Hi,

First of all, congratulations on graduating with a 1st class!

Second of all - I have great news for you. You do need a business background to succeed in consulting. They hire a wide variety of backgrounds because talent needs to have different experiences. In my team my manager had a Geography degree, I have a Banking and we were on the same project.

There are some skills you need to demonstrate - communication, confidence, structure, logic but business acumen is not necessary. If you are determined to read up, I suggest:

a) Economist, FT

b) Definitely, make sure your applicaton answers are structured, you understand industry and company. Ace your interviews and cases.

If you have any other questions or need help on any of stages, let me know

Hi Dean!

Answering to the B part of your question - you do have a chance of entering consulting if you can demonstrate that what you've been doing is the best thing you could be doing in your industry. In other words, you need to have a demonstrated track record of excellence - good uni, first class degree (that helps), and a job that's top job in the publishing industry. Ideally, you would also like to demonstrate some interest in business. As a more radical option, you can consider MBA at a top school.

In addition to Vlad's helpful answer, I would suggest you keep track of Financial Times - it's quite entertaining to read and if touches on many industries. It can then inspire you to read up further on chosen topics.

Good luck!

Michal