How to get into Consulting with Hospitality and NGO/NPO background?

Hi,

Sharing some thoughts:

1. How can someone with Hospitality + NGO experience make a competitive consulting CV?

• It is possible, but would depend on the branding of your NGO/education as well as how well the specific points are crafted in the CV itself

2. Do consulting firms value OD / NGO work? If yes, how do I frame it properly?

• Yes, there are both social impact & organizational practice areas in top consulting firms

• It's really hard to tell you how to frame your experience properly without looking at the specific details - otherwise you will just hear people tell you the typical high level advice like "make it sound strategic" or "focus on related skills and experiences" - best to get a proper CV review done 

3. Would a transition into FP&A / finance help, or are there other “strategic” stepping stones you recommend?

• IMO FP&A is not really the best path

• What would definitely be better is to go to a top MBA program - these are still the feeder schools / target schools that firms hire from

4. Any tips for strengthening the “analytical / data” side of my profile before reapplying?

• Take on or volunteer for more analytical / data driven work in your role

• Make sure that experience is crafted well in the CV wording

In addition - you might find the following articles helpful:

Breaking into Consulting from a Non-Traditional Background

5 Reasons Why Experienced Hires Fail the Interview

Using AI for Case Preparation

Succeeding in Consulting as an Experienced Hire

All the best!

hi! 

Your background can def work, but you need to highlight transferable skills - thats how I do it with my mentees. 

=> this means for me: focus on problem-solving, project management, stakeholder management, and measurable impact from your NGO/OD experience. Frame achievements with numbers and clear business outcomes. Consulting values OD/NGO work if you show strategy, analytics, and results. FP&A could help strengthen analytical skills, but also consider roles in strategy, business analytics, or corporate development. For the data side, work on Excel modeling, basic financial analysis, or small consulting projects/case practice.

 Tailor your CV to show structured thinking, impact, and leadership.

Best, Alessa :)

It sucks to hit the wall on the initial CV screen, but you should know that your profile is triggering two non-traditional filters simultaneously: the industry focus (Hospitality/NGO) and the job function (OD). The core reality is that the initial automated review is looking for immediate signaling—target school pedigree, highly analytical job titles, or clear P&L responsibility—and when those keywords aren't present, the application often lands in the non-core pile.

The critical pivot for you lies in how you reframe the work you’ve already done. Consulting firms absolutely value process improvement and organizational transformation (the essence of good OD work), but you must translate it from NGO-speak into quantifiable business outcomes. Stop describing what you did (e.g., "improved internal processes") and start describing the impact and the scale. For every bullet point, ensure you address the challenge, the action you took (the model/framework you used), and the resulting outcome quantified by percentage, cost savings, or efficiency gains. Your hospitality background should focus heavily on operational optimization and resource allocation—that’s where the analytical rigor lives.

Regarding your planned transition, a move into a corporate function like FP&A is a highly strategic stepping stone. It forces you to think structurally about budgets, financial modeling, and resource prioritization—the exact language of early-stage consulting projects. It validates your quantitative skills in a way that neither Hospitality nor traditional OD roles often do for a recruiter. If you choose this path, commit to 18-24 months of strong performance, then re-engage the consulting recruiting cycle as an experienced hire. If you need a faster bridge, simultaneously pursue pro-bono strategy or market-entry projects for small businesses, giving you fresh, relevant "strategy" bullet points now.

Hope it helps!

Hi there, 

For your questions 1 & 2, a competitive CV is one that you can showcase you have the right skillsets and qualities that fit consulting. It doesn't matter which major you were from. I have colleagues from majors like history, anthropology etc. who managed to get in BCG/Bain and did very well in the firms. 

For 3, no I don't think FP&A / Financing would be helpful. 

For 4, have you done any work that can show your data / insight capabilities? If so, you need to tell a good story about the work. If not, try to look for opportunities on your job, volunteer for relevant projects. Might be better to talk through with a coach who can help you with the storytelling as well. Often times the candidates don't lack the story / experience, but they just haven't found the right way to articulate on their CV.

Best,

Emily

Hi there,

At the CV stage, consulting firms are often looking for pedigree and strong academic performance. For experienced hire roles, they want to see evidence of promotion, leadership, and problem-solving ability. Depending on the role, they may also value expertise in a particular industry. 

You can still leverage your NGO and hospitality experience by highlighting strategic impact, project management, and measurable results, but it’s important to clearly show how your background demonstrates these broader consulting qualities. Strengthening the analytical side with FP&A, business analytics, or other data-driven projects can also help. Networking and getting feedback on how you frame your experience can make a real difference.