When I started university I was adamant that I wasn’t going to work a dull, draining corporate job in investment banking or consulting, and so I chose to attend a university that at the time was full of people that felt the same way (St Andrews).

Over time I was sucked in, and I decided to first pursue investment banking, and then later consulting. Given the lack of resources at university and of a similar-oriented peer network, I had to figure out how to break into these industries myself. I scoured all the forums and guides, travelled to London for countless recruiting events, amassed many LinkedIn connections, and spent lots of time preparing for interviews. I was incredibly lucky to have very supportive parents and to receive informal mentorship from strangers.

While at St Andrews, I wanted to build a larger network and provide more resources for students interested in traditionally attractive graduate opportunities such as banking, consulting, and tech; thus, I founded the St Andrews Guild - a career-focused society. For this society I wrote a series of articles sharing my personal experience with how to break into industries that I have experience with. Hopefully, this guide levels the playing field a little.

Investment banking and strategy consulting are notoriously difficult industries to break into, and there is no formula for success so treat this guidebook as a first step. This is just my take and a summary of some of the research that I have done. Neither is this exhaustive, so please email me at [email protected] with any questions, comments, criticisms, or additions.

About the Author

Raghvi Arya is from Surrey, England. She recently graduated with a degree in Economics and Management from the University of St Andrews in Scotland as a Principal’s Scholar, awarded to final-year students whose academic performances are the highest in their respective faculties. As Founder and President of St Andrews’ premier careers society (St Andrews Guild), she increased access for students to various careers by hosting events and creating resources. Meanwhile, she acted as Head of Investor Relations for a student startup accelerator, building the accelerator's ties with VCs, and as a venture scout for Open Scout. Over her time at St Andrews, Raghvi interned at the Institute of Economic Affairs - a think tank, Sandbox & Co - a private equity firm investing in learning-first businesses, Open Scout - a startup connecting startup founders to investors, and The Boston Consulting Group - a leading strategy consulting firm. She also participated in McKinsey, Citi, and Deloitte’s spring week programs. She now works at Bain & Company in their London office.