“Consulting is the sort of job that’s really hard to understand, until you’ve had a real flavour of what it is like to do it on a given day… Until you’ve had the chance to sink your teeth into a problem.” – Sarah McMorrine, Senior Manager, Bain & Company  

“Consulting means taking on some of the world’s biggest problems that organisations all around the world are tackling and finding solutions in a supportive and collaborative way. You’re driving solutions that will change the future.” – Jagtar Chohan, Consultant, Boston Consulting Group 

It can be tricky to get your head around what a career in consulting entails, unless you’re lucky enough to have friend or family connections in those businesses. That’s why the Sutton Trust Pathways to Consulting programme has chosen to tackle this challenge with its partners Bain, BCG, McKinsey and Oliver Wyman.  

Pathways to Consulting is an 18 month programme which provides Y12 students from across the UK with the opportunity to explore what it’s like to work as a consultant. We focus on students getting the opportunity to build the knowledge, skills and network they need to see if it’s a career they want to pursue, and then offer invaluable work experience for their CV.  

We have found it’s a great programme for students who enjoy problem solving and lots of variety in their day, – working with people and trying new things.  

Lots of the students who joined the programme admitted…. “to be honest, I barely knew anything”, “I thoughts it was something to do with management maybe.”  

But they applied because 

 “I wanted to take part in something that would support me in the long term – Something that was more career oriented and [would] help me in the future.” 

“I really wanted work experience – I don’t know how else I would have accessed an opportunity like this.” 

 97% of our most recent cohort would recommend the sessions to a friend. It not only helped with knowledge and skills but also motivation  – 99% felt more motivated to achieve their career goals! 

“I loved meeting people from all over the country, all with a similar interested and wanting to do the same thing.” 

“We got to sit down with some consultants and could ask them all the questions we had.”  

“Attending Sutton Trust Pathways to Consulting has to be one of the single best experiences I’ve chosen to apply in the last 2 years.” 

“I can’t recommend The Sutton Trust enough I really enjoyed my experience with the pathways to consulting and have made friends for life  and gained so much confidence in myself!” 

It’s not just our students that benefit from the programme, so do the employer partners that are involved. 

“At McKinsey, we are committed to promoting equal opportunities and fostering diversity, as we believe that unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives drive success. By supporting the Sutton Trust’s initiative, we help introduce young talent to consulting and career opportunities they may not have otherwise discovered, shaping a diverse pipeline of future leaders.” – McKinsey and Company 

“Pathways provides a great opportunity to demystify the job of the consultant and, ultimately, helps us work closely with the students to provide them the tools needed to navigate future career decisions. The BCG volunteers get a unique opportunity to work with these teams and to provide both coaching and mentoring throughout the week.” – Boston Consulting Group 

If you are a student who thinks this programme might be for you, or if you know someone in year 12 who is passionate about getting involved in some of the biggest problems around the world, find out more here -> Pathways to Consulting – Sutton Trust Pathways