Rajeev Aggarwal, principal – financial services, Booz & Company

Rajeev Aggarwal is a principal – financial services at Booz & Company. He studied economics at the London School of Economics.

Prior to joining Booz & Company I gained work experience in financial services and running strategic projects in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). I thoroughly enjoyed the intellectual challenge of working on these projects and the experience gained from working in different industries, so I decided consulting would be the ideal career for me and a great place to get a good, all-round understanding of business.

Diverse backgrounds

At university I focused on finance and economics, and I believe that a solid financial understanding is very helpful in consulting. However, most consultancies do not limit themselves to applicants with specific degree subjects – Booz & Company employs a diverse mix of people from all sorts of degree backgrounds. For example, I have worked with consultants who used to be surgeons and fighter pilots! This diversity creates a dynamic culture and ensures we can blend teams to meet a client’s needs most effectively.

The perks of consulting

Consulting is very rewarding and a great place to start your career. You gain a comprehensive understanding of how businesses function and learn the tools and techniques needed to evaluate and improve performance. These skills are in high demand in all careers. My firm offers the opportunity to work on projects across different industry sectors and functions from energy, utilities and chemicals to organisational change and leadership.

What I like the most about my job is the same thing that attracted me to consulting in the first place – helping clients address their most pressing strategic issues across the globe by delivering sustainable results through working very closely in teams with colleagues and clients.

I have worked with consultants who used to be surgeons and fighter pilots

Advice to graduates

If you apply for a position, make sure you prepare thoroughly: understand the company you are applying to and what the job entails, and be clear about why you want to work for them and why you would be a good fit.