Path to get into consultancy

First, I apologise - I couldn’t find any resources from searching, but I’m sure they exist.

1) What degrees are preferred? Is Maths acceptable?
2) What is the general ‘path’? IB is Spring Week —> SA —> FT. Quant is Internship —> FT
3) Are technical skills appreciated at all, or is it just soft skills/leadership?
4) Aside from going to a target (from my research Oxbridge + LSE > Imperial > Rest), is there anything you can do to stand out?
5) Is it common to enter straight from undergraduate? If not, what postgraduate courses are preferred?
6) What are exit opportunities like compared to IB?

 
Most Helpful

Joining MBB as a BA this year in London, so going to answer this as best as I can.

1) What degrees are preferred? No particular degrees standout; I met new joiners with degrees in Music (multiple of them actually), Maths and of course PPE. There were also Medicine students and Engineers. No particular bias in degree area, as long as academic excellence can be shown.

2) What is the general 'path'? One path may be Intern -> BA, but this is not as common as joining from undergrad with an internship at Big 4, IB, etc.

3) Are technical skills appreciated at all, or is it just soft skills/leadership? Soft skills and leadership definitely trump an excel whiz.

4) Aside from going to a target (from my research Oxbridge + LSE > Imperial > Rest), is there anything you can do to stand out? Target definitely plays a strong role. In addition, having a spike in something (e.g. prizes won, excelling in a hobby or sport), and having real impact on others' lives, be it through charity or something else.

5) Is it common to enter straight from undergraduate? If not, what postgraduate courses are preferred? Definitely undergrad is more common than postgrad, until you get to the MBA-level.

6) What are exit opportunities like compared to IB? Can't comment on this yet personally.

 

Wow! Thanks a bunch 🙂

Had you planned on getting into consultancy for a while before? What do you think your ‘strongest’ attribute as a candidate was?

And finally

How can I get a taste for the work / be prepared for interviews?

 

Similique placeat repellat facilis molestiae ullam quaerat. Culpa minima sunt facilis voluptatem eaque.

Dolor qui non voluptate cupiditate quia aut. Quos corporis nulla laudantium. Odit nobis et voluptas neque rerum. Cum voluptates ad excepturi quia a repellat.

Reprehenderit qui quis ut optio aliquam ex. Fugit omnis qui est eius quisquam nulla. Illum repellendus aspernatur sed laudantium magni blanditiis. Et corporis totam aut quia omnis nam doloribus. Enim beatae officiis iure voluptas rerum necessitatibus. Maxime soluta et iure libero voluptas tenetur ut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (100) $226
  • Manager (152) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • Senior Consultant (331) $130
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Consultant (587) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (538) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (146) $115
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (344) $103
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1048) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (189) $84
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (552) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Kenny_Powers_CFA's picture
Kenny_Powers_CFA
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”