Pre-reading for:
Introduction to Consulting Careers Know and Develop Yourself
J-P Martins, Consulting Careers Team
September 2012
Contents
2
What do I need to know about consulting careers at LBS?
What is consulting?
…and is it for me?
Who are the consultants?
…and which would suit me best?
How do I get hired into consulting from LBS?
…and how does Career Services help?
What is a management consultant?
3
Any professional who provides advice and assistance to others, usually for financial reward. This covers many roles operating in almost any industry
‘Consultant’
Identifies, diagnoses and solves business problems and issues
‘Management Consultant’
That’s very general - what distinguishes what management consultants do?
Management consultants: Identify, diagnose and resolve business issues Provide resources
• People • Access to data and expertise • Impartiality
Operate at many levels Work with others
• Clients • Case teams
Work on projects (‘cases’ or ‘engagements’), lasting from a few weeks to several years
4
Provide an objective view of the way forward and/or help the client to achieve something they can’t do alone
Logic
Speed
How do they do that then? – Workplan, analyse, communicate!
5
Business Problem
Problem Framing • Impact
• Insight
Problem Structure and Hypotheses • Key elements
• Early hypotheses
Issue Prioritisation • Speed
• 80:20
Next iteration? New priorities?
Output Communication • Buy-in • Implementability
Synthesis and Recommendations • Solutions • Actions
Analysis • So what - insight • Justification – how
do you get the data to prove it?
Work Planning • Efficiency • Leverage
Strategic Problem Solving Process
Sorry, what do they actually do?
The case team leader (typically 2-3 years post MBA) will:
• Ensure the problem is correctly defined and scoped
• Understand what the client needs to achieve
• Sound out approaches and potential solutions (hypothesis based)
The team (consultants & clients) will work together to solve the problem:
• Work through the issues in a logical way
• Discuss approaches and solutions as a team
• Conduct desk research, interview and observe clients, ask awkward questions, collect and analyse data, consult experts
• Substantiate conclusions with data, data, data
• Obtain buy-in from team members and client’s senior management
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Example project 1: Merger between two global airlines
7
Problem: Asked by CEO of XYZ Air to assist build a business case for merger, to present to Board
Project: Two teams, each led by a manager with 2 or 3 consultants/associates, three month timeframe Identified likely areas of synergy and estimated quantity of each ‘Killer’ analysis was reconstructing the other airline’s operating and maintenance schedule by working backwards from published timetables Also lots of detailed working through organisation charts and expense details with XYZ Air’s senior managers Developed detailed brand and service strategies to minimise top-line erosion Workshopped findings with select senior managers from both airlines
Findings: Validated key assumptions and overall value - £1+bn synergies
Work was presented to Board – they continued to move forward with the project Merger was eventually announced to markets, but rejected by regulators
Results:
Example project 2: Operational improvement at flight catering centre
8
Problem: Asked by GM Catering of XYZ Air to advise on cost reduction and operational improvement at regional flight catering centre
Project: One team, led by a manager with 2 consultants/associates, three month timeframe (one of 8 or 9 such teams running simultaneously in the same client) Hand-picked 15 client team members to perform the project analysis and act as change champions First day was met by a walkout of all staff leading to no food on planes for a 6 hour period
Identified likely areas of opportunity and quantified each § Included sifting through all discarded meals from one day’s flights to identify what
passengers really want to eat, rather than what they say they want
§ Benchmarked potential savings against wholesale outsourcing
Findings: Over £1m annual saving possible from reduced flight delays, re-scoped food menus and efficiencies in ingredient procurement
All recommendations accepted and implemented – XYZ went on to further reduce scope of economy class hot meals as it realised these really were not valued by public
Results:
Example project 3: Energy coal supply and demand study
9
Problem: Asked by Group CEO Energy of Global Mining Co to produce bottom up forecast of energy coal prices for next 15 years based on comprehensive supply and demand study
Project: Sino-Australian team: 2 managers with 4 consultants/associates, with 1 senior manager and two engineers from the client, 3-month timeframe (based in China for 2 months) Completed survey of 300 Chinese mines using local market researchers, and exhaustive electricity demand projections based on GDP growth and demand elasticities Modelled all new planned power stations over next 15 years and likely impact on demand
Thoroughly researched Chinese road, rail and sea transport infrastructure Built global supply and demand model using company information
Findings: Ground-breaking (then!) view on explosion of Chinese natural resource demand Confirmed availability of low cost coal production to meet this demand, despite likely short term transport bottlenecks, and unviability of some of Global’s assets in the long term
Reviewed Global Mining’s cost position and made advised strategy for each mine
Strategy not adopted – Global Mining instead reacted to short term price rises, raising long-term price forecasts, and overinvested in acquisitions which destroyed value
Results:
Contents
10
What do I need to know about consulting careers at LBS?
