Recent Graduate Inquiry

Actually, that's a very good question. 

The reality is that 

1. What is defined as ‘recent graduate' depends very much from firm to firm and region to region. For instance, US and UK offices tend to be more stiff in this regard. I would recommend that you ask directly the offices that you're targeting. 

2. These rules are not set in stone. In most cases, if you have a good explanation as to why you are applying for a recent graduate role even though you started already in a different firm, most recruiters will be reasonable enough to accept it. 

Last but not least, if you do have an offer on the table, I would take it. The market is terrible at the moment, and it's not worth saying no to an opportunity for the vague possibility of something else materialising in the future. Even if you would no longer be eligible for the recent graduate position, you could still apply for the experienced track. 

And if you're starting soon in consulting, you might find the following two articles helpful:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Best,
Cristian

Hi,

There isn't a hard and fast rule here, but there are some guiding principles. 

• There is Official Campus Recruitment (OCR) and non-OCR hiring
• It is possible to still apply as part of OCR, if the firms and your school allows you to do so
  • e.g. case in point is myself, I only applied for consulting after I graduated
• Nevertheless, whether or not you go through OCR or not, you will still be considered for the entry level position given you have no work experience and have recently graduated

I want to also share my perspective on taking up the job offer you have. While it theoretically should not be detrimental, I do think having a non consulting role in a T2 company lends itself to some risk of a negative subjective impression. Some reviewers will think “Why could you only land a job in a non consulting line? Why couldn't you land a consulting role in a T2 or even T3 firm?”

Of course with the right CV, networking etc etc it is still possible to convince a T1 to interview you, but I do think reviewers are human and subjective (whether fair or not). 

My suggestion would be to instead focus on improving your application strength, networking, and preparing for the interview. 

Hi there,

This is a reasonable strategy for risk-minimization. You just have to be careful to not get stuck/complacent.

Will I no longer be considered a recent graduate if I take up a job? – as I’m aware recent graduates have a higher chance of joining entry level positions in tier 1 consulting companies.

This is based on your graduation date, not job.

if having a job doesn’t affect my status of being a recent graduate, how much time will I still hold the “recent graduate” status while having a relatively equal chance of being employed as I had been when I graduated a day ago?

Only until the day you graduate

How to Get a Consulting Internship - Tips and Tricks

Hi there,

1) Will I no longer be considered a recent graduate if I take up a job?

The definition of recent graduate should depend on when you graduated, not on what you did after that, therefore, it should not be impacted. Additionally, if you apply before starting the job, you won’t need to add the new job if you prefer so.

2) How much time will I still hold the “recent graduate” status

This is normally specified by the firms in the job description, most likely a few months should not make a difference.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hey,

Getting a T1 offer is extremely difficult and in many regards beyond your control. If you refuse the current offer in order to pursue an MBB position, it's like gambling in the casino: you can win, but the chances are low.

If I were you I'd take the current offer and then take it from there. You can try switching to a management consulting department of your current company, get some valuable experience and then apply to MBB having some consulting experience on your CV.

Good luck!
Nick

These depend on your graduation date, not on having or not a job. 

You may consider this non-consulting role as an internship. But to be honest, I would try to negotiate your chances of later transitioning to a consulting role.