Advice for an undergraduate!!

Hi there,

I am currently in my final year at University of Central Lancashire doing an Bsch Computing Database Systems degree and I have decided I want to go into a consultant/analyst job after studying a few modules which look at the techniques involved in the profession.

Providing I keep up my current work and I do well in the exams I should be looking at a 2:2 degree, and its a very big ask to become a 2:1.

My question is with a 2:2 and no experience how easy is it to get my foot in the door? I am also looking to work in Manchester or the North West area where hopefully these jobs will be easy enough to come by

After reading alot of usefull information on the prospects website I believe I should start applying at companies soon because of fierce competition. They also say that having people skills etc is what they are looking for. I believe I have good people skills, however I am worried my lack of experience and a 2:2 degree will not even get me an interview to show them I am more capable than my academic grades suggest.

Any feedback will be great. Thank you.

You've missed all the grad application deadlines - and they all insist on a 2:1 (or some work experience to make up for having a 2:2) anyway...

"with a 2:2 and no experience how easy is it to get my foot in the door?"

Pretty much impossible, unless you look at very low grade firms.

"I am also looking to work in Manchester or the North West area where hopefully these jobs will be easy enough to come by"

Unfortunately, these jobs are few and far between at graduate level. Once you have consulting experience, you can move out, but most good firms that take entry-level candidates are in London.

You'd be best to get a job in IT and develop your career from there. You may get opportunities to move into consulting after 8 or 9 years of experience. Between the ages of 29 and 32 is the next career stage that people typically move into consulting.

If it's IT consulting you're interested in, another option may be to look at Accenture Technology Solutions. They accept folk with 2.2s from red-brick universities. The pay and status internally is less than Accenture Consulting, but the SI work is largely the same at the junior levels (in spite of what many in Accenture consulting like to think). A couple of years of that on the CV may impress some IT consultancies.