My consultancy journey since completing my MSc

MSc Business with Consulting graduate, Oliver, reminisces on his experience at WBS, and how his degree helped him land his role as a strategic consultant at Accenture.

I’m Oliver, a professional work-life-balancer with an affinity for travel, fine dining and good wine. Originally born in Germany, I grew up in Luxembourg, London and Frankfurt.

Prior to my time at WBS, I gained a double degree in European Business from MSB and the University of Portsmouth, as well as two internships in consulting at Ferrero in Luxembourg and Accenture in Frankfurt. These internships ultimately steered me towards wanting to further my education in the field of consulting and pursue a career in tech consulting.

Finding the right course for me

WBS was recommended to me by a friend for its variety of courses and high reputation. Since I wanted to pursue my studies in the UK, WBS and particularly the MSc Business with Consulting were exactly what I was looking for.

Not many courses provide this specialisation, and WBS offered a course that included a variety of modules across consulting, strategy and management. I also like the balance between exams, course work and presentations and practical approach to consulting. I attended some seminars offered by WBS introducing the university and course further, which ultimately lead to me applying. I was lucky enough to not only to be accepted, but also receive an academic scholarship.

I had never studied at a campus university before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I spent the first days exploring all the different buildings and surroundings, as well as close by Coventry, which has some great restaurants, bars and clubs. I may be biased, but my Lakeside residence and the WBS building were my favourite. Coventry is also well connected to London and Birmingham which is brilliant.

Life at WBS

The first weeks were well organised providing insights into all the different activities and opportunities available at WBS and Warwick. I highly recommend the sports hub, where I played squash and cross country running, as the campus is in a beautiful area.

There were many highlights during my time at WBS, but one of my favourites was being a WBS ambassador. As an ambassador, I was able to represent WBS and my course to prospective students and share my experiences. I was able to support with online and in person events at The Shard in London.

Everyone in the marketing and recruitment team was brilliant and I truly enhanced my student experience. Being able to talk to ambassadors during my application gave me valuable insights into studying at WBS and it was something I wanted to continue, even now as an alumnus.

What sets the MSc Business with Consulting course apart were the live client projects, in which we were able to work with real clients to simulate a project proposal. Being able to conduct projects in a safe environment, fostered research, team collaboration and leadership, as well as presentation skills, all essential to consulting and my daily work. Having the opportunity for regular direct feedback created immense learning potential.

Everyone at WBS was approachable and offered support during my studies, which created a positive learning environment and sense of community. WBS is widely recognised as one the top institutions across the UK and the world. This is reflected in the quality of teaching and alumni networks.

Embracing different cultures

Because WBS is such a renowned institution, it attracts students from all parts of the world, fostering collaboration with people from all backgrounds. This was also the case in my course and provided the opportunity to be introduced to various cultures.

For the individual projects we were broken down into teams and given the opportunity to take part in team building activities. In our teams we went for international dinners at Chinese hotpot and Korean barbecue to build team spirit and boost our collaboration. Being able to connect outside of the course added to my student experience and the memories I made at Warwick.

WBS offers a great careers support service to all its students before, during and after graduation. I especially used the CV support, since I was able to craft my CV to stand out and tailor it to the respective applications. Having the opportunity to reach out to the careers support, also during Covid meant a constant reassurance during the application process.

Building my career in consulting

Graduating during Covid presented a new set of circumstances in securing a role after graduating. Since everything had shifted to digital, I heavily used LinkedIn to search for job opportunities. Warwick offers many information and networking events, and I attended a LinkedIn session by Richard Moore. I didn’t know it at the time, how helpful that would be, as I ended up finding my first role as a business consultant on LinkedIn.

All the interviews and even the first months in my new role were solely online, which was new experience. Since the last part of my studies has also been exclusively digital and WBS had prepared us well, it seemed a little less daunting.  

Since graduating I have worked exclusively in consulting, specialising in merger and acquisition strategy with a focus on technology. In my daily work as an Accenture Consultant, I lead large scale strategic programmes for global clients, ensuring project success and delivering value to the clients.  In addition to my work, I have attained an IPMA-D project management certification.

My advice to you

I would highly recommend pursuing an MSc at WBS, particularly the MSc Business with Consulting, as truly enjoyed my time at Warwick. WBS offers many opportunities to get to know the university and course beforehand through seminars with current students and alumni. If you are already in the UK, I would also recommend attending the open days, as they are a great way of getting a feel for campus life.

Overall, I would choose WBS again and again, since it left me with a high-quality education, an amazing network of friends and unforgettable memories.