How to Get a Graduate Job in Management Consulting

Most consulting firms hire graduates through the same basic process: an online application, an online assessment, then several interviews that mix case interviews with questions about your experience. You can apply with a degree in any subject. What gets you hired is clear problem solving, confidence with numbers, real examples of impact, and applying early in the recruitment season.

What does a graduate consultant do?#

Consultants give advice and recommendations to other organisations, and sometimes help them put those recommendations into practice. The University of Cambridge careers service says early roles usually involve desk research and data collection, with the work delivered as presentations, reports and workshops. Graduate job titles vary from firm to firm. Analyst, associate, business analyst and graduate consultant are all common.

Expect to spend a lot of time in Excel and PowerPoint, to work in small teams, and to meet tight deadlines. Cambridge notes that projects can involve long hours, so be honest with yourself about whether that suits you.

Do you need a business or economics degree?#

No. Prospects says management consultancy is open to graduates from any degree discipline, although some firms prefer a numerical or analytical degree. It also says you will usually need a 2:1 or equivalent for graduate training schemes. A postgraduate degree is not required.

If your degree is not numerical, show your numeracy in other ways: a project where you analysed data, a job where you tracked sales or costs, or strong results in online tests.

When should you apply?#

Earlier than most students expect. The Cambridge careers service advises that applications for graduate roles can open up to 12 months in advance, and that internships tend to be advertised in January and February. Prospects tells students to start building experience as they move into their second year, and to apply for graduate schemes at the beginning of their final year.

• Sign up for alerts from the firms you like before their applications open.
• Apply as early in the window as you can with a strong application. A rushed application on the first day is worse than a good one a week later.
• Keep a tracker of each firm, its opening and closing dates, and where you are in its process.

What does the recruitment process look like?#

Each firm runs its own process, so read its careers pages before you apply. These are the steps the firms describe themselves:

Smaller and specialist consultancies often use a shorter process, and some use assessment centres with group exercises and presentations.

How do you prepare for the online assessment?#

Formats vary. McKinsey says there is no need to prepare for Solve, and that you cannot use other apps, AI tools or notes while you take it. Other firms use numerical and logical reasoning tests. For any test, find out the format from the firm’s own site, do the official practice test if there is one, and take the real test somewhere quiet with a reliable connection.

How do you prepare for case interviews?#

A case interview asks you to work through a business problem out loud. Firms say there is rarely a single right answer, and that they are judging how you think and communicate. Our guide to case interview preparation covers this in detail.

Practise regularly for several weeks, and practise with other people rather than only reading. The Cambridge careers service suggests leaving six weeks if you can and practising around 25 to 30 cases before the real thing. Build your mental maths at the same time: percentages, growth rates and quick estimates.

How do you prepare for the experience interview?#

Many candidates spend all their time on cases and too little on questions about themselves. McKinsey asks candidates to come to its Personal Experience Interview with two personal examples for each area it looks at, and to explain the challenges and the specific actions they took. BCG also includes questions about your experience, skills and motivation.

• Choose four to six strong stories from study, work, volunteering or societies. Each should show you making something happen.
• Structure each one with STAR: the situation, your task, the actions you took, and the result, with a number where you can.
• Practise telling each story in about two minutes, then answering follow-up questions about why you made each choice.

How can you get relevant experience?#

Consulting firms value evidence that you can solve problems for other people. Good options include:

• Student consulting projects. Many universities have consulting societies that run projects for charities and small businesses.
• Virtual job simulations. BCG offers a free job simulation called OneDay@BCG.
• Internships and insight programmes at consultancies, or analytical roles in any organisation.
• Part-time jobs. A shift supervisor who changed a rota and cut waiting times has a genuine consulting-style story to tell.

What are the most common mistakes?#

• Applying late in the season, after many places have gone.
• Sending the same generic application to every firm.
• Learning case frameworks by heart instead of practising real conversations.
• Ignoring the experience interview.
• Stopping after one rejection. Ask for feedback where it is offered and apply what you learn to the next firm.