Management Consulting Internships

What does a management consulting intern do?

As a consulting intern, you'll spend four weeks to six months at an employer working alongside experienced consultants to solve real problems for real clients. You’ll work on real projects while adding skills and experience to your CV. Some of your day-to-day tasks will include:

• Using data to problem solve. You'll dig into spreadsheets, reports and market research to find patterns and opportunities to help client strategies

• Working with teams. You'll work with consultants at all levels, from analysts to partners, and engage directly with client stakeholders

• Presenting your findings. Whether you’re updating stakeholders with your progress or giving recommendations, you'll learn to communicate ideas with confidence

• Make changes. You’ll help clients put new strategies into action. This can include training teams, rolling out new processes and monitoring results.

As a budding consultant, you’ll be able to slot in anywhere. You could find yourself working across industries, so one week you’ll be analysing customer trends for a fashion brand and the next you could be helping a fintech start-up fix how they operate.

Here’s what one intern said about their time at EY:

Overall, I loved it. I never expected to end up working in this area specifically, and my internship showed me a world of opportunity that I never knew was available. I believe EY is a company that actually cares about your graduate progression; they want you to do well, and they want you to do well at EY. Each person I spoke to was so accommodating and friendly; it made my experience amazing. I wasn't sure I would gain so much from such a short time, but instead, it has been transformative for my future. I would recommend it to anyone! People Consulting Summer Intern

Best of all, you’ll be paid a salary (pro-rata) for the duration of your internship. Perfect for saving up some funds for when you’re back at university.

Is it worth doing a consulting internship?

Absolutely. Consultancy jobs are super competitive, especially at the Big Four (Deloitte, KPMG, PwC and EY). Getting work experience before you graduate will put you in the running for graduate schemes, as employers often look at their talent pool and invite their recent interns and placement students back.

Internships are great. Here’s why:

• You can essentially try out an industry or job before fully committing to a placement

• Gain real-life experience that traditional classroom learning can’t give you

• Internships get you in front of employers early, which will put you in a great position to be considered for graduate schemes

• You’ll get paid.

Ever wanted to know more about what it’s like to work for Arcadis? Here’s what this ecology consultant got up to:

My role as an ecology consultant was to assist with field surveys across the North of England, including badger, otter, water vole, bat and great crested newt surveys. This would be about once a week and sometimes include an overnight stay at a hotel. On the days I wasn't out on sites i was in the office or working from home (totally optional), helping to write reports, watching camera trap footage or doing bat call analysis, amongst other things. Ecology Consultant, Arcadis

How much does a consulting intern earn?

Your salary depends on the company you work for and where you're based. Internships in London pay a lot more than schemes outside the capital. As a consulting intern, you could earn between £23,000 and £25,000 pro rata.

Once you get to graduate levels, you’ll start at £27,000 per year. The more experience you gain, the more your salary will grow, too. As a senior consultant, you could earn up to £60,000 per year.

What skills will you need?

Employers aren’t looking for perfection or all the experience in the world, but they are looking for students who have passion, can work well with others and think on their feet. Here are some of the soft skills you’ll need:

• Problem-solving. You’ll break down complex problems into bite-sized pieces, analyse information and draw conclusions.

• Communication skills. You'll need to explain your ideas clearly to clients and team members. Whether you're presenting findings or discussing options.

• Commercial awareness. You don't need to be a business expert, but you should understand how businesses work and what's happening in the news. Read business sections and follow industry trends.

• Teamwork. You'll be working with analysts, managers, and clients daily. Firms want to see that you can contribute to a team and listen to others.

• Drive and curiosity. Employers want to see that you’re passionate about your responsibilities and that you’re willing to do the work.

How to apply

Consultancy firms start looking for interns in September, with the most popular schemes closing applications in December. So it’s worth getting your applications in as early as possible.

Some management consulting internships accept applicants from any degree discipline. So even if you’re studying Psychology, English Literature or even Marketing, you can still apply.

Make sure to tailor every single application. Employers can tell when you’ve recycled applications, so make sure you're including relevant information in your CV and cover letter.

PRO TIP: always refer back to the job description to help you find the relevant bits. 

Passed the initial stage? You’ll then be invited to an assessment centre where you’ll take part in group tasks and have your final interview.