"Someone Powerful" - Consulting

I have been emailing alums about getting into consulting post-grad and the first person to reply gave me some news, I pretty much already knew, that it would be almost impossible to break into consulting post grad without a "very good connection" with a "powerful person." Does anyone know typically how high up this person would have to be?

I have been referred for an interview with a partner before that worked. But besides that, is Manager high enough? Senior Associate? Senior Consultant? I'm not sure the ranking systems of most of these firms....

8 Comments
 

Partners/Directors are probably the only ones. They have the authority and ability to actually set up a first-round interview for you. They tell a recruiter to send you a congratulations email, ask a few of their Associate/Managers to interview you, and then voila - you've got yourself an assured first-round. Then it's up to you. I've seen this happen for undergraduates from non-targets applying for a summer - the other main non-OCR way people try to get in - and imagine that the process would be the same for you. I can't imagine that anyone below Partner would be able to do this...

 

Thanks guys, yeah, I got lucky with the partner before, any chance you guys know the general ranks at a firm (I know they all have different titles)? Would it go something like this?

Partner/Principle Engagement Director Senior Manager Manager Senior Consultant/Senior Associate Consultant/Associate Analyst/General Entry level

 

Yeah, that's generally correct - Principal* is at your Engagement Manager level in some firms, though I think in Deloitte Consulting's case, Principals are the equivalent to Partners.

There's often a Senior Entry Level position for your 3rd year at the firm for some companies. Business school is usually the divide between this layer and Consultant/Associate.

 

Depends on the firm and the office location. I know several offices of MBBs in Europe/Middle East/Asia that encourage lower level consultants (Analysts, Associates etc) to find new talent for the firm. They can refer you and give you a pretty good shot at a first round if you leave a good impression. This might not be as relevant to North American offices because many NA offices don't recruit year-round but I would definitely recommend speaking to whomever you can at the firms you're interested in.

 

Iusto numquam aliquam assumenda et dolores. Eligendi quia ad quaerat voluptatem molestias.

Tenetur atque et facere adipisci cumque sapiente. Nesciunt deserunt nisi perspiciatis repellat id sint molestiae. Provident esse non cupiditate vero. Autem ex quia voluptas illo. Accusamus sint et et illo. Nam nam quos sapiente ipsam accusantium ut neque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
  • Manager (170) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (391) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (633) $68
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

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...”