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I knew I wanted an opportunity to help others
Rachel is a Senior Associate in our Corporate Strategy team. Since joining, she has gained experience on a variety of projects across the TMT and Financial Services sectors, with a particular focus on data strategy and business operations.
Before starting as an Associate, Rachel was a fully qualified teacher, teaching Maths to Year 5 & 6 students at a busy London primary school.
“Graduating into the middle of a pandemic, I knew I wanted an opportunity to help others but also challenge myself with something new. A job posting for a teaching graduate programme felt like a perfect fit – and turned out to be excellent preparation for a move into consulting.”
“Before applying, I was slightly nervous about being “2 years behind” most applicants coming straight from undergraduate degrees at university. However, this proved not to be the case at all. Meeting my cohort and the rest of the firm, it was clear that Strategy& hires for a diversity in backgrounds and experiences, even at the Associate level. In my cohort, we had as many new joiners with a Master’s or 1-2 years’ work experience as those coming straight from Undergrad, and even a few former Junior Doctors among our ranks!”
Upon joining, Rachel spent her first few weeks at the firm back in the ‘classroom’, this time as the student. All new joiners are immersed in several weeks of practical, team-based learning to equip them with the skills they need to succeed before they step into their first engagements at the firm.
“The best part about joining the firm has been the continuous training and focus on development … It’s now come full circle, as I help lead our ‘In-Life’ training programme we run for all new Associates through their first year at the firm. We cover everything from hard skills such as Excel and PowerBI, to how to approach unstructured problems with your clients. It’s a great way to get everyone together on a monthly basis and hear stories from their live project experiences too.”
Rachel joined Strategy& through the traditional hiring route, balancing case study preparation with her teaching responsibilities. “I have joked that having to write out maths problems on a whiteboard while keeping a classroom of children engaged on a daily basis was my secret advantage for the case interviews – but I do think it was invaluable!”
On advice for applying, Rachel shares that “it’s important to be clear about why you want to pursue consulting, stay informed about industries of interest, and prepare thoroughly for case interviews … Other than getting comfortable with market sizing and presenting your answers in a structured way, I would also recommend making the most of your university’s consulting clubs or try to find at least one other person to practise and get into the ‘case mindset’ with. If that isn’t a possibility, I also remember listening to business and strategy podcasts as I worked on classroom displays! There are lots of ways to help you prepare.”
As Rachel has progressed at the firm, the skills she developed in the classroom continue to be an asset to her development as a junior consultant: “Being responsible for my classroom planning, organisation and delivery has also been a huge advantage in helping me step up to own aspects of project delivery and presenting to clients and partners. It’s been very rewarding to get positive feedback in these areas, as well as connect with other ex-teachers at the firm who’ve also realised these benefits as they’ve transitioned to consulting... If you’re coming from a non-traditional background or had the advantage of some work experience before Strategy&, I would really encourage you to reflect on and highlight these transferable skills in your application.”
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