What is consulting?
…and is it for me?
Who are the consultants?
…and which would suit me best?
How do I get hired into consulting from LBS?
…and how does Career Services help?
The appeal of consulting is different for different people – here’s a starter list…
A fantastic opportunity to accelerate or transform your career
Extremely selective hiring – it’s like winning a prize
Immense capability of your colleagues – smart, charming, driven people
Great employers – training, benefits, offices, personal development
Remuneration’s good – particularly if you stick around a few years
• Base UK salaries for MBAs £70-90k range for MBAs (+ sign-on)
Professional service – serving clients
Opportunities to travel
Variety: of problems to be solved; of industries/organisations
Intellectual challenges
Interpersonal challenges
Influence (power?)
Ability to create completely new intellectual capital
Value creation
Opportunities to develop, coach and train others (clients, juniors)
Looks good on your CV
11
…but it’s not going to suit everyone (1 of 2)
You may not be good enough?
• Hiring is very selective
• Fewer than 10% of applicants from LBS get into the top firms
• You have to be highly driven and work hard
• 60+ hour weeks remain normal, and 80+ hour weeks are not unknown
• Travel commitments can be onerous
• Consultants need to work with their clients. This may mean extensive periods of travelling, living away from home 4 days a week
• Things change
• Constantly. Project allocations, travel arrangements, meeting times, holiday plans, development targets…
12
…but it’s not going to suit everyone (2 of 2)
You’re not the smartest fish in the pond any more • Your colleagues are bright and enthusiastic – many did better at school than
you • Your bosses really do know what they are talking about now, and sometimes
you’re the one who doesn’t • ‘Up or out’ • Your performance will be constantly evaluated • Every six months or so, you will be appraised by a career development
committee • You may be promoted at any of these appraisals • If not promoted at regular intervals (usually around 2 years) you will be
asked to leave • Annual turnover at these firms is often around 25%
13
How does a consulting career work?
14
Associate Consultant1
• Business Analyst2
• Associate3
• Consultant4
Consultant1,3
• Associate2,4
Case Team Leader1
• Engagement Manager2
• Project Leader3
• Senior Associate4
Manager1 • Associate
Principal2 • Principal3,4
Partner1,3 • Partner/
Director2 • Vice
President4
1 Bain, 2 McKinsey, 3 BCG, 4 Booz Note: Timings very approximate
Typical MBA entry level
2 years post MBA
4-5 years 6-9 years
Market is looking pretty good, and doing an MBA at LBS positions you well!
15
54 54 61 59
54
100
39 40 45
30
47 57
MBA 2006 MBA 2007 MBA 2008 MBA 2009 MBA 2010 MBA 2011 MBA 2012
MBA consulting hiring from LBS in recent years (index: MBA2011 = 100)
Summer internships Permament hires
?
Source: LBS MBA employment reports Index = # students in class x employment rate x % going to consulting
Fewer MiFFTs get hired, especially into strategy consulting
16
5 11 11 7 10 6 4 6
MiFFT 2007 MiFFT 2008 MiFFT 2009 MiFFT 2010 MiFFT 2011
MiFFT consulting hiring from LBS in recent years (index: MBA2011 = 100)
All consulting Strategy consulting
Source: LBS MiFFT employment reports Index = # students in class x employment rate x % going to consulting
Contents
17
What do I need to know about consulting careers at LBS?
What is consulting?
…and is it for me?
Who are the consultants?
…and which would suit me best?
How do I get hired into consulting from LBS?
…and how does Career Services help?
The consulting industry is big, and hard to navigate and research
$200+ bn worldwide
BLT (consulting specialist executive search firm) list 370 firms in the UK alone
And this list misses some firms that I know and that hired this year
A handful of brand names dominate most people’s thoughts on the industry, and your aspirations I’m sure…
18
There are many different ways to segment the industry
Whether you’re a novice, onlooker, participant or player…
• Which firm do you know best?
