GCCs, consulting and the Big 4
Lockheed Martin India Data Consultant Interview: Rounds, Questions and Preparation
For Data Consultant roles at companies like Lockheed Martin India
What the job involves
Data Consultants in GCCs, consulting firms, and the Big 4 help clients solve data-driven business problems. They work on data migration, reporting, dashboarding, and analytics projects, often acting as a bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders. Day to day involves gathering requirements, writing SQL queries, building visualisations, and presenting insights to clients.
Role and Technical Knowledge
- 1
What is the difference between a data analyst and a data consultant?
Highlight that consultants also handle client communication, scoping, and recommendations, not just analysis.
- 2
Explain the ETL process and why it matters for a data consulting project.
Cover extract, transform, load stages and how poor ETL leads to bad reporting and client distrust.
- 3
How would you explain a complex SQL query to a non-technical client?
Focus on using business terms, analogies, and avoiding jargon while confirming understanding.
- 4
What are the key steps in a data migration project?
Mention requirement gathering, source profiling, mapping, validation, testing, and post-migration checks.
Practical Scenarios
- 5
A client's sales dashboard shows different totals than their finance report. How do you investigate?
Talk about checking data sources, filters, aggregation logic, time zones, and reconciliation steps.
- 6
You are given a messy Excel file with duplicate customer records. How do you clean it?
Describe using remove duplicates, fuzzy matching, standardising formats, and documenting assumptions.
- 7
Your manager asks you to build a weekly report but the data arrives late every Monday. What do you do?
Suggest automating data pulls, setting up alerts, or adjusting the report schedule with stakeholders.
- 8
How would you design a KPI dashboard for a retail client to track store performance?
Mention selecting relevant KPIs like sales per square foot, footfall conversion, and inventory turnover.
Behavioural and HR
- 9
Why do you want to work as a data consultant in a GCC or Big 4 environment?
Show awareness of client-facing work, structured problem solving, and exposure to multiple industries.
- 10
Tell me about a time you worked in a team to meet a tight deadline.
Use STAR format and emphasise your specific contribution and how you handled pressure.
- 11
Describe a situation where you had to learn a new tool or skill quickly.
Pick a concrete example like learning SQL or Power BI for a college project and the outcome.
- 12
How do you handle feedback that your analysis or presentation was not clear?
Show willingness to ask clarifying questions, revise, and follow up to ensure improvement.
Consulting and Client Context
- 13
What does a typical engagement look like for a data consultant at a GCC?
Mention phases like discovery, solution design, build, testing, and handover, plus client check-ins.
- 14
How would you handle a client who insists on a solution you know is technically flawed?
Focus on listening, presenting data-backed alternatives, and escalating respectfully if needed.
- 15
What are some risks in a data consulting project and how do you mitigate them?
Cover scope creep, data quality issues, unclear requirements, and change management.
- 16
Why is data storytelling important for a data consultant?
Explain that insights must drive decisions, so clear narratives and visuals are as important as the analysis.
Ready to try it for real?
Take a timed test or talk through a mock interview for this role, then see your scores.
This is practice material for Data Consultant roles, written with AI. It is not a list of questions Lockheed Martin India or any other company has asked.