If you are smart enough to realise that a place on a graduate scheme at a management consultancy can also open shiny doors into business, banking and industry, so is the competition. Here’s how to polish your application so that it stands out from the crowd:

1. Don’t be too nerdy. “What we are looking for are well-rounded individuals,” says Suzy Style, the head of graduate recruitment at Accenture. Academic aptitude is important but the consulting giant, which recruits some 500 graduates a year, looks for evidence that people have really thrown themselves into university life.

2. Be a responsible drinker. It’s OK to join the cocktail society at university as long as you don’t just prop up the bar. Being a member of a sports team or a society is valued, Style says, particularly if you held a level of responsibility, such as team captain or club treasurer.

3. Omit nothing. “I would recommend that potential candidates don’t underestimate their extracurricular activities and work experience,” Style says. Consider how you can write up every experience to highlight your skills.

4. Go all out. “Consultancies like people who can demonstrate that they have pushed themselves,” says Nicola Connolly, the manager of the consultancy, strategy and change team at Michael Page International, a recruitment consultancy. Climbing Mt Everest shows that you have the determination and resilence you’ll need to survive a 60-hour week.

5. Never just send your CV. Communication skills are a management consultant’s stock in trade. A well-considered covering letter or application form is just as important as a toned CV and will mark you out as management consultancy material, Connolly says.

6. Know what’s required. Being captain of the lacrosse team won’t secure you an interview without the necessary hard skills. “We demand a 2:1 or better from a top university and a foreign language,” says Helen Mountney, the head of UK practice at Kurt Salmon Associates, a specialist retail consultancy.

7. Live abroad – or don’t. “Consultancy is a mobile workforce. It’s great if they show that they have adapted to living abroad or away from home,” Style says. “But students can talk about living away from home at university.” Phew.

8. Prepare for the interview. Psychometric testing is one way that KSA reinforces its hiring decisions, Mountney says. Attend practice interviews run by your university’s careers’ service, Style says.

9. Get a “real” job. If you have had work experience or enjoyed an internship at a consultancy you will be much more persuasive about why you want to be a consultant.

10. It’s worth the effort. Become a consultant analyst and, within a few years, headhunters will bow before you. “You'll have the greatest opportunities in the marketplace,” Connolly says.

Ace that interview

A case interview is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to be a consultant. Now, to practise:

Big picture thinking. Highlight the critical issues facing the client and explain their importance.

Problem-solving logic. What factors should be considered in solving the problem?

Focus on value. Use your instincts to explore one avenue of discussion, then prepare to explain your selection.

Depth and breadth. The interviewer will ask you some probing questions focusing on one key area in the case.

Results orientation. How would you implement your solution in a more hostile situation with a tricky client?

You’ll find more advice and examples of case interviews at www.bain.com

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