Leo Van Der Borgh, manager, Credo

Leo Van Der Borgh is a manager at Credo. He studied economics at the University of Cambridge.

Having thought I wanted to go into banking for most of my time at university, I applied to some consultancies almost as an afterthought. During the interview process, however, I realised I found the types of business problems I would be working on in consulting more interesting. I worked in a law firm for most of my gap year. The main things it taught me, apart from the fact that I didn’t want to be a lawyer, was how important liking the people you work with is to the enjoyment of any job, and that giving people early responsibility is one of the best ways to motivate them.

All degrees welcome

I studied economics at university, which people assume is a great help in consulting. Actually, what’s far more important is how you think about problems – which any degree background can teach you, if you work hard enough. There isn’t a need for a scientific or numerical degree to get into consulting, and the difference in backgrounds you get in a firm is a real strength of the industry.

I’m very lucky to work with people who have become genuine friends

The perks

The things I like best about my job are the people I work with, the intellectual challenge and the continuing learning curve. I’m very lucky to work with people who have become genuine friends, which is incredibly important in any job as you’re going to spend a lot of time with them. In terms of the work I do, whilst there may be similarities between projects, there is always a different problem to solve and I’m pushed to improve all the time – I’d be bored if that wasn’t the case.

Advice to graduates

It’s a cliché, but an interview really is a two-way process. If you don’t like the people who interview you, you should think very hard about accepting any offer from that firm. They are going to manage you and, whatever the project is you’re working on, if you don’t like your team, you’ll struggle to enjoy your job.