Career Zone

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Consultancy and Business Analytics

Consultant and Business Analyst roles are linked.  Both roles are change agents within a business and focus on identifying inefficiencies and finding solutions.   

Management consultants analyse businesses or operating procedures to devise the most efficient methods of accomplishing work. They usually work for an external client but can also be embedded within an organisation. They gather and organise information about how the organisation is currently operating and prepare recommendations for implementing new systems, strategies or changes to bring about improvements.    

Business Analysts work with stakeholders to analyse problems, evaluating data on critical business issues, proposing innovative solutions to drive process and organisational change. Business Analysts are frequently attached to specific business functions within an organisation.  

Strategy consultants focus on supporting private sector clients to develop corporate, organisational or functional strategies. Some key strategic consulting disciplines include Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Model Transformation and Organisational Strategy.  In a public sector context, a strategy consultant would advise on economic policy.   

Technology consultants specialise in the deployment of digital solutions. There are other specialisms too e.g. HR, Change Management, and Sustainability.  

Job Roles 

Explore roles in the sector by visiting the job profiles below. Each profile covers typical duties and responsibilities, entry requirements and the key skills required for the position. 

Skills employers look for

Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here.  These are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for. 

Employers look for a diverse range of skills from consultants and business analysts.  Think of how you might evidence these skills, identify gaps in your knowledge or experience and work out what you might do to develop these skills.   

How do I get into consulting as a graduate? (targetjobs, June 2023) 

Comprehensive Career Path Guide – Consulting (Bright Network) 

  • Ability to develop professional relationships
  • Ability to persuade
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Analytical & numerical skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Commercial Awareness
  • Communication skills
  • Confidence working with complex data
  • Presentation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Strong IT skills (perhaps coding & statistics) 

In order to develop these skills, remember Career Zone also offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term.  Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.   

Gaining Experience

All experiences ranging from volunteering to active involvement in clubs/societies can help you to develop relevant and transferable skills. You may wish to consider involvement in: 

Volunteering 

Voluntary work experience will give you an opportunity to develop your communication, organisation and other skills.  Perhaps you might also be able to analyse data or make suggestions for improved charity processes which would provide useful experiences for a career in consultancy.   

University of Exeter Employability Schemes 

  • Green Consultants  is an award-winning, interactive programme with 3 elements: Online training, a live group project and the opportunity to apply your skills to a paid internship with an external organisation.
  • Professional Pathways is a suite of sector specific training courses and paid week-long internships that take place in June. Whichever of the 4 pathways you wish to explore (Charity & Development, Marketing, Higher Education or Arts, Culture & Heritage), you will gain transferrable skills which would help you in a consultant or analyst role.
  • Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements. Search for Student Campus Partner (SCP)or Student Business Partner (SBP) roles on Handshake.
  • Exeter Award: The Exeter Award will help you stand out from the crowd and give you the confidence to shout about the experiences you've had at university.
  • The Global Leaders Experience is a unique opportunity to develop your intercultural skills as part of a short, outbound mobility experience.
  • Grand Challenges is a project week in June each year in which you work in interdisciplinary groups with other like-minded students to design innovative solutions to real world challenges. 

Consider joining a related student society which offer ‘pro bono’ (for free) consultancy services, for example:  

Exeter Students’ Guild: 

  • Exe Consulting – part of the University of Exeter Business & Finance Society
  • 180 Degrees Exeter – part of large university-based consultancy for non-profits and social enterprises
  • Enactus – a social enterprise society working on local and international projects tackling issues such as poverty, waste or homelessness.  

Penryn’s Students’ Union: 

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities 

Undertaking relevant work experience will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector. As jobs and opportunities are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. Before visiting the sites below you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. 

Finding Part-time Work  

Many students work part-time during their studies.  Part-time jobs are often in the hospitality or retail sector where you can gain transferrable interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills.   

Search for part-time work here: 

  • Handshake.
  • General job sites such as Find a Job or Indeed (filter on “part-time” and “Exeter” or “Penryn”).
  • Identify and call into local businesses with your CV to ask about part-time jobs.
  • Attend the part-time / casual jobs fair, held twice yearly on Streatham Campus.
  • Penryn Campus Careers Fairs 

Virtual Work Experience 

  • Forage provides short virtual internships in a range of sectors, with opportunities to connect with employers.
  • The Bright Network provides virtual internships in a range of sectors and fast-track opportunities for graduate programmes and internships for virtual-intern alumni. Look out for the Bright Network annual June internship week.

Finding advertised graduate roles, placements and internships

Competition can be strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and this guide to help with researching employers.  

  • Handshake – employers who target University of Exeter students may advertise here and not elsewhere.
  • The Bright Network, targetjobs and Prospects – jobs boards where you can filter by role, sector, location and salary for graduate jobs, placements and internships.
  • Student Circus – a jobs platform specifically for pre-filtered visa-sponsored jobs for international students.
  • efinancialcareers – specialist site where you can search for consultant or analyst roles in finance.
  • Ecocareers UK – Discover Green Jobs and Environmental Careers in the UK.
  • Gradcracker – specialist STEM jobs platform.
  • Indeed – worldwide jobs platform, can search for part-time or full-time jobs in any sector. Large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) advertise vacancies on this platform.  

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page. 

Graduate schemes and internships 

Some well-known graduate schemes include: 

Preparing for Case Interviews 

Case interviews are common for many consultancy roles.  In order to perform well, you will need to devote time and effort to learning more about this particular interview format and practising the skill.  Questions can include short market sizing questions or longer individual ‘cases’ or business scenarios, where you are required to analyse information and make recommendations, usually without prior access to the material.   

Recruitment Consultants – there are a wide range of recruiters who advertise consultant and business analyst roles and they often advertise graduate and entry-level positions.  

Placements  

If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access the Work Placements SharePoint via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad.  

Further sources of support 

Our Responsible Futures page provides advice and considerations for how you can develop your career with on how we can impact on holistic sustainability in your career.

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally. 

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

For help with making speculative applications you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. 

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to develop their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications.  

Advice 

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.   

Postgraduate study courses 

Here is a link to Consultancy Masters Degrees in the UK on Find a Masters website  

And here is a link to Business Analysis Masters Degrees in the UK on Find a Masters website 

Information and links from professional bodies 

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.