According to my scenario, what should be the best approach for getting into Consulting?

Hi,

Great to see your strong motivation to break into consulting, this is definitely needed given how competitive the space is. A couple of thoughts:

The fact that you are getting rejections already either mean that

1. Your current CV / experience is not strong enough
2. Your performance in the interviewers is not good enough
3. There is a visa/employment issue or constraint

To maximize the chance of #3, applying to the Middle East (which you already plan to do), or in India would be the answer. 

The bigger concern is #1 and #2. 

#1 CV -> If you are not even getting invites/rejected before interviewing, it means that your current experience is not strong enough, either

• You have good experience but its not coming out well in the CV -> easier fix, just need to get someone to give quality feedback on your CV
• You do not have good enough experience yet (even if the CV is sharp and well structured) -> more challenging, need to potentially work more in industry before trying to switch again to consulting

#2 Interview Performance -> This is arguably the hardest to fix. To optimize your chances, you need to identify what your weaknesses are and come up with a plan to improve them. Unfortunately what this means for each individual differs so there's no way to give you something tailored here. 

All the best!

Hello

Thanks for your question and it sounds like you're keen to do what it takes.

Have you spoken to your career center at all at Warwick? This can be a powerful step as most career centers have some good relationships with recruiting contacts at consulting firms. 

Next step - the applications that you have done, are they blind or did you get referrals/network before applying?

With consulting applications it is definitely a combination of quality and quantity - meaning, I never recommend my clients to cold apply (e.g., on the company website without having spoken to at least one person at the firm).

My recommendation: If there are any remaining organizations in the UK you're interested in (e.g., firms / internal strategy etc.) combine this list with the list of interesting places in the Middle East (stay organized on an excel) and start networking via informational interviews. Once you have spoken to people at the firms that you're applying to you can better prepare your cover letter and maybe even have a referral.

Happy to talk further if helpful!

Hey Swastik :)

Right now the smartest move is to keep applying in the Middle East as well, since their hiring is more flexible and they like international profiles. In the UK most graduate timelines close in autumn, so use Warwick networking and alumni outreach as much as you can. Add boutiques and Big4 Strategy too, it really increases your chances and you can always switch later. Keep practicing cases so you convert interviews once you get them. Aim to finish all ME applications by early next year so you can still start in 2026. If you need help with CV or specific firms, just message me.

best, Alessa :)

I think the next steps shouldn't necessarily be sending out more applications. 

You might want to take a step back and look at what you can improve. 

1. CV - about 2-5% of the CVs I see are ready to be sent out. The rest would benefit from significant improvements. Get a professional CV review here. 

2. Referrals - did you apply with referral to these roles? If not, then your chances were already lower. Here's a guide on how to go about getting referrals if you don't have contacts in the industry:

• Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

So I would start by diagnosing the problem before pushing ahead with the same problem.

Best,
Cristian

Hi Swastik,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your rejections!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

• I would strongly advise you to rethink your application approach. If 20 out of 50 have already rejected you, there is likely a problem with either your CV/cover letter or how you perform in early assessment stages. Referrals and networking can make a big difference, so reach out to current employees and alumni from Warwick.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

It's completely frustrating to be putting in that volume of work only to see the rejection count rise. Don't let those numbers shake your confidence; they are a function of the recruiting machine, not necessarily your capability.

Here is the reality of your current position: With 1.2 years of prior experience, you are in the toughest spot for the UK Graduate Analyst cycle. The automated screeners and early HR reviews are designed to filter for two things: zero experience (straight out of undergrad/masters) or 2+ years (the proper Associate/Experienced track). You are falling into the gap, often getting binned because the system doesn't know whether you should be in the undergrad pool or the experienced pool, and you’re treated as "overqualified/wrong fit" for the highly structured grad roles. The sheer volume of applications (50) also suggests you may be using a scattergun approach, which is fatal in consulting recruitment where deep tailoring is non-negotiable.

Your optimal pivot is geographic and timeline based. Stop pushing hard on the highly centralized, early-closing UK cycles right now. The Middle East (Dubai, Riyadh) is far more flexible regarding pre-MBA work experience, and their recruiting timelines often run significantly later—sometimes from January to May for a September start. You need to immediately shift your focus to firms like Strategy&, BCG, and MBB in the GCC, and crucially, apply for the Business Analyst or Associate role, using your 1.2 years of experience as a legitimate professional track record, not just academic padding.

For your next steps, stop applying cold. Select five remaining high-priority UK targets and five Middle East targets. For these ten firms, ruthlessly tailor your CV: every single bullet point must quantify impact and demonstrate problem-solving that translates to business value. Since your start date is September 2026, you have time. Use the next three months to focus entirely on networking with alumni and current consultants in those ten specific offices. This dramatically increases your chances of getting past the initial blind screen.

All the best!