• Which segment or category of consulting do you think they fall into?
19
The most useful way to segment firms is by fees and size
20 Illustrative only Source: ADD Resources
High
Low
10 100,000
Revenue per Consultant
Size of Firm (# consultants)
Global Elite (‘Top Tier’)
Strategy Boutiques
Global ‘Full Service’ Specialists
McKinsey BCG
Bain
ATK
Mars & Co
Diamond
PRTM
ZS Associates Atkins
Diamond
IBM
Accenture
Deloitte
CapGemini
Booz
All these segments are interested in recruiting from London Business School
21
Global, Full Service Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, PA Consulting Part of much larger firms, leverage accounting, auditing, corporate finance, systems relationships
Functional & Sector Specialists
Finance: Oliver Wyman, McKinsey Corporate Finance IT: McKinsey BTO, Axon, Sales and Marketing: ZS Associates, Wolff Olins HR: Watson Wyatt, Hay, Towers Perrin
Specialise in a sector (eg FS, FMCG, transport, construction…) or function (eg finance, HR…)
‘Small’ Boutiques e.g., Greenwich Associates, Mars & Co, Very many firms, some quite small
Internal Consultants e.g., Diageo, Reuters, Shell, Deutsche Post, Vodafone, Oracle
Often do the same work as consultants Many different titles
‘Top Tier’ & Big Boutiques
McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Booz & Co, Roland Berger, A T Kearney, Monitor, Marakon, LEK, OC&C, Parthenon Group
Generalists: § Across sectors § Strategy, M&A, PE, Operations, Processes,
Organisation
Who do you want to work for? (1 of 2)
77
44%
324
56%
Pre-MBA Aspirations
Non-consultants
Consultants
401 100%
22 Note: data for MBA 2011 class only
Consultants: pre MBA vs. Aspirations
Who do you want to work for? (2 of 2)
48 45 39
12 5 4 4 4 3
McKinsey BCG Bain AT Kearney IBM Monitor Accenture Parthenon LEK
23 Note: data for MBA2010 class
Which consulting firms – your preferred recruiters
The old term ‘strategy consultants’ doesn’t describe what ‘Top Tier’ firms do
Corporate strategy Corporate development Business unit strategy Functional strategy eg
• Marketing • Product innovation/R&D • Maintenance
Process/operational improvement Organisation design Post merger integration Private equity
• Pitches • Due diligence • Portfolio improvement
But many other firms do this kind of work too • Boutiques • Sector specialists • Functional specialists • Global ‘full service’
24
The ‘Top Tier’ firms have similar business models and products
‘Top Tier’ Firms McKinsey BCG
Bain +/- Booz
+/- AT Kearney
25
Why They Look The Same
Similar people
Recruit highly selectively from top business schools
Partnerships
Rigid up or out, rapid progression to partner for a few
Blue chip clients
§ Eg FTSE 100
§ Leaders in their field
Issue/hypothesis based workplanning
Data driven analytical approach
Slide driven communication
Moved from short term projects to long term relationships, many years ago now
Work on all aspects of management
§ Whatever matters most to the Chief executive and board
Equally comfortable in implementation as ‘strategy’
Observed cultural differences between McKinsey, BCG and Bain
26
Influence
Value
Ideas
Bain
BCG
McKinsey More specialised, including
specialist hiring
Generalist, Private equity focus
Generalist
You need to do your own research
How would you characterise these firms?
What about all the other firms that recruit here?
Don’t you think you’d better have a point of view by the time you apply to any of them?
27
Contents
28
What do I need to know about consulting careers at LBS?
What is consulting?
…and is it for me?
Who are the consultants?
…and which would suit me best?
How do I get hired into consulting from LBS?
…and how does Career Services help?
You can’t all get jobs in the ‘top tier’
29
Illustrative Top Tier Recruiter 2008-9
Applications 1st Round Interviews
2nd Round Interviews Hires
160
190 52
40
17
16
4
6
350 92 (26%) 33 (9%) 10 (3%)
Blue = Spring (‘summer internship’) recruiting Red = Autumn (‘full time’) recruiting
30
Medium Firms (incl. ‘Top Tier’)
More focused on consulting than ‘Full Service’
Many famous brand names Career building step
Prestige
Large Firms (‘Full Service’)
Systematic training
Many offices Recruiting not as competitive More specialised entry points
Scope for career change
Generalist ‘Strategy’ Firms Higher price points demand innovation Greater focus on bespoke approaches
Comparing types of consulting employer
Small Firms Bigger fish in a smaller pool
Talent more visible Greater breadth of work?
