What Is the Best Consulting Firm for Me?

Every consulting firm is unique. If you are interested in working in consulting, the available options include working for the typical strategy consultancies , more specialized boutique consulting firms, or for the so-called inhouse consultancies which are basically internal consulting firms of big companies. The big players in strategy consulting know how to set the tone by means of branding, demanding projects, internationality, and last but not least through attractive salaries. Boutique consultancies have the advantage that consultants may work in their favorite field in order to evolve into specialists. Inhouse consultancies are becoming more and more important for the job market, since employees are looking for more promising work-life-balance properties in their employers. Moreover, you'll be able to do your own networking in a big firm, and therefore lay a solid foundation for the transition into the later stages of your career.

What Are Necessary Skills for Me as a Consultant?

You'll have to bring certain abilities to the table, but it's about more than what's on your resume. Despite an excellent academic education, your future employer will also look for working experience, especially if acquired abroad. Particularly if you studied business/economics, you'll be expected to have at least two internships on your record when being interviewed.

Do I Need an MBA to Apply for a Job in Consulting?

While an MBA can be beneficial, it's not a strict requirement to apply for a consulting job. Consulting firms often seek candidates with diverse educational backgrounds, including natural sciences, medicine, and pharmacy. They highly value organized and analytical working behavior. Beyond educational qualifications, firms also emphasize soft skills such as communication abilities, self-confidence, and analytical skills. Even without significant practical experience, if you demonstrate these qualities, you could potentially be considered for consulting roles. Some firms may also offer workshops and mini-MBA programs to further develop your skills once hired.

What Are the Benefits While Working as a Consultant?

Working as a consultant offers several benefits. While the role often requires long working hours, especially for those starting their careers, it compensates with high salaries. Additionally, the experience you gain as a consultant can lead to promising career advancements and opportunities for personal development, extending beyond the realm of consulting. Many consultants leverage their experience to transition into roles in large industrial companies, smaller boutique consultancies, or startups, which can offer diverse career paths.

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Oliver Wyman

Strategy Consultancy

>5000 employees global

Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 60 cities across 29 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 5,000 professionals around the world who work with clients to optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a business of Marsh McLennan [NYSE: MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman.

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What to Expect in the Application Process at Oliver Wyman

Conversational Interview

Case interview

Our Interview Process Is Like Our Work Environment. Challenging. Exciting. Fun.

With a mix of conversational and case interviews, our approach is designed not only to get to know you and to understand more about your strengths and interests but also to enable you to learn more about our people and our business.

Conversational Interviews

These interviews provide the opportunity for us to find out more about your background and interests, as well as for you to learn about our firm. Ultimately, our goal is to assess and understand your interest in business and your goals for the future. You can expect to hold a conversation with your interviewer about your accomplishments, experiences, interests, and career objectives. This is also a good opportunity to ask questions about Oliver Wyman.

Case Interviews

The case interview is an interactive exercise in analytical thinking that allows us to assess how you approach and evaluate a problem. There are many types of cases; all are designed to allow you to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities. And you’ll learn a lot about the kinds of problems we solve for our clients since many of your case interviews will be based loosely on real-world challenges.

Discover Your Career Opportunities at Oliver Wyman

What You Will Do

You’ll be in the room with the world’s most important corporate and government leaders, regulators, and academic experts. You will help shape strategy and have a meaningful impact. You will drive the conversation and thinking that leads to tangible, real-world change for clients, industries, and societies. You can make your mark at Oliver Wyman as an intern or a new consultant straightaway and partake in enhanced experiences early in your career.

Who Do We Look For?

Oliver Wyman is a fair and equal employer, committed to recruiting and retaining the most diverse talent. We look for people who display initiative, intuition, and creativity with a strong problem-solving and analytical mindset. We do not require specific academic majors or industry experience and seek out diversity of experience and skills. We value extracurricular activities and evidence of leading an interesting and impactful life outside of your studies. Details on full eligibility can be found on our job postings, including graduate program details beyond consulting in our Actuarial and Oliver Wyman CAVOK businesses.

How You Will Grow

You will work on a variety of projects that will develop your skills and compress years of industry experience into months. Our focus on entry-level hiring means we have designed innovative training and development, mentoring, and flexible-work programs around you as a future leader, not as a two-year temporary employee. Before long, you will create your own unique role within our diverse partnership, form your own teams and cultivate clients.

At OW, there’s no “one size fits all.”

We hire free thinkers who love to challenge the norm.

And we give each of them opportunities to carve their path at OW (and beyond)