We have attempted below to answer some of the questions that are frequently asked by applicants. We can't cover all of the questions, nor all the answers, in as much depth as we would like, so if you have any further questions, please contact us.
How can I find out if you are recruiting at my level?
All our vacancies are listed on our website. If you are unable to find a suitable vacancy, this unfortunately means we are currently not recruiting at your level. We can only accept applications submitted online to a particular vacancy and are unable to accept open applications.
What criteria do you use to judge CVs and in considering applications?
We look for exceptional graduates from any discipline (2:1 or above) and a minimum of two A grades (or equivalent) from the subjects in the list below.
Generally suitable A-levels
Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Art History, Chinese, Classical Civilisation, Economics, English, French, Geography, German, Greek, History, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Theology, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Russian, Spanish and Welsh.
In addition to very strong academics, we look for broad and intense extra-curricular activities that demonstrate commitment and initiative together with strong teamwork and communication skills.
Successful candidates must have a perfect command of English. Fluency in a second European language is an advantage but not essential. Also, we look favourably on previous relevant work experience and the quality of your CV / covering letter.
For experienced hires or MBAs we give weight to the skills you have developed throughout your career and your achievements at work.
Go to Application Tips > Applications for more information.
How do you assess the interview?
In the interview we assess your problem solving, communication and professional skills. We look for qualities including intellectual curiosity, commercial awareness, logical reasoning, creativity, analytical and numerical ability, personality, drive, and leadership. We also assess (as indeed will you) whether you and OC&C are suited to working together. Go to Application Tips > Interviews for more information.
What can I expect from the interview process?
Milk round applicants who been successful in the CV screening stage, will be invited to complete an online numerical and verbal reasoning test. Successful applicants will then be invited to first round interviews, which will include two case study based interviews. Applicants invited to second round interviews can expect two more case study based interviews.
Go to Application Tips > Case Studies for more information and example case studies.
We understand that just as much we want to find out more about you and how you would fit in at OC&C, you will want to find out more about us. Throughout our interview process you will have the opportunity to get to know us better and ask questions. Don't worry if you have any more questions after the interview process has finished, we are more than happy to answer any question you might have after the formal process has been completed.
The “experienced hire” interview process is structured according to the level of experience of the applicant. Candidates can expect the process to focus on case studies interviews.
What is your policy on taking a year out before starting?
Our key objective is to recruit the best people, and we are certainly flexible here. Many people in the firm have taken a year out before joining, for example, to travel, work in a ski resort, help out at a charity, or learn a foreign language. Also, some choose to defer for only a few months, maybe to travel or just take an extended break before starting work.
When does your Associate Consultant entry level vacancy open on your website?Our Associate Consultant entry level vacancy opens on our website in the beginning of October. The deadline for applications is around mid November. We can only accept applications submitted online to this particular vacancy. If you would like to apply to OC&C outside of this period, please visit our website and check the list of current vacancies to find out if we have requirements at this level. All vacancies will be listed on our website.
What is your policy on recruiting PhDs and MBAs?
We recruit people at all stages of their careers; the starting level is determined on an individual basis by the experience and skills you have to offer.
Undergraduate and graduate students join as Associate Consultants. We operate a simple meritocracy, therefore the benefits of a PhD may allow you to progress more quickly once you have joined and therefore faster progression / promotion / salary raises might be expected. In an average year, about 30% of the intake are PhDs and they are often able to progress very rapidly to the Consultant level.
MBAs enter at Consultant level because typically they already have the appropriate work experience and tool kit that recent university graduates need to develop.
What is the typical career path at OC&C?
Associate Consultants typically spend three years at that level (less if they have some previous experience or progress exceptionally rapidly) before promotion to Consultant. Some people then elect to go to business school under sponsorship, or are seconded to a client firm or an OC&C office elsewhere in the world for a year. There is also the option to take a sabbatical. It is possible to be promoted directly and to choose not to take any time out, which distinguishes us from many of our competitors. The pathway to Partner is typically 9 or 10 years.
What is the typical project duration / composition?
All our work is at Board level. We usually work for FTSE250 companies or their international equivalents, major private equity houses and occasionally for smaller organisations if the situations are particularly interesting. We work on three general types of project: Strategy Development, Transaction Support (M&A and Private Equity) and Strategy Realisation (“Make it Happen”) programmes. Consequently there is a lot of variation in team size and duration. Strategy Development projects typically last 6-12 weeks – management cannot wait any longer than that to make even the most significant decisions. Transaction work typically operates on cycles of 2-4 weeks and is therefore more intense. Strategy Realisation programmes require anything from 2-9 months and generally involve much more client interaction. Our teams are not huge by comparison to the broader consulting industry. A large team would involve a pyramid of 15 people. Typical teams are 5, but sometimes as small as 2 people.
We offer a unique perspective to our clients. We don't deliver the same solution to everyone in a given industry, but develop new insights. We draw on our experiences within certain sectors and focus ourselves so that we can be certain that we are the best available advisors within our chosen fields. In London we work across all sectors, with particular expertise in consumer and retail industries, media, telecoms, technology and business services.
What are the average working hours per week?
The nature of consulting means that the hours are not regularly 9-5, particularly towards the end of projects where deadlines have to be met. Having said that, OC&C makes best efforts to ensure that our consultants do not work excessive hours. We monitor the actual hours that are worked, and have a system to ensure that people do not often work more than 60 hours per week. We also give time off at the end of projects where they have involved excessive hours. OC&C is completely opposed to the idea of ‘face time'. The managerial attitude and policies pay-off – our average hours are currently 57 per week and we are working hard to reduce this to our target of 55 hours per week.
