Im a UK graduate who graduated within the top of my class in 2001 and have been trying to get into consulting since 2000.The biggest hurdle right now is that the companies ask for candidates that have relevant consulting experience and do not need a work permit to work in the UK. I have researched management consulting for years and know that it is the career for me, but getting my foot in the door has been beyond frusterating.Should i just give up on consulting once and for all, or go get an MBA and try my luck later?

Where did you graduate from? In what subject? where have you worked since graduation?

I graduated from the American InterContinental University in London with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and I have a 2:1 in Business Administration from the Open University.I worked as a personal assistant shortly after graduation.

To be brutally honest with you, I think your difficulties may have something to do with your academic background. Obviously education is only one of the things recruiters are looking for in candidates, however big-name consultancies are notoriously snobbish about this, hiring only from the top 3-5 universities in the country. Larger ex-Big 5 firms cast a wider net, targeting the top 20 or so universities, however to be frank neither of your chosen institutions really seem to fall under this category either. Unfortunately the same will apply to MBA education as well. Firstly, it's extremely difficult to get to a reputable school without a top-notch background both academically and professionnally. Secondly, without the top-20 grad school on your CV you'll probably experience exactly the same problems as now, since you'll be competing with other MBAs for associate / senior consultant positions.To get around this catch-22 situation, I think your best bet is to apply for positions in industry, starting with the temp agencies and graduate schemes. This is particularly useful if you know already which industry sector you might like to specialise in later, as it'll be a lot easier to make the jump to consulting with a few years' worth of relevant experience. Another viable option is to target smaller, less well known firms, or to apply to the big consultancies for non-consulting positions e.g. in knowledge management, data analysis, admin, IT, HR etc.Hope this helps!

Your first institution is not really a UK University, is it? As far as I know it isn't accredited / approved. Standards at the Open can be quite good I believe and hats off to those who put the effort in on top of a job, but it's not quite the same product as your standard full-time undergrad degree. Why the two degrees in the same subject, anyway? I'm afraid this tends to weaken one's impression of both. I think to be realistic, you may have to have a rethink. I would struggle to get into many consultancies with my 1st in a "hard" subject from a fairly venerable and prominent civic / redbrick.

Well, be glad to know you are not on your own! I feel this is the right career for me too but still wonder why I do not get interviews with an MSc, general manager of a small but profitable French Branch of Management consultancy etc...