Consultants work with clients across all industries, from healthcare to technology, providing advice to help them achieve their goals. As a consultant, you will get to travel across the country or even the world (if you want) solving unique business problems and helping clients achieve their goals. You’ll learn about the problems businesses across every industry and across the world face on a daily basis - from creating strategies to address ever-changing technology and trends to the nitty-gritty of ensuring their product makes it to the consumer in the most efficient way possible. See the videos below to learn more about what consulting is.
Compare different firms and practices by watching these panels featuring BC Alumni on our youtube channel.
Learn more about recruiting timelines, discerning if consulting is the right path for you, and how to network. You'll also learn how to set up your resume and cover letter and how to prep for interviews.
Create your own account on Management Consulted to receive updates about hiring timelines. We have a BC subscription.
Consulting is highly competitive, especially the MBB firms as we are not target for them. You should expand your networking to as many firms as you can find alumni at. If you are looking to generate of list of firms, BC libraries is a good place to start. There are plenty of databases where you can find what you are looking for and a devoted librarian to help. Firsthand (vault) has some great resources on consulting and lists of the top firms. Keep track of deadlines by following the firms on Handshake and signing up with Management Consulted.
You should have 40+ hours of case prep before you walk into a consulting interview. This page has the resources you need to prepare, including initial case prep resources and access to live case coaches.
contributed by Amy Donegan, CSOM Undergraduate Career Team
One of the most common phrases that the Career Team here in CSOM is “I’m interested in consulting.” No doubt that consulting offers a lot of appeal to bright college students but it's important to realize that it has become a “default” career of sorts for a large percentage of students both in CSOM and MCAS. So it is also important to take a hard look at the likelihood of getting hired into the field before you commit the time to prepare.
Current Market Realities:
Many consulting firms are still trying to correct for overhiring post pandemic so firms that may have hired 7 or 8 consultants could be hiring one or two.
Additional factors that will make your chances of getting hired in consulting very low:
You might be too late. Most applications have opened in summer and students have been prepping all summer. You should have 30-50 hours of case preparation under your belt for strategy.
You are focused on the Elite 3, and we are not a target school for all 3 of them. Lats year was the first time McKinsey actually assigned a recruiter to BC .
Your GPA is below a 3.5 -- Of all the 2nd round interviews given in the class of '22 for Deloitte and L.E.K. consulting the lowest GPA was a 3.5. The average was 3.7 which is consistent with prior years. Take a look at our class of 22 data on consulting hires for some perspective.
You don't recognize that you are competing against not only CSOM but also MCAS. Many strategy firms like students with liberal arts focus and math and science in particular. Economic consulting firms will want you to have completed the full major in e.
Given the competitive nature of getting hired into consulting and the time needed to successfully prepare, you should be realistic about your chances and cast a wider net. Often students cite their interest in problem-solving and exposure to different industries as the main reasons. Here are some examples of other career options to consider that will provide you with much of that: This sheet covers a wide range of the skills involved in consulting and addresses alternative career fields that will enable you to use those skills . A few ideas include:
Management rotation program within a company (like J&J)
Business development group within a company, great way to help strategize a company’s growth. More info here as well.
Sales, if you want to rely on your ability to successfully build and maintain relationships with a wide range of people and you are motivated by money and goals. Sales opportunities are varied and every type of organization needs a strong sales force, financial services, enterprise software, startups. A strong foundation is sales is great training for anything you want to pursue. It is also lucrative and offers a more balanced lifestyle than other high paying jobs for college graduates. Examples of programs that recruit for sales training programs include : Dell, Oracle, GE (CLP).
Business Analyst: Business analysts work in various industries and organizations, helping them identify opportunities for improvement, analyze data, and develop strategies. This role often involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, conducting market research, and working closely with clients to understand their needs.
Market Research Analyst: Market research analysts gather and analyze data to help organizations make informed business decisions. They conduct market studies, analyze customer behavior, identify trends, and provide insights to guide strategy development. This role may involve working with clients, conducting surveys or interviews, and presenting findings.
Project Coordinator: Project coordinators support project teams in planning, executing, and monitoring projects. They facilitate communication among team members, track project progress, and assist with problem-solving. This role allows exposure to various industries and teamwork while developing organizational and problem-solving skills.
Business Development Associate: Business development associates work to identify and pursue growth opportunities for organizations. They research potential clients, assist in developing proposals, and engage in client relationship management. This role involves strategic thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork to help organizations expand into new markets or industries.
Strategy Analyst: Strategy analysts work within organizations to assist in developing and implementing business strategies. They conduct research, perform financial analysis, evaluate market trends, and help identify areas for improvement. This role often requires collaboration with cross-functional teams and exposure to different aspects of the business.
Financial Analyst: Financial analysts assess investment opportunities, perform financial modeling, analyze market trends, and provide recommendations to organizations. This role requires problem-solving skills, teamwork, and exposure to different industries and clients.
So what exactly is a virtual job simulation? It is the perfect opportunity to take on practical tasks similar to what consultants would work on and get a true feel of what it is like to work at firms as a strategy consultant, a technology consultant, and a designer which will give you deeper understanding on what each company does and help set you up for success when you decide to apply with one of them.
Practice your skills and build your confidence to ace applications.
See the variety of virtual job simulations you can sign up for!