To my fellow Advanced Degree Professionals (ADPs including PhDs, MDs, JDs, PharmDs, postdocs, and others): if you’ve been thinking about pivoting into consulting but aren’t quite sure how to break in or whether your skills even translate, you’re not alone.

The good news? Consulting firms want advanced degree candidates. In fact, many actively recruit us. With years of experience in research, you’ve likely built exactly the kind of skills firms are looking for: problem-solving under pressure, analytical depth, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.

Your Two Main Paths Into Consulting

If you’re coming from an advanced degree background, you’ll typically enter consulting through one of two routes:

1. The Generalist Path

Join firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or Oliver Wyman as a consultant working across industries. You’ll build core consulting skills while rotating through different sectors and functions.

Common Titles:

• McKinsey: Associate
• BCG: Consultant
• Bain: Consultant

2. The Specialist Track

Join as a subject-matter expert in your domain. This path is most common in life sciences, healthcare, engineering, or financial services.

Common Titles:

• McKinsey: Expert Associate, Life Sciences Specialist
• LEK: Life Sciences Consultant
• ClearView: Consultant (PhD track)
• Guidehouse, ZS, IQVIA: Consultant in Life Sciences or Healthcare Strategy

Why Consulting Firms Want ADPs

What ADPs Bring to the Table

Our academic training has likely given you:

• Structured Problem Solving: You’re used to ambiguity, hypothesis-driven thinking, and navigating messy data.
• Analytical Depth: Whether your thesis was on protein diagnostics or international law, you’ve gone deep and learned fast.
• Initiative and Leadership: Leadership shows up in many forms, such as TA roles, mentoring, or organizing conferences.
• Communication: From conference talks and thesis defenses to journal articles, you know how to build and deliver a clear narrative, both orally and in writing.
• Resilience: Peer review, critical feedback, long hours — you’ve already done the reps.

What Firms Look For

Across the board, consulting firms value candidates who can:

• Break down complex problems in a structured way
• Learn quickly and operate across diverse industries
• Communicate with clarity and confidence
• Lead without formal authority
• Work under pressure, adapt, and improve with feedback

The Recruitment Process: What to Expect

Once you decide to apply and submit your application, here’s what the typical advanced degree hiring process looks like:

1. Online Assessment

Firms often start with digital screening tools to assess your raw skills and problem-solving style.

• Gamified Challenges: Platforms like McKinsey Solve or Pymetrics test your cognitive agility through interactive games and logic-based scenarios.
• Written Case (e.g., BCG): You’ll receive a short business case, often presented as an email from a partner or project leader, followed by three to four structured questions. This tests your ability to extract insights, prioritize, and communicate clearly in writing.

2. Behavioral Interview

Also known as the “PEI” (Personal Experience Interview for McKinsey interviews) or “fit” questions, this stage explores:

• Your motivation for consulting
• How you collaborate, lead, and navigate challenges
• How your values and experiences align with the firm’s culture

It’s not just about storytelling; it’s about reflection, self-awareness, and clarity of purpose.

3. Case Interview

This is the centerpiece of consulting recruiting. You’ll work through a hypothetical business problem, such as entering a new market or fixing profitability.

You’ll be tested on, not limited to:

• Problem structuring
• Analytical thinking
• Mental math and estimation
• Clear, concise communication
• Ability to synthesize insights under pressure

Each firm has its own style, but the core expectations are similar.

Where to Start

If you’re early in your journey, short-term insight programs are a great way to test the waters. McKinsey’s Insight, BCG’s Bridge to BCG, Bain’s ADvantage, and others give you exposure to the consulting world in just a few days. Many even offer fast-tracked interview opportunities. These programs typically open in the spring.

If you’re closer to graduation, most firms open full-time roles in the summer or early fall. These positions are highly competitive, so preparing well in advance is essential.

That’s where MECE Academy can help. We offer personalized, AI-powered coaching to help you master consulting interviews and get real-time feedback. You’re not just practicing — you’re improving with every rep.