What to expect when recruiting for management consulting firms

The management consulting industry is massive, global, attracted to business school talent, and desired by business school students. Management consulting firms advise a variety of clients across industries on a variety of challenges and opportunities. Management consulting firms have a number of practice groups, or areas of expertise, leading to diverse opportunities for career growth. Currently many consulting firms are predicting stable – to – increased hiring needs as clients continue to seek guidance on navigating changes in technology, AI, regulations, and more.

The recruiting approach

Student recruiting is driven by two factors: type of degree and type of role.

Degrees dictate recruiting roles

Given the magnitude of applicants and diverse skillsets desired to staff projects, management consulting firms have strictly defined recruiting processes. The specific processes vary by firm although common to all is the inflexibility of their processes. Generally:

  • Analyst roles seek current undergraduate students and some masters degree students with less than two-years full-time work experience
  • Alternate professional degree routes recruit current students earning non-MBA masters, regardless of years of experience
  • MBA roles are recruit students currently enrolled in an MBA program
  • Experienced hire routes are appropriate for all others, including recent graduates

Firms prioritize summer internship recruiting

Summer internships are the best entry points into management consulting firms. Interns are hired into large classes and firms expect to extend to most/ all interns offers to return full-time the next year after graduation. Most interns are hired as generalists, although firms may hire some interns into specific practices.

As a consequence, management consulting firms have unpredictable full-time recruiting needs for graduating students across all degrees. Their demand is driven by:

  • predicted client work by office location and/or practice group
  • number of accepted full-time return offers by summer interns
  • number of current consulting staff transferring to/from an office

All experience welcome

Since management consulting firms tackle a wide range of problems and opportunities across a wide range of clients, diverse perspectives are valued. Thus, students from a variety of functional and industry backgrounds are welcome and hired into generalist roles. Only after working a few years do consultants specialize.

Networking with consultants is paramount

Firms offers many networking opportunities to answer student questions and market the firm. Networking also helps firms assess student commitment to the firm, the role, the office location, and client-readiness.

  • A few firms staff consultants as “campus ambassadors.” This blog highlights the value of this role
  • Other firms expect students to build relations with alumni consultants, who in turn advocate for students to receive interview invitations

Prepare for case interviews in addition to behavior interviews

Case interviews are a given across all consulting firms, whether for internship or full-time. These are designed to assess decision-making, quantitative, and communication skills. Some firms also require an applicant assessment prior to interview invitation.

Behavior interviews are equally important as they assess the willingness of candidates to do the hard work and long hours of a consultant. Behavior interviews also assess the in-demand professional skills needed in client service: clear communication, empathy, leadership, and general likeability.

Recruiting timeline varies by degree and graduation year

For graduating students:

Applications are due just after school starts, and rarely do management consulting firms re-recruit from schools in Spring semester. This limits the time to learn about the firm, network, evaluate office locations and more, although all remain crucial in the hiring process. Some firms will offer virtual, multi-school sessions to provide information. Application deadlines vary by degree, interviews occur about 2-4 weeks after deadline, and offers made shortly thereafter:

Asset Management, GBS, and Silver Scholar MBAs apply for Analyst deadlines in summer through early September

MBA deadlines occur late August through October

MAM deadlines vary by firm, either aligning with MBA timing or following Experienced Hire roles to fill just-in-time needs (so apply March or later)

EMBAs can apply for MBA roles or just-in-time Experienced Hire roles

For first-year MBAs:

Management consulting firms put a lot of energy into marketing themselves and offering ways to connect during the Fall semester. Look for information sessions, coffee chats, case workshops, invite only dinners, and other events focused on office locations, employee resource groups, specialty practices and more. Application deadlines fall mid-November through December. Interviews start in early January during Winter Break with offers extended within one day to one week. Firms do not re-recruit for interns later in Spring semester.

Resource Guide

By Rebecca Stekloff
Rebecca Stekloff Senior Director, Employer Partnerships
Send Email