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An academic birth ZS Associates was the brainchild of two professors at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. What began as moonlighting for Andris Zoltners and Prabha Sinha (the Z and the S in the name) quickly became a global management consulting firm. The two entrepreneurs realized that they could apply their academic research to "real life," and much more profitably. Since 1983, ZS Associates has expanded its expertise in the pharmaceutical industry to 18 industries in about 60 countries. Today, the firm maintains Zoltners and Sinha's academic bent: half of all ZS consultants have graduate degrees. Forty percent of ZS consultants are MBAs or MS holders; 10 percent are PhDs. The consultancy has its headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, a stone's throw from Northwestern, where the two founders still teach at Kellogg. Other offices are in Princeton, New Jersey (another college town), Menlo Park, California, and London, England. Team ZS Associates at ZS form "teams" of two to four people, which include technical associates (who design and develop software for specific projects) and associates who analyze the data. ZS Associates emphasizes its status as a "global" consulting firm ? it conducts 40 percent of its business outside of the U.S. To further extend its reach, the firm plans to open new offices in Japan, Italy, Spain, and other regions. Its clients are primarily Fortune 500 companies and their affiliates. ZS engagements are concentrated within the pharmaceutical, health care, and biomedical industries. Almost half of the firm's engagements involve marketing strategy and strategic marketing analysis. Other ZS specialties include forecasting sales and geographic sales territory alignment. That special software feeling Sales territory alignment is aided by ZS's specialized software, MAPS. From 1988 to 1995, ZS enjoyed a 21 percent annual growth in revenue, and more than 80 percent of ZS business each year comes from repeat customers. While ZS has worked in industries ranging from health care to media and communications to durable goods, keep in mind that since its founding, close to 90 percent of its hours have been spent on clients in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the firm tends to have longstanding relationships with its clients. As one consultant puts it: "ZS is very specialized. We almost exclusively work with pharmaceutical firms and their sales and marketing strategies ? some people might want more variety."
ZS Associates hires BAs as business associates, and MBAs as senior-level consultants. The company wants "smart, ambitious people" with strong math and quantitative skills. See the company web site for the latest recruiting calendar. Though it encourages students from other institutions to apply. Resumes and cover letters should be mailed, not faxed, to the Human Resources department. Potential applicants can also email resumes to careers@zsassociates.com. Interviews for undergraduates usually consist of two "painless" rounds: "one on campus and one in the office." MBAs endure three "case interview-based rounds," the last of which "involves a group case and presentation." "The firm stresses quantitative ability," notes a consultant, who adds, "it's important not to get bogged down by the case questions." One source describes them as "easy quantitative questions to test your problem-solving skills." A recent interviewee advises that "the case is likely to deal with a sales force issue, so it would be a big plus if you already know something about sales forces." Prospective employees also field behavioral and background questions meant to assess your "fit" with the company and how you work with others. Interviewers will "also ask you about leadership skills." Sources say it's crucial that you "demonstrate interest in ZS and show you have learned a little about the firm beforehand."
The casual, sea lion-rife culture ZS Associates is similar to other consulting firms in its selective hiring, "demanding" hours and "competitive" salary. What sets it apart is its casual corporate culture. Insiders say "jeans are the uniform." Consultants only wear suits "when they're going to meet with a client." The firm encourages employee interaction by holding meetings "away from the office" and sponsoring various social events, including company outings and a holiday party. "Most of the people here are single and not more than three years out of undergrad or grad school," one recent hire reports. "We get together fairly frequently after work to have fun." Consultants report that "there is a very strong feeling of camaraderie and everyone is willing to help out." The typical employee at ZS is "very bright," "highly motivated," and "under 30 with a can-do? personality." According to employees, ZS has its own motivational mantra: "If it has to be, it is up to me? (said three times fast)." ZS has "a fairly good mix of minorities in the company at all levels," and "women are well represented." While there is "certainly room for improvement," both women and ethnic minorities report being "treated equitably and with respect." One insider estimates that "half of the firm's employees are minorities," though "we are sadly underrepresented in the African American sector." Good ol' compensation Employees say compensation is "competitive with consulting industry averages" and is supplemented by "good annual bonuses." In addition to medical and life insurance, ZS offers tuition reimbursement if the courses you take are "relevant to work." Outside of that, "the company doesn't really provide many perks," one source complains. "ZS does pay for your dinner if you work past 8," but the consultancy only "pays for cabs home past 10, if you commute." Just you and a computer ZS is not your run-of-the-mill consulting firm. There are no business trips to exotic locales or elbow-rubbing with media moguls ? most of the project work is done in front of a computer and the only moguls you're going to meet are in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. The hours can range from 40 to 80 a week (if you do the math, you know this means occasional weekends). Like most other consultancies, ZS is "a high-stress, heavy-workload environment," but one source claims "some people are happier in [the 80-hour] weeks." Hard work notwithstanding, the company awards its employees with an "amazing degree of client contact" and "lots of responsibility," making the firm "a good place to learn the ins and outs of the consulting business." Like drugs? Look at ZS "There are three things you need to know about working at ZS," one source points out, "We work mainly in the pharmaceutical industry, our work is very data-driven, and we work with sales and marketing issues." If you are looking for variety on the job, keep looking. However, another consultant at the firm says "I had almost no exposure to the pharmaceutical industry or sales forces before I came here, but have enjoyed the issues very much." That source goes on to add that "I use my brain a lot, I work in teams with interesting people, and I deal with new issues on a regular basis." Recent grads commend "the level of responsibility and client contact you receive within your first year." After only a year, one source looks forward to "managing a small project with a prominent Fortune 500 company. I doubt that there are many 21-year-old women who can say that." Picky, picky (but happy) There are a few other drawbacks. One insider complains about "finicky" clients that "keep changing the data and make us redo everything six or eight times." That contact also dislikes "being staffed on a project that goes over 100 hours a week, and then having nothing to do the next week." However, he admits "it's probably just the nature of consulting." As one contact explains, "consulting is a lifestyle choice ? you need to be able to make your clients happy" and find satisfaction "working on a team as opposed to seeking individual glory."
Sally Johnston Recriuting Coordinator Recruiting 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 7001 Evanston IL 70201 (847)492-3409
Marketing/Sales Force Strategy; Forecasting; Decision Support Systems; Custom Mapping and Reporting;
Strategic Decisions Group More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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