Experience
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Consulting careers at London Business School have always been a popular choice. You will see from the School’s employment reports that the 5-year average for total % of MBA students joining consulting firms is 39%, and 45% for Masters in Management students. In times of economic downturn as well as boom years, LBS remains a strong source of talent for internationally recognised consulting firms.
If you are keen to explore opportunities in consulting, then undertaking a masters degree at London Business School is a wise decision. We collaborate with all the major firms, all of whom specifically target LBS talent. The strength of these relationships puts LBS students at an advantage over others in what is a very competitive sector. By joining LBS, your opportunities to engage in networking and recruitment activities are second-to-none.
In 2021/22, we welcomed over 30 consulting companies to campus to host company presentations, skills workshops and coffee chats. In addition, we run an annual consulting careers fair that attracts ~30 additional organisations. As well as major recruiters such as McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Co., we also have strong relationships with a number of smaller, boutique firms. This allows our students the opportunity to broadly explore the sector and target recruiters that have a good fit with their profile and aspirations. Many will focus on the big brands but we ensure that you can meet with a variety of potential employers so you can decide who is right for you.
Naturally, consulting is a competitive sector to enter. Companies are looking for high-achieving applicants who exhibit a problem-solving mind-set, along with the ‘client ready’ skills required to perform in what is an extremely pressurised, client-facing career. The Career Centre at LBS invest a lot of time and energy in helping prepare students for applications and interviews. In addition, we receive an enormous amount of support from partner firms who run numerous workshops and provide networking opportunities to allow students to get all the insight they need on a particular firm.
Looking forward into 2023 and beyond, there is of course economic uncertainty; however, consulting firms recognise the need to continue hiring junior talent, even during such periods. Firms will become more focused on the business schools they target, and as such, London Business School will continue to be a partner of choice.
The recruitment cycle
London Business School is a target school for many of the major, global, consulting firms, and you’ll find that the company interactions start very early in the year. Once you join us, you can expect to start meeting leading consulting companies both on and off campus from mid-September onwards.
Many of the firms run structured, LBS-specific on-campus recruitment campaigns. This happens for full-time recruitment in the autumn term, whilst internship recruitment commences in the spring. Beyond this, there are many opportunities to engage in off-cycle recruitment. London Business School graduates go on to work for a myriad of consulting firms, both here in London and the UK, and internationally.
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