Consulting, Business Strategy

Consulting firms are hired by organizations of all kinds – for-profit, nonprofit, and government agencies – to help them solve a problem or facilitate an organizational change. The more commonly known “general strategy” firms cover a broad portfolio of industries across sectors. There are also firms that specialize in specific industries such as healthcare, government, and financial services, while others specialize in functional areas that span industries, such as human resources, technology, and communications. Rather than hire an outside firm, some organizations have internal consultants, also referred to as business or corporate strategy departments, to address and resolve similar business and operational issues from within the organization.

Finding Internships

In general, consulting firms hire more full-time employees than they do summer interns. Do not get discouraged if you are not successful in the summer internship hiring process. Summer intern recruiting is an important process that helps you develop connections and become more of a known entity with firms. Staying connected with the people you have met demonstrates your interest and commitment to the field and can help your candidacy if you apply for a full-time opportunity. If you do get an offer for the summer, the main goal of the summer internship should be to see if consulting is a good fit for you, and if it is, to parlay the internship into a full-time offer.

Finding Jobs

Quantitative skills are valued, and firms will even look at SAT/ACT or GRE/GMAT scores for evidence of quantitative aptitude. Furthermore, demonstrated ability to work in a team is extremely important. That is partly why consulting firms use the case interview method – to evaluate your ability to solve a problem aloud and to structure and articulate your thought process to a teammate or client. Finally, it is important to remember that consulting is a client-facing industry. It is important to use face-to-face opportunities to demonstrate “core skills,” like communication skills, poise under pressure, and confidence.

Graduate and Professional Programs

Graduate school is not required to work in consulting or strategy. However, hiring organizations may look for more experienced candidates from a wide range of fields and disciplines, including business, law, medicine, and PhD programs for higher level positions within their organization. In particular, many consulting firms hire out of MBA programs, as well as other advanced degrees.

Looking for first-year or sophomore friendly opportunities? (Check back – this list gets updated!)

Check out these blogs and posts highlighting first-year and sophomore friendly internships/fellowships/summits:

Social Media Internship with PBS

Consumer Engagement Undergraduate Intern at the World Wildlife Fund

Research And Development Intern | Apex Systems | LinkedIn (medical technologies)

Intern, Market Research Description at …

By Katie Fell
Katie Fell Assistant Director, Harvard College Still Deciding, Exploring, & Self-Assessment
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Consulting Application Deadlines

Consulting employers (particularly MBB – McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and The Boston Consulting Group) will begin recruiting this semester with application deadlines starting this summer for full-time and summer internship roles that begin in 2025. These details are subject to change, and we will continue to share updates when we have them.

By Recruiting / Employer Engagement Team
Recruiting / Employer Engagement Team
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How to Explore Entrepreneurship at Harvard

Entrepreneurship is one of the most exciting fields to be involved in at Harvard but with so many resources it can be tough to figure out what’s best for you! Luckily, our MCS PAF Matthew Andrews gathered resources to share …

By Matthew Andrews
Matthew Andrews MCS PAF
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