What is Consulting?
Consultants offer skill in assessing and solving business problems, and are hired by companies who need their expertise, fresh outside perspective, and/or extra set of hands. Some management consulting firms specialize in giving advice on general business strategy questions, while others are known as technology, marketing, finance, operations or human resources specialists. Some concentrate on a specific industry area, like financial services or retail, and still others are more like gigantic one-stop shops with divisions that dispense advice on everything from top-level strategy, to choosing customer account management software, to saving money on paper clips.
But consulting firms have one thing in common: they run on the power of their people. The only product consulting firms ultimately have to offer is their employee’s ability to make problems go away. As a consultant, you are that problem-solver. - Vault Guides
Thinking about a career in consulting? Gain experiences and talk with current professionals to confirm your next steps. Review the options below.
- Register for Intern For A Day as a Freshmen or Sophomore to shadow professionals working in the field and make a new connection. Offered in fall/spring.
- Network with fellow Terps who are working in the field and have volunteered to share their story.
The Vault Consulting 50 features the best consulting firms to work for
Top 50 Management and Strategy Consulting Firms
Test your interests by completing an internship. Start by reviewing Firsthand's 2022 ranking of the 15 Best Internships for Consulting. The ranking is based on a survey of current and former interns from more than 100 internship programs.
- List of companies/programs
- Application timelines
- Summer strategies to prepare for internship/jobs
- UMD Story: Jacklyn Maldonado, CCJS- Consulting Intern, Protiviti, Inc.
- Tips for Converting Your Consulting Internship into a Full-Time Offer
Openings:
- Listings for UMD students- Handshake
- Review openings on the BSOS or department Blogs
- Start networking: Alumni on LinkedIn and Terrapins Connect
- Indeed.com
Skill Based Resume
Highlight these in-demand qualities/skills in your resume: communication, working with numbers, curious, creative thinking, interpersonal, organizational, ability to multitask, research, attention to detail, speaking, and problem solving.
Prepare for the Case Interview
Case interview refers to a form of job interview in which the applicant is faced with a business situations that need to be explored and figured out in a time sensitive environment. Employers use case interviews to study candidate's analytical skills.
- Case Library, Management Consulted’s repository of over 600 cases, organized by firm, difficulty, and subject matter.
Industry Guides
Consulting Jobs, Third Edition
Branding, Imaging, and Marketing Consulting Jobs
Information Technology Consulting Jobs
Health Care and Pharmaceuticals Consulting Jobs
Featured Employers
The Vault Consulting 50 features a list of the best consulting firms to work for as well as profiles for each.
Bain- Arguably the most employee-focused of the Big 3 strategy players, Bain is a name that will open doors for the rest of your career. Openings: Application Deadline 1: usually early July
McKinsey- Widely considered the first and last word in consulting, this global juggernaut lives the mantra, “Different Worlds, One McKinsey,” through agile and impactful delivery of solutions across a mind-boggling diversity of practices and clients. Openings: 2023 Business Analyst — Opens mid June
Boston Consulting Group- the second largest consulting firm by revenue and consistently ranks high in our top consulting firms. Openings: Full-time associate
EY-Parthenon- the strategy consulting arm of professional services giant EY — is one of the largest global strategy consultancies, with more than 700 offices worldwide.
Bates White Economic Consulting
Openings
- Listings for UMD students- Handshake
- Review openings on the BSOS or department Blogs
- Positions listed on LinkedIn
- Start networking with alumni on LinkedIn and Terrapins Connect
Start Exploring

Network with fellow Terps who are working in the consulting field.

Access articles on how to prepare for consulting interviews. Use your UMD CAS log in to get started.