I graduated in 2004 with a degree in Computer Science and Business Management and have been trying to break into the consulting industry for the past 4 months. I have attended final graduate stages with CapGemini, Detica and Bearing Point but have not been able to get a job offer. The main feedback I get from interviews is mostly a lack of experience of the industry. I was wondering if anyone knew about getting work experience placements in management consultancy?

Have you been applying to graudate schemes or just consultant ?jobs? Surely no consultancy would discriminate against you on the basis of your lack of experience if you're applying for a specifically graduate role. Perhaps you've been applying for jobs which are impossible for you to secure because you really don't have the right experience?Also, where did you graduate from and the class of your degree?Was it a red brick or a less prestige institution? This can also be a factor. A lot of consultants come from elite institutions such as the 'golden triangle' (Cambridge, Oxford and University of London). Don't mistake the latter with mickey mouse universities which happen to be in London or near London (e.g. Kingston) which people often do.

I have been applying for graduate schemes and jobs advertised for graduates. Unfortunately the other candidates I have been up against have already had a year or two experience and they are still applying for grad schemes. I got a 2.1 from Manchester University and ABB at A level and seem to get an initial interview on most occasions. I am just finding it difficult to actually secure a job offer, after getting to the final stages. I would appreciate any advice.

Deari am sanjay graduate in Pharmacy and post graduate in Management(MBA). I am looking a brak in pharmaceutical company in London please advise me , how can i get this.Please get back to me.With RegardsSanjay

'Lack of experience' is unlikely to be the real reason and I would suggest that this is excuse. Sorry but grads don't get rejected on lack of management consultancy experience as this is very hard to get. Most people I see are very inexperienced in consulting but are smart, articulate and can apply what they do know. Take a look at what other areas you can work on.

Agree that lack of management consulting experience is likely to be a reason if applying to a graduate scheme, but lack of experience in general is a fairly common reason to be rejected from a job.I mean experience in a relevant field to the type of consulting you are applying to e.g. finance for financial services consulting, IT for IT consulting, etc. Also, a lack of experience in the industry sectors that the consultancy is targeting can let you down e.g. experience from working in a blue-chip environment.If firms are seeing you through to the final round then it is probably less an issue about how your CV looks in terms of experience (otherwise you'd already be filtered out), but more an issue of how you convey that experience in terms of industry awareness, cultural understanding, and application of industry/service-specific knowledge.My advice in these situations is not to fall into the trap of applying in the same way as you would have done as a fresh graduate, even if it's a graduate scheme. Present yourself on a higher level and to the full extent of your abilities as the interviewers will be holding you to a certain expectation that you should be able to perform better than the average raw graduate.

Send me your resume and I'll take a look at it! We love recent MBAers (I'm assuming you have one) and we're always looking for great talent. Thanks, Jessjessica.elias@target.com

I am looking to break into mgt. consulting i have an MBA and a undergraduate sience degree, How do i break in i am also trying to get my own consultancy of the ground to gain experience.