How I became a Big 4 consultant with no business degree & little experience | Uni Career Journey
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- How did I become a consultant with no business degree and no (okay, very little) experience relevant for consulting? Join me to understand my university career journey into consulting.
I share back 5 life lessons that I learned from university so that you don't make the mistakes that I did. You don't need to have it all sorted out already, great if you do - but I didn't. Don't give up, keep up the hard work and you'll reach your goals.
Want to know more about consulting? Check out: • Consulting 101
Applying to consulting? Check out: • Applying to consulting?
🎬 WANT TO SKIP AHEAD?
00:00 Intro
00:42 First Year of University
03:12 Second Year of University
05:12 Third Year of University
09:33 Post University: 1 Year
10:50 Outro
📚 RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
1) Consulting
*'Case in Point' - amzn.to/3fTOamA
2) Entrepreneurship
*'Hooked' - amzn.to/2NmEkNP
*'Made to Stick' - amzn.to/2Nqr8r3
3) Women in the Workplace
*'How Women Rise' - amzn.to/2Nou4o9
4) Other Non-Business Favs
*'Human Errors' - amzn.to/3hYb0eo
🙋WHO AM I?
I'm Kajol, a Big 4 management consultant working in London, UK. In my spare time, I post content to do with consulting, career success and women in business.
📞 CONNECT WITH ME
If you’d like to talk, I’d love to hear from you. If you want a quick response, Instagram is probably the best medium but feel free to email me too.
- Instagram: / management.consultant
- Facebook: / management.consultantuk
- Twitter: / kajolpfc
- Email: kajol@igniteconsulting.net
👩💻 MY APPROACH TO CONTENT CREATION
All videos are based on my four years of experience working in consulting. Topics where I've had no real life experience is based on research and 1-1 interviews with consultants who have the relevant knowledge.
🤓 DISCLAIMERS
*AFFILIATE LINK: This is an affiliate link that allows you to search the items I've mentioned in this video at ABSOLUTELY no cost to you. It helps and sustains my channel - thank you for the support!
My views do not represent the views of any company that I've mentioned in my video. Please do note that if I talk about a UK consulting firm, counterparts in other countries are not always the same.
#consulting
#big4
You don't need to have it all figured out - that's why I wanted to create this video. Break down where you want to get to into realistic steps. Get ready for my step by step guide on how to land a job in consulting next week :) btw more money lessons here: czcams.com/video/z7jFDdYPvxI/video.html - save that coin!!!
Please suggest business consultant in Punjab
I think your journey is a very realistic one that almost everyone can relate to, the mistakes and all. Thanks for sharing those lessons👏❤. Looking forward to the next video.
Everyone makes mistakes, it's all about how we deal with it - do we let them pull us down or do we make the best out of a bad situation? Thanks so much for watching and hope even one of those lessons helps you!
So glad I landed on this !❤️
Love your honesty!!! You are amazing!
I majored in Psychology, graduated 2 months ago. After a few years of uni, I still have no idea what my calling is. I resonate with this video. Actually thinking of entering consulting but no experience haha
You don't need experience. You do you xx
Thank you for being so honest and candid!
As someone who is starting university this year and is interested in consulting, this video is extremely informative! Thank you so much, I enjoy your Linkedin content too!
So glad it helped and enjoy freshers 😂 Good luck, enjoy the uni experience!
Management.Consultant Cheers! By the way, is there any way I can contact you regarding advice for students who want to go into consulting, via LinkedIn or any other means?
Thanks
Yeah sure, my instagram @management.consultant
Love your journey! I had no idea what I wanted to do too... similar to you, I pretty much wasted my time at University. I was so focussed on just having a good time and trying to stay sane mentally. I took on way too much with societies and wish I had applied to spring weeks, internships etc.
I knew I loved sales & people so landed an entry level sales job. I felt stuck and ashamed of myself and knew I had to get out. My circle of people were thriving around me and I was stuck. I made the most of my job - did as much as I could to learn about the business i.e. join the AI team & build amazing connections there.