Recruitment less competitive
By size…
‘Specialists’ and ‘Full Service’ Firms Lower prices mean they’re selling experience
More ‘formulaic’ approaches
By price point…
31
What matters to you?
Brand name, security
Financial reward
Quality of workmates
Clear, predictable career track
Personal development
Environment/culture
Partner prospects
Quality of work and clients
Turning experience into consulting
Intellectual challenge
Consultants Aspiring Consultants
Source: ADD Resources
32
What matters to you?
‘Top Tier’ Boutiques ‘Full Service’
Work/life balance
Speed of promotion
Type/level of work
Earnings progression
International work
Brand name impact
Job security
Quality of colleagues
Ease of getting hired
Source: ADD Resources
Promotion track may also differ between firms
33
Associate Consultant1
• Business Analyst2
• Associate3
• Consultant4
Consultant1,3
• Associate2,4
Case Team Leader1
• Engagement Manager2
• Project Leader3
• Senior Associate4
Manager1 • Associate
Principal2 • Principal3,4
Partner1,3 • Partner/
Director2 • Vice
President4
1 Bain, 2 McKinsey, 3 BCG, 4 Booz Note: Timings very approximate
6-9 years Slower in ‘Full Service’ Faster in Boutiques
How is your experience seen by recruiters?
34
Entry level roles Areas of
weakness/ question marks in some areas
Higher level roles
(especially around sales ability outside
‘top tier’)
Entry level roles Good
quantitative/ problem solving
experience Good performer
across other dimensions
Specialist firms
Specialist roles, generalist firms
Generalist roles, generalist firms
Irrelevant Valued Balance Sought Relevant
Non-Consulting Experience
Consulting Experience
Generalist roles, generalist firms
Specialist firms
Specialist roles, generalist firms
Contents
35
What do I need to know about consulting careers at LBS?
What is consulting?
…and is it for me?
Who are the consultants?
…and which would suit me best?
How do I get hired into consulting from LBS?
…and how does Career Services help?
‘How to get a consulting job’ on a single slide? – Easy!
Smart
Charming
Driven
Richard Branson
Mark Zuckerburg
Stephen Hawking
Tony Blair Barack Obama
Ashton Kutcher
Bill Clinton (in his day!)
Michael Phelps Aung San Suu Kyi
Mo Farrah Eddie Izzard
Bill Gates LeBron James
If you had this magical mix, I guarantee you wouldn’t need me to review your CV or to practise a single case… 36
A more actionable checklist involves four areas of competency
§ Maturity
§ Track record (sporting, clubs)
§ Integrity
§ Inspirational
§ Willing to take personal risks
Problem Solving
§ Intellectual capacity
§ Analytics/quants.
§ Creativity
§ Business judgement
§ Comfort with ambiguity
Personal Impact
§ Presence
§ Confidence vs. ego
§ People skills
§ Team player
§ Sense of humour
Leadership Drive/ Aspiration
§ Driven by results – action oriented
§ Enthusiasm
§ Desire to excel
§ Other interests
Could I put you in front of a client on Day 1? Could I spend 24 hours flying from London to Sydney with you?
37
Typical hiring criteria are three ‘meets requirements’ and a spike
38
Problem Solving
Personal Impact Leadership Drive/
Aspiration
Unacceptable
Meets Requirements
Truly Distinctive
Candidate Evaluation
The recruiting process assesses ability, motivation and fit
39 39
§ Do you have the appropriate skills and experience?
Can you do the job?
§ Are you really motivated to do the job? § Are you driven to excel in the job?
§ Will you fit in to our teams? § Will our clients think you’re ‘one of us’? § Will we enjoy working with you?
Do you want the job?
Will you fit into our company?
After application screening, the interview process usually involves 2 or 3 rounds
Interview Round 1*:
Ding!
‘Fit’ interview Case Study interviews (2) Fit and Case may be combined
* McKinsey has the IPS test before the first round
Interview Round 2:
Ding!
