How competitive is getting a graduate job in management consulting?

Getting your first graduate job as a management consultant can be tough but find out about the best routes in and you'll be one step nearer to your dream career.

Management consulting is a popular career choice and, as such, competitive. Recruiters expect first-rate applications and will only select the very best candidates. The majority of consultancy firms have structured graduate training programmes. As a graduate, you’ll start out as an analyst or associate. You’ll be exposed to a wide range of project work and may be involved in the following: conducting primary data collection on trends within the market; forming hypotheses and identifying issues; collaborating with project team leaders to draw conclusions and making recommendations for change. It’s advisable to have some relevant work experience on your CV. Many consulting firms run summer internship programmes for penultimate-year students with the intention of recruiting a high proportion onto graduate training schemes. Application deadlines for internships are quite early so make sure you do your research and apply well in advance.