Center for Career Exploration

Finance and Consulting

If you are interested in applying your skills toward analyzing numbers and markets to recommend investment decisions or to evaluate complex business problems facing organizations you may be interested in exploring career pathways in Finance and Consulting.

Finance pathways may include Investment Banking, Asset Management, Wealth Management, and Corporate Finance.  Consulting pathways may either be General or Specialized.  About 1 in 4 Brown students secure opportunities in these fields, making this pathway one of the most common post-graduate destinations for undergrads.

The Finance and Consulting Pathway involves many large, well-known employers who partner with the Brown Center for Career Exploration to post internships and jobs on Handshake, attend career fairs and meet with students on campus (or virtually) for information sessions, coffee chats and, sometimes, on-campus interviews. These employer partners also hire cohorts of Brown students into financial analyst or consulting positions each year.  

Quite a few graduating seniors get jobs with companies that don’t necessarily recruit on campus and are perhaps less well-known, often on a later timeline — in the spring, before or a few months after graduation.

Key Things to Know about Employers in Finance and Consulting

Although recruiting for finance and consulting positions can vary by organization, remember that the majority of employers who hire for for these roles have a few things in common:

  • They start the recruiting process early and visit campus often via career fairs and on campus recruiting events. Employers in these industries are aggressive in their recruiting timelines. Many begin recruiting in your sophomore year -- summer and fall semester for sophomore summer internships and spring for your junior year summer. It is important to have your application materials, including resumes and cover letters, ready for this early recruitment process.
  • Preparation is critical. The interviewing process can be quite intensive. Many first-round interviews will be conducted by video through an online software tool rather than with an actual person. Second- and final-round interviews will often be conducted in person for an entire day and may require travel to an employer’s offices. Lastly, consulting case interviews and financial services technical interviews require an extended lead time for practice before the interview. Many students will begin drilling on their interview skills for finance and consulting at least two to three months before their interviews. The Career Counselors can help with behavioral interview preparation and you can use CaseCoach and Wall Street Oasis for help with case and technical interviews.
  • They can be aggressive with their offer timelines. This can be a competitive industry so employers often pressure students to make a decision quickly.
  • Recruiters post positions and events in Handshake. Many finance and consulting recruiters will message students directly. Make sure you update your profile and follow key employers to stay up-to-date on events and opportunities.

Chart Your Path and Develop a Strategy

Due to the nature of the recruitment process, timelines, and preparation involved, students may want to begin exploring careers in Finance and Consulting as early as freshman year. 

Partner with the Brown Center for Career Exploration:

  • Schedule a meeting with a Career Counselor:  They are experts at helping you make a plan and get started. Read more about Career Counselors and how they can help and make an appointment
  • Attend Peer Career Advisor or Grad Student Fellow Open Hours:  Receive help from your peers with application materials and navigating the Career Center’s resources.
  • Handshake: 
    • Find Finance and Consulting Workshops or open hours with the Assistant Dean of the College for Careers in Finance and Consulting.
    • Schedule Advising appointments
    • Find finance and consulting opportunities in Handshake and on the websites of top recruiting firms.
    • Search for early talent programs for first and second year students, summer internships for juniors, full time employment for seniors, and select interview preparation workshops offered by potential employers
  • BrownConnect+: Use this tool to engage with Brown alumni working in Finance and Consulting through conversations, coaching and mentoring.
  • Explore ways to learn about finance and consulting on campus: Taking courses such as Management of Industrial and Nonprofit Organizations (ENGN 0090), Financial Accounting (ECON 0710), Investments 1 (ECON 1710) and Corporate Finance (ECON 1720), among others.
  • Joining investment, business and consulting clubs on campus and participating in any specialized Finance and Consulting events offered.

Additional Resources

Get information and insights about a variety of career fields and industries with free access to Vault Guides.
Connect with Brown alumni and search for internship opportunities — many reserved exclusively for Brown students.
Get professional help preparing for consulting interviews.
Access finance and consulting interview courses as well as industry and company reports and insights.
An amazing online resource for Finance and Consulting internship, job, and fellowship opportunities, industry insights, campus connections, networks, and other resources.