‘Fit’ interview Case Study interviews (2 or 3) Usually with partners ‘Weak spots’ tested
JOB OFFER!
Ding!
Additional Tests (sometimes):
Role play Group exercise ‘Business acumen’ test
Spring recruiting on a page (MBA2013)
424
159 92
1st round interviews 173 individuals
2nd round interviews 89 individuals
Offers 68+ individuals
41
“This year is shaping up to be a record year for us at LBS”
– top tier recruiter
Note: Numbers subject to change – final numbers will be published in our annual MBA Employment Report
Who came to Campus to see the first year MBAs last year?
McKinsey BCG Bain Booz AT Kearney Accenture (ADP only) Parthenon KPMG (new – MBA-specific programme)
OC&C (return after a few years’ break) ZS Associates Roland Berger Monitor Delta Partners Solon Note LEK not here last year ‘because of the Olympics’
42
The slides that follow…
Are based on data from MBA2013 for summer internship recruiting this year
These data are not final nor complete
We measured three things across the group
• CV score – how strong the candidates’ experiences and achievements are (NOT how well written were their CVs)
• CAC score – how well they performed in quality controlled mock case interviews
• GMAT – how well they did in their GMAT exams
43
More interviews for high CV and CAC scores
44 Note: 424 1st round interviews
45 Note: 159 2nd round interviews
More interview success for high CV score, CAC score and GMAT
46 Note: 92 offers so far shared among 68 students – more expected
More offers for high CV score, CAC score and GMAT
Firms do not appear to use GMAT as a pre-selection tool
47 Note: Data reflects extent to which firm round 1 GMAT differs from class average
48
CV score, on the other hand, is quite a good indication of shortlisting behaviour (strongest in the most selective firms)
Note: Data reflects extent to which firm round 1 CV score differs from class average
As expected, CV score may be an even better differentiator of interview performance
49 Note: Data reflects extent to which firm round 2 CV score differs from class average
CAC score’ effectiveness confirmed, but not for final round
50 Note: Data reflects extent to which firm CAC score differs from class average
51
Geography appears to have been more important than ever
Summer Consulting Team – last year’s programme
Presentation 20 Feb 40 students
Deadline Wednesday 22 ~30+ applicants?
Shortlisting Thursday 23 16 candidates
Inform candidates Friday 24
Interviews Friday 2 March 6-8 offers
Team starts with offsite 11-12 June
6-8 MBA students work as a self-managed consulting business over the summer and beyond
Last year – 11 projects for 8 clients totalling ~£180k revenue
CS gets 15% (7/5% to a scholarship and 7.5% towards our budget
Target 50% conversion to strategy consulting post MBA
Consulting team runs selection and provides training, mentoring, ongoing support
52
The one month emergency action plan – for emergencies only!
Week 1
• Email to find people interested in practicing case interviews with you
• Practice answering fit questions. Focus on concrete examples illustrating your achievements, role on teams, leadership and analytical abilities
• Reach out to 1or 2 people in industry and network. Get at least 1 lunch scheduled for weeks 3/4, after you’ve practiced cases. Don’t only ask them to look at your resume; they can also give you a practice case with instant feedback
Week 2
• Read or practice 2 cases per day. Practice at least 3 market size estimation questions during the week
• Every day, read 2 FT articles. For each, identify the main business issue, and spend 15m developing an issue tree for the case as if for interview. Discuss with your case buddy, and see what other areas they would have considered. You’re striving to learn to structure things in a MECE way
• Practice 1different fit question per day, in front of a mirror or with a friend
Week 3
• Practice at least 1 case a day with friends. If you run out of cases, have a friend make up one based on recent business news stories
• Continue reading business articles and practicing behavioral questions
Week 4
• Continue reading business articles, practicing behavioral questions, and doing mock case interviews with friends
• Meet with someone from industry. Ask about the company, their experience, and if they can give you a case/provide feedback on your resume. It’s vitally important to have someone review your resume before things get too serious. It's also useful to get a professional opinion on your current case-cracking ability
53 Source: College2consulting.com
Contents
54
What do I need to know about consulting careers at LBS?
What is consulting?
…and is it for me?
Who are the consultants?
…and which would suit me best?
How do I get hired into consulting from LBS?
…and how does Career Services help?