I suffered a lot from imposter syndrome and somehow managed to overcome it, apply to EY & luckily get it! I will be starting soon & can't wait eek
Lavina, so happy I'm not the only one who felt like that. I think we need to have a year like that to help us realise what we can handle and can't handle. I felt stuck too - don't worry, in the same boat as you. Omg MAJOR MAJOR congrats on the offer and wishing you all the best. I still suffer from Imposter Syndrome btw - will cover it in a separate video in a couple weeks :)
I love your candidness here! This was entertaining to watch because we got more of your personality! Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
True! We like you like this!
Thanks so much! So kind.
Thank you so much for this! Your videos are keeping me motivated during applications x
AMAZING! I'm glad it does - you got this.
You’re amazing! I only watched four of your videos and had to subscribe. So informative and concise. Thank you!
aww thanks so much :)
FINALLY the video I’ve been waiting for! This video was so so relatable. Must say, what an interesting journey that was! Thanks for filming on this topic Kajol. Can’t wait for the next one!
No problem at all 😇 I hope you got to know me more too - bit scary sharing it all here but if it helps you, all that counts!
Management.Consultant face your fears, only way to go, haha! But seriously, you won’t believe, I had given up today on my job search. Not kidding, I was so demotivated that I was like ‘this is it, I can’t anymore’. And WHAT ARE THE ODDS! I get a notification of your video. And trust me, this video has made me give my job search another try. I’m gonna try again tmrw! Thank YOU for being so honest & real Kajol. Even though we haven’t met, your simplicity and honesty makes you a gem!
What are the chances? That's actually MAD. I'm so glad, keep on going - make the best out of a bad situation. And, it's not the end all if you don't do it now. Think about another path that can get you into consulting e.g. getting experience in industry. Aww, too kind - thank you for that!
Management.Consultant yes, I’m gonna apply everywhere and anywhere I can! Let’s see where I land🤞🏽
Let me know how it goes x
Excellent video with such high energy!
I love that! I have a Tech Background (Technical Mathematics, Business Informatics, Machine Learning) and I'm a soon-to-be MBB consultant. I can very much relate to the journey of trying jobs that you don't like (or in my case, were okay) but only learning about consulting late in your studies. I'm actually happy about that, because I got to see many industries before, while if consulting had been the goal from the beginning, I'd probably have done internships as close to consulting as possible.
Thank you for your insights 💕
Amazing, major congrats! I agree, having exposure to diff industries is soo valuable and I would have done that too :P Thanks for watching and ooo are you starting a YT channel yourself? If so, LOOKING FORWARD!!!
@@KajolPhadnis Yes I’ll start filming soon 😃 thank you so much 💕
AMAAAZING, excited to see your journey!
Studying law and Criminology and wanted to be a lawyer all my life. However for the last few weeks i've been conflicted and looking into other career paths.
Literally in a similar boat. What made you have doubts about the lawyer lifestyle?
Thank you Kajol for the video on how you broke into the consulting sector! Raza :)
Thank you for sharing this coming from arts, it gave some hope to me 😅
such a realistic video, thank you so much!
A really inspiring video! Keep up the great work!
Thank you 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
You have no idea how motivated you have made me and I am few years older than you! haha! Thanks for the inspiration.
Hahaha you got this, honestly thank you soo much for watching!!
Thank you for this 😂❤️
Hah, physics is way, way harder than any business or economics degree. Your interviewers were probably like why does this brainiac want to work with us fools?
