Is knowing a local language a must for consultant?

Question

I know it may sound strange but how Roland Berger guarantees that they get the best candidate if one of the criteriums for consultant is the local language? I am asking because e.g. I speak fluent English but it is not my mother language, which limits me only to apply to positions in the UK since I am Europen. On the other, hand the UK decided to leave the EU, therefore it might be slightly complicated with working there. Therefore, I was wondering what are the chances of prospective candidates who do not speak the local language (e.g. of the office based in Europe) to be hired for a consulting position?

My native language is Slovak, I am a passive speaker of Czech, have intermediate knowledge of Korean and basic knowledge of Russian and Chinese.

Answer 1

Dear user,

you should know the local language but you we do not only hire native-speaker (speaking fluently is totally fine). It is important that you can work on a project in the country of your choice and communicate with the clients, thus you should know the local language. For example, I have also colleagues from the UK working in our Frankfurt or Zurich office.

If you are interested in working in a country which is not your home-country, please note that you might need a work visa (but this is not RB specific, you will need a visa anyways). At RB, everyone has the same chances as long as you are fluent in English and/or the local language.