Do you travel a lot?
Travel varies entirely from project to project and so everyone's experience is different. Nonetheless, it is usual to spend time away from home in the UK or abroad on some, but not every project.
Sometimes we base our work at the client, which can mean 3-4 days per week at the client site, but we do make sure that everyone where possible is back on Fridays.
On average, 50% of your time will be spent in the London office, 25% will be elsewhere in the UK, and 25% will be abroad.
What is your policy on pro bono work?
Although we also collect money for charity in the traditional way, we believe that the benefit that our skills can bring to the management of charities creates more value than if we simply write a cheque. We conduct regular pro-bono work. Historically, we have worked for WWF, Multiple Sclerosis and CancerUK. Our current pro-bono commitment is to Impetus who are investors in a variety of smaller charitable concerns. See www.impetus.org.uk. We conduct three projects a year for Impetus. One of our consultants now sits on the Board of the charity that he assisted.
What else will I do beyond project commitments?
At OC&C our employees become involved in actively managing and growing our firm. All consultants have the opportunity to get involved in teams that deal with company-wide issues from recruitment and training through to the “Ministry of Fun”, which organises parties and other social activities. We also have a number of office sports teams and events which are sponsored by the firm. These include netball, softball, football and touch-rugby teams, as well as sailing weekends for the novice and experienced sailors amongst us!
Does OC&C operate a 100% staffing model?
Yes. As an Associate Consultant or new Consultant, you will only be allocated to one client at any given time. More experienced Consultants, Managers and Partners are typically involved with more than one assignment at a time.
What is the salary?
We benchmark ourselves against our competitors and position ourselves at the top, or within the top quartile in the range of our competitors. On top of this Associate Consultants also get a bonus which you could expect to be 10-20% of your salary (15-30% for Consultants and 28-45% for Managers), as well as a gym subsidy and various medical cover benefits. As well as the standard 22 days annual holiday, we also offer the option of up to an extra month of unpaid leave per year.
What are your policies on training?
We consider both classroom and on the job training as key elements in your development. When you first join you will receive a formal induction programme which is tailored to your experience and needs. Joining from university you can expect to receive training in Consulting, Strategy, Research, Financial Analysis, Economics and Graphics within your first couple of months and there are further schedules courses throughout the year.
Our commitment to training continues throughout your career and at each grade there is an established portfolio of courses designed to meet your professional development needs at that time. So as you move towards becoming a consultant, the training focus is on project management, delegation and people management. At manager level the focus shifts towards client facilitation and creativity workshops. Many of these courses are run internationally and are held as part of our International Training Week. The event has been held in places such as Barcelona, Boston and Budapest. ITW provides a great opportunity to meet colleagues, at all levels, from all of our offices. It's not just all training though as there are plenty of opportunities to socialise as well.
Another crucial element in an ACs development is on-the-job training. The best way to learn is by doing. You are encouraged to push yourself just beyond the point where you feel comfortable with what you are doing, as that is where you develop fastest - safe in the knowledge that you are fully supported by your job manager should you need to turn to him / her for direction or support.
What is you policy on MBA sponsorship?
We have preference for one year courses simply as they tend to fit better with our consultants' needs and our European network, but we will support whatever suits the individual. Sponsorship is not guaranteed, but is based sensibly on whether we see you have a long-term career in the business; currently we have a number of people at US and European business schools.
What is your policy on transfer to other OC&C offices?
If you wish to work in another OC&C office there are three broad options:
- to work on one individual project with another office.
- to be offered an OC&C ambassadorship for 6-12 months in another office. This is awarded to our top performers.
- to seek a permanent transfer to another office.
There are examples of people in the firm who have tried each of these options. The only rule is that you must be totally competent linguistically to work in your target office (or demonstrate that you could get to that state rapidly).
Do you offer work experience? We offer a summer internship scheme for students who are in their penultimate year of their first degree. Our internship vacancy opens on our website around mid December and closes at the end of January. Unfortunately, we don't offer work experience (including MBA internships) outside of this 8 week summer scheme.I would like to apply for the internship but I am not in penultimate year of study, can I still apply?
Our undergraduate summer internship scheme is open ONLY to those students in the penultimate year of their first degree. Our aim is to provide candidates with a first hand insight into the consulting world. At the end of which we would typically make full time Associate Consultant offers to those who have performed well. These candidates would then become ambassadors for OC&C using their university knowledge in supporting our recruitment activities and events on campus. For this reason it is important that you are completing your studies no earlier than May 2011, and at the same university as prior to the internship.
I have been invited to interview with OC&C London, but I live outside the UK, can I interview with your local office rather than travelling to London?
All our vacancies are open to international candidates. If you are applying from outside the UK, please do bear in mind that whilst we do make use of our global network of offices to assist us in the recruitment process, you must also be prepared to attend interviews in the London office. This is an essential part of the recruitment process so that you can meet with your potential colleagues.
With regard to Work Permits and Visas for international candidates, please see below.
I am an international student, do OC&C assist with Work Permits / Visas?
We welcome applications from international students and to reflect this we do sponsor Work Permits for successful full time candidates.
Due to the lengthy work permit application process, it is not practical for us to provide work permits or visas for international students applying for our internship schemes.
I work for a recruitment agency and would like to work with OC&C?
If you feel your services would add value to OC&C, please feel free to email us with an overview of your organisation and services, a list of relevant completed assignments and your T&C's to recruitment@occstrategy.com