I feel dumbed down now 👀 😭
Personally, I wouldn’t consider year 2 as a waste.. if you skipped such a year at the uni, it would definitely have awaited you later, when you perhaps already had a family, and that would be a much bigger problem. “Thanks to” that year, you must’ve met various people, good and bad, who definitely had an impact on you. And thanks to that year, you sorted out your priorities and what you expect from your life. Also, if you skipped that year 2 and filled it with studying and internships and career stuff etc., perhaps you wouldn’t have met that guy who introduced you to the startup scene. Embrace that experience as a positive one and be grateful for that. Also, keep doing these videos, you’re doing it great and I like to watch them, because I myself am considering a career in consulting 😊
You're completely right. I learnt so much from that year that I never want to do again 😂 I did sort out my priorities and who knows what I would have been without that year. Embracing it like you said 🙌🏽 AND THANK YOU! Will keep on going - need to learn to balance my time 😂
I like you 💞 thank you for your honesty definitely a roller coaster
Thank you for this really inspiring video!
Thanks for watching!!
Thank you so much for sharing your journey. Please tell us more about Tech consulting and your experience in it.
I actually moved around to do strategy, ops, tech, digital AND proposition design. Did traditional tech consulting for one project so don't think I would do much justice to it but can talk about digital consulting :) Do that mixed with strategy consulting now!
@@KajolPhadnis How did you get into tech consulting with no tech experience from school ?
Myth you need to have tech experience to get into consulting in the UK. May be different in the USA.
thank you so much for a break down🥺 I am looking forward to be a strategic marketer or a marketing consultant if you will, and I am studying business hoping to finish my final year next year:D // I’m conflicted if I should go for strategic marketing masters in imperial cos the courses is smth I look for or just do work for a bit 😭😭
Good video. But Lesson Number 1 does not work well if you are not part of a upper class family.
I disagree. Wouldn't say I'm 'upper class' but I milked my friends / family - their friends and family - their friends and family till found something. I call it perseverance.
glad to know you didn't have it sorted out like me
Folks, is anyone having audio issues? Some people saying it is coming out only on one side. Can anyone pls help me fix this 😱😭
Umm, from 9:33 the audio isn't balanced but it does come out of both sides, it's just a lot louder on the right (I checked by muting each side separately).
Is it possible that you recorded a different audio file for the last "chapter" or at least stored it separately ?
There is one more similar case where this happened[1] looks like you can try:
1. Converting the audio from stereo to mono
2. Take out/put back in the audio in the original file, re-upload it
[1] www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/7nkfkb/video_i_uploaded_only_playing_in_one_ear/
I'm really sorry it this is useless and you've already tried this.
Hey, thank you so much!!! Might be my mic....It feels dowm 😭😭😭 and I moved it. Thank you!
You're very welcome !! The video is still great btw
@@anantsinha9637 thank you!!!!
Thank you for the video. I’m at a different point in life to you, I was a consultant surgeon now trying to get into healthcare management consulting. Your story is very helpful. Please become prime minister. David.
Your industry knowledge will be your key differentiator - use it and play on it!! Hahaha, not sure if anyone will vote for me if I go for PM David :(
@@KajolPhadnis I will definitely vote xoxo
You're really pretty Kajol. Also, I am a huge fan of your videos. Would love to meet you in person one day. You have such a great vibe.
Thank you so much 😀
Heyy x! Love your videos. I really want to be a healthcare consultant however i have no idea what to apply in university.
I'm in aerospace engineering and this makes me feel a little better, since I have no idea wtf I'm doing or what I want haha
I still feel it dw hahaha
You just made my day
So relatable!! Also doing Aerospace Engineering and now thinking of getting a placement year in consulting😂
@@AhmedKhan-cj4jd Nice! Now I’m tryna go to grad school in bio and make CZcams videos lol
@@DanCooksFood Lets go!!! you are an inspiration, you'll have some unique stories to tell to your children. Also, I might do a GDL after graduation 😜.
99% of consulting work is project focused. Consultants are usually drafted in to support on a programme or project, or deliver a programme or project. Best advice I can give is specialise, have experience in your niche, and get a PM qualification (APM, PRINCE2) along with other add-ons such as Six Sigma, Scrum etc.
If you can advise a business, as well as being able to run a project within a recognised PM framework, you will find plenty of work.