How can we help? Career Services
CVs:
• Consulting firms are very good at reading CVs
• Get yours into the MBA format • Focus on achievements, consulting skills • MBA CV process kicks off 10 September
Cases:
• LBS casebook (new edition ~ 5 October) • Online case prep tool • Consulting Club CaC • MBAs have access to Super Saturdays and
workshops
Fit: • Mock interviews • Book with coaches • Ask them to be rigorous, demanding, drill
deep on specific examples • MBAs – Mastering Interviews workshop
Public domain
Lots of resources
All the main firms’ websites
Booz even has an iPhone app
• http://itunes.apple.com/app/business-case-interview-prep/id466833493?mt=8
Commercial providers
• We can’t recommend • Follow me and others I follow on Twitter • Google • Ask around
55
First year MBA consulting careers skills programme
56
Great consulting CVs
Intro to consulting and strategy careers
Creative problem solving Mastering consulting interviews
Summer Consulting Team 2013
On Campus Recruiting
~3 Sept …for the undecided
…for the committed
18 Oct Other career options in strategy
11 Feb 2013 Alternative pathways to consulting
30 Apr Make the most of your internship
~10-14 Sept Presentations by stream
~1-12 Oct Detailed reviews
~15-26 Oct Recalls
~5 Oct ½ day intro
~8 Oct Tools & techniques
~13 Oct, 24 Nov
Crack a Case Super Saturdays
~12 Jan 2013 Crack a Case Super Saturday
~22 Oct Further problem solving tools
~5 Nov Creativity tools & techniques
~6 Nov on Workshops
~16 Nov ½ day workshop*
~17 Nov Mock interviews (externals and PLP)
* Incorporating Winning consulting cover letters and Personal brand
~7 Jan 2013 Commences…
~18 Feb Launch
First year MiFFT consulting careers skills programme
57
Great consulting CVs
Intro to consulting and strategy careers
Creative problem solving Mastering consulting interviews
On Campus Recruiting - permanent
~3 Sept …for the undecided
…for the committed
18 Oct Other career options in strategy
11 Feb 2013 Alternative pathways to consulting
30 Apr Make the most of your internship
MiFFT programme CV process is already underway
Ongoing: LBS Casebook
• New version expected ~5 October
Online case prep tool
Consulting Club Crack a Case programme
~8 Oct Tools & techniques
~22 Oct Further problem solving tools
~5 Nov Creativity tools & techniques
MiFFT mock interview programme is run separately
24 Sept 2012 Commences…
On Campus Recruiting - internships
7 Jan 2013 Commences…
MiFFTs – apply now or in January?
Autumn pros
No precedent for MiFFT consulting internships
Other applications need to be made in autumn – would be silly to delay those to find out what will happen in spring
Best to find out about likely outcomes sooner rather than later
Less likely to be compared to MBAs with extensive preparation
Firms most likely to hire MiFFTs tend not to have structured internship programmes anyway
Spring pros
More time to prepare
Best chance of securing an internship
58
This is not advice. There is no substitute for drawing up your own well-researched list of pros and cons and reaching your own conclusion
Recap – what is consulting and is it for you?
Management consulting is a broad field, concerned with solving clients’ business problems at all levels
Value, rigour, speed and independence are key
Consultants work in teams, and apply a rigorous problem solving process
Consulting has many attractions, but will not suit everyone
Only you can tell if it’s for you – take today as a starting point and research the sector, and firms…
59
60
Recap – who are the consultants and which would suit you best?
I hope this has given you some ways to think about which firms to apply to
Don’t apply only to McKinsey, BCG and Bain
If you do apply to the top tier firms, have a backup strategy
Choose firms based on what drives you, your strengths, and research on the firms concerned
Recap – how to get hired
It’s very clear what most of the recruiters are looking for:
• Problem solving ‘smarts’ • Personal impact ‘interpersonal skills’ • Leadership (potential…) • Drive
Ask yourself
• Do you really stand out on these dimensions?
• Does you CV/cover letter really reflect that? Recruiters have a multi-stage process that focuses on you underlying competencies, especially problem solving, primarily using tests and case interviews
• It’s a big time- and emotion-sink • It’s highly selective, <10% of applicants
succeed with each top tier firm
Maximise your chances Pick firms that resonate with you, your skills and experiences Pick offices that resonate too Don’t just apply to the ‘top tier’ – what are your Plan B and Plan C?
Geography is the most important factor – think
carefully about where you apply