How to break into consulting after graduating
If you’re in your final year of university and want to become a consultant, you might be thinking about how to break into consulting after graduating.
In this blog we’re going to talk about the conventional and unconventional ways that you can become a consultant after university.
Consulting Graduate Programs
The most common way to become a consultant after university is to join a consulting graduate programme. If you’ve done a summer internship with a firm, you may have already earned a return offer.
Here’s what you can expect from a consulting graduate programme at the big firms:
2-3 year intensive schemes at major firms
Rigorous training plus hands-on project experience
Core consulting skills training for your first 6 weeks in the firm. Sometimes known as ‘analyst school’
You’d typically enter as a consulting analyst. The specific job titles might vary between firms but the essence is the same: you’ll be the most junior consulting level with a lot of training support.
Industry First, Then Consulting
There’s a lot to be said for getting experience in industry before becoming a consultant. After all, how can you truly advise clients if you’ve never experienced what it’s like in industry?
Consulting Survival was founded by someone who did exactly this. Following a two year graduate programme in industry, she applied to become a Senior Analyst in Consulting and went on to have an extremely successful career as a consultant.
Here’s some benefits of entering consulting this way:
Stand out with industry insights consultants may lack
Often enter as Senior Consultant/Consultant vs Analyst
Easier transition of industry to consulting than university to consulting
Boutique & Mid-Sized Firms
Boutique and mid-sized firms might be the perfect consulting culture you’re looking for. Here’s some of the benefits of joining a boutique or mid-sized firm:
Tighter knit cultures at smaller consulting firms
Can offer greater ownership and impact earlier on
Research fit and progression path thoroughly
Examples of firms you’d want to consider are L.E.K Consulting, Slalom, Barigna, and CapCo.
Very small boutique firms are generally better suited to people who have Masters and PhDs because they tend to have niche specialisms that aren’t right for fresh graduates.
Compensation at boutique firms can vary and so can progression opportunities. Therefore if you’re applying to boutique firms it’s essential you thoroughly research the firm so you can assess if it’s really right for you.
Many Roads Lead to Consulting Success
Most graduates are familiar with the traditional route into consulting through a graduate programme. However, we want to show you that there are many routes into consulting and all of them are equal.
What’s important is finding a consulting firm that’s a good fit for you and what you want to achieve from your career as a consultant. Thinking outside the box will help you get there.