Once you are confident consulting and delivering projects, you can then move up to Portfolio & Programme Management where you are more focused on strategy and TOM’s, overseeing strategic direction, as opposed to being hands on delivering.
my sister and mom died in a car crash while i was in my 1st year of college and quit. When i tried to return, I had to prove my mom and sister died (which I provided death certificates for), then I was promptly informed "you are welcome back, but you must pay for the classes you dropped (even though my financial aid covered it they just wanted more money!)
that was 11 years ago and i've been at multiple start ups - now wishing to get into consulting.
Any advice? im pretty much poor and cant afford school
Fascinating video Kajol. Could you make the next one on the secret of how your bosses are able to persuade their, presumably not totally simpleminded clients, to hire you, having, as you have admitted, practically no experience, except a few years at some fancy university doing a totally irrelevant course, at hourly rates that would make a consultant brain surgeon with 12 years of meticulous and laboured service green with envy? (Or am I making too many assumptions about your clients?). Thanks.
Haha Jan, good question. You end up working in big teams so lots and lots of support from people who have done it for years and years!
Great video. What was it like at JLR ? What was it like at BAE ? What was it like at Sales and Trading ?
If your end goal is FAANG, I wouldn't recommend strategy consulting over tech consulting. It's much easier to get into FAANG if you have a niche skillset that is in low supply in the market. I used to work at Deloitte and had strategy colleagues that couldn't even get interviews at FAANG. Whereas I had a niche tech skillset and AMZN actually poached me via linkedin. I'm now an L7 making $400k USD a year at 28 years old and only work 40 hours a week. So in both lifestyle and salary, I'm ahead of many of my strategy colleagues at my age.
I really appreciate your helpful nature Kajol and I'm 110% sure that you are the right person who can guide me further. I'm 19 years old and I have some experience in the marketing sphere. I'm in my first year right now and I want to pivot to consulting. How can I transition to the consulting and how can I discover opportunities similar to yourself?
Thanks a lot 💯👍🏻
This video should help :) czcams.com/video/FAN9PTnY3R4/video.html
Hey Kajol, I'm the guy that commented your Livestream was the first video I saw yesterday haha! This week I need to accept or decline an offer from Deloitte UK. Like you, I did an unrelated BEng and no internships. Management consulting is where I want to end up but this offer is their Risk Advisory department. Do you have any knowledge if Big4 risk advisory graduates can transition into consulting departments easily or not?
Haha yes I remember!!! Honestly Greg moving across is difficult in the UK. It's because it is a completely different service line like tax and audit. Just gonna be frank!
@@KajolPhadnis As I feared. A lot to think about. I may have another question in future. Keep up the awesome work with your channel. Quite inspiring to be honest, to be helping a lot of people like myself.
Thank you so so much!!!
Hello ma'am which course should I choose in my undergrad to become a consultant like marketing or management.
It's not a hidden fact Consulting companies hire from bigger Unis mostly. Apart from all the things, one of the major reason was you were studying in Imperial.
All the Best
I didn't know that you had a non-business background. The journey was a serious rollercoaster though😅
Awesome video!!!
Haha thank you 🎉🎉 I look back at it now and honestly thinking how did I manage all of this 😂
@@KajolPhadnis Seriously though, I didn't expect a physics grad can be a consultant. You just bent the reality(and increased the competition 😭)
Hello! When do you expect the video on moving around different departments to be out?
I haven't thought about this one but will move it higher....are you curious on how to move into different areas? :)
@@KajolPhadnis yes please! Joining big 4 consulting soon so curious about how it happens
@@alexharris6150 cool I might also do a reel on my insta probably this week if you want quicker tips :)
@@KajolPhadnis Thanks - will look out for it! :)
Okay going to be next week! Sorrryyyy 😞
thanks👏
Let me know if there's any other questions you have
Can you guide a person who is just having core engineering experience in the Energy Industry (13 + Years) and now he wants to make a move to a Management Consultancy role like Business Strategy Consultant? How he should proceed.
