From Good to Great

If your story already has structure, this is where you dial it up to “consulting-ready.” I call this the EPIC approach:

• Emphasize Relevant Competencies
• Personalize For the Firm
• Incorporate Industry Lingo
• Communicate Concisely and Clearly

Let’s break these down:

A) Emphasize Consulting Competencies

Make sure your answer shows the skills consulting firms care about, without saying them directly.

For example:

• If you say, “I studied what competitors were doing before we launched,” that shows you think strategically. 
• If you say, “I looked at support tickets to find where people got stuck,” that shows you’re analytical.

Leading a team through change or explaining results to a company leader tells them you can lead and communicate.

The point is: your story should show how you think and work—without needing to spell it out.

B) Make It Fit the Firm

Each consulting firm has its own style. McKinsey likes clear, structured thinking. BCG loves new ideas. Accenture talks about innovation and tech.

Before your interview, look at what the firm values. Then use examples that match those values. It shows you understand their world and that you’d fit in right away.

C) Speak Their Language

Consultants have their own way of talking. You don’t need big words, just smart ones. 

Instead of saying:

“We tried something new,” 

You can say:

“We tested a pilot.”

 These small changes show you already think like a consultant.

D) Keep It Short and Strong

Your story should take less than two minutes to tell. No long build-ups. No filler. Say what you did, how you did it, and why it mattered. 

Then stop.

If you sound clear and confident, interviewers will see you as someone who can handle clients.

Perfecting Your Response Through Preparation

You’ve built the story. Now it’s about delivery. 

Most candidates stop too early, they think writing the answer is enough. It’s not.

Here’s how I coach it: the PREP method.

• Pinpoint Your Relevant Experiences
• Rehearse Repeatedly
• Evolve Through External Feedback
• Perfect and Personalize

A) Pinpoint Your Strongest Stories

Pick 2 or 3 stories that clearly show how you solve problems, work with others, and make an impact.

It could be a project where you used data to make a smart decision. Or a time you led a new idea from start to finish. These stories will be your best material in any interview.

You only need a few strong examples that show what you can really do.

We help students at High Bridge find and shape those few high-leverage stories, the ones that do heavy lifting in multiple interview scenarios.

B) Rehearse Until It Feels Natural

Now say your stories out loud. Again and again. Don’t just read them in your head.

Record yourself. Listen to how you sound. 

Are you speaking clearly? Is the story too long? 

Fix what doesn’t sound right.

The more you practice, the easier it gets, until your answers come out smooth and confident.

C) Get Feedback and Improve It

Share your story with someone else, a friend, mentor, or coach. Ask them:

• Was anything unclear?
• Did the story show how I think?
• Did I explain the result well?

Use their notes to improve your answer. One round of feedback can level it up fast.

D) Perfect Through Personalization

Now give the story your voice.

Cut the parts that don’t matter. Use words you would actually say. 

Show your values without needing to explain them.

The goal is to sound real, sharp, and ready.

Final Words

If there’s one thing to remember, it’s this: you don’t need a perfect resume to stand out in a consulting interview.

What matters is showing how you think, how you work, and how you solve problems.

That’s what your story is for. Use it to show the real value you bring clearly, confidently, and in your own voice.

And if you’d like structured feedback while you prepare, Our Immersive Consulting Case Interview Prep Course at High Bridge Academy is designed to support you through it all.

You’re closer than you think, and we’re here if you want a hand.

Good luck!