Watch this czcams.com/video/FAN9PTnY3R4/video.html
mam if I am not able to make into consulting firms after my MBA and i decide to join consulting firms after 3 or 4 years of working after my MBA will I'll be joining at same role as a newly joined consultant or associate or I'll be worl as a project Manager due to my work experience
usually you join in a role one level less senior than the role you did after your MBA
Let’s rephrase lesson 1 from network, to come from a rich family
i have a phd in chemical engineering with a fews experience in the water sector who wants to get into management consulting. its been a journey to gain soft skills needs for that role. i didnt even use to get interviews. but now i am atleast getting interviews. even if i dont get selected now, ill keep on working so eventually i can move into MC.
Keep on going!!! Amazing - soft skills really are a gamechanger. Let me know how it goes!
@@KajolPhadnis hi Kajol, i secured my first role as a Management Consultant. It came down to soft skills and sector knowledge, who knew :)
Hey amazing congrats! Yep soft skills is soo important and hence the video just on that!!! Let me know how it goes
Muje apne liye office banana h government se kya permission leni padegi
Very inspiring video. Is it really a must to have internship experience?
Honestly I think it definitely does help and makes it much easier to stand out 👍🏽
@@KajolPhadnis I totally understand that, but as I'm just starting my final year in university and have no experience, I'm weighing up my options of either going for the graduate jobs or internships. The latter has been described as being harder to get. What do you think?
@@Hakim-gr5kn I would try going for both. You may find you want to jump from grad scheme to another grad scheme? Imo the grad scheme gives you better stability but that's a decision for you to make.
HI Kajol i am interest your issue. How do i reach you for more discuss
How I became a Big 4 consultant with no business degree & little experience
Diversity hire
I have completed my mcom can i become consultant
💞💞
thank you!!
Please suggest business consultant in Punjab New startups business
if you happen to know anyone who is like a marketing consultant please do like a collaboration like the management one when you have the time🥺
I will try :)
@@KajolPhadnis thank youuu ❤️❤️
Had you given the cat or Gmat exams
Nope :)
Mam i am not from top college so i not getting a job in Management consultant firm ,please hire me in Deloitte.🙏
You don't need to be in the top college to get into MC, look at building your experience as well. Unfortunately, it's not up to me - there's strict hiring processes everyone has to go through in the UK.
Talk about burying the lede: the title is total clickbait. She went to Imperial College London and majored in a hard science. Of course she could pivot to consulting without direct experience or a business degree. Not to mention consultants consult for industries like energy and oil. Pfft.
What's ur mbti?
guys i dont do maths a level am i at a disadvantage
Nope :)
Damn, at least you had a finance background. "Little experience" lol
Haha what finance background :P I studied Physics and tried to do some accounting but ended up doing a lot of admin in that work experience cause I had just started out :)
@@KajolPhadnis Finance internship, sorry. That counts for a Lot in the corporate world. I suppose you said "little experience" rather than "no experience", may have been unfair of me
Hahha no no good challenge - I guess wasn't really accounting I would say more admin but you're right still counts:)
@@lfrancis8980 just so you know I entered a financial training though a company where I got my series 7 , they recruited people with a bachelors degree. I studied visual communication. I quit but just having those lic has helped I lot learned the basics or financial markets. Companies like Charles Schwab, Td Ameritrade and Fidelity have programs like this but keep in mind you will be on a call center floor
Amennnn
Jesus, PHYSICS at imperial! 😭
Trust me bad decision HAHA
@@KajolPhadnis LOL do you wish you studied something different?
In India no good job if not IIT
Well
Such a silly thing to say, “a typical brown family”, well that’s not funny, that’s a good thing
Not saying it's a bad thing, just there are lots more avenues that people may want to consider - no negative connotations associated with being a doctor / engineer etc. Really respect the incredible work and impact they make on society.
@@KajolPhadnis cool. Love 👌🏽👍🏽❤️
Please speak in your original accent.