L.E.K. Consulting is a leader in management consulting. Headquartered in London and Boston, the company is known for its services in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and operations. And with over 1,200 employees across 21 worldwide offices, it’s one of the most desirable companies for MBA graduates—trailing only Google—according to a 2017 national survey and ranking by TransparentCareer.
Founded in 1983 by three partners from Bain & Company, L.E.K Consulting offers MBA graduates the opportunity to work across all major industries including defense, aviation, life sciences, healthcare, energy, entertainment, transport, retail, consumer products, and finance. This wide breadth of expertise provides a unique opportunity to explore many different areas while working at a single company. It’s also one of the reasons L.E.K Consulting made it onto Forbes “2018 The Best Management Consulting Firms” list.
Other awards and recognition for L.E.K. Consulting include:
- Named “Strategic Consultants of the Year” at the 2015 Health Investor Awards
- Recognized by the 2016 Excellence in Social & Community Investment Awards
- Ranked #11 in Consulting Magazine’s 2016 Best Firms to Work For
MBA Recruiting at L.E.K Consulting
L.E.K Consulting looks for MBA job candidates who demonstrate exceptional performance and contributions. As a consultant, you can expect your role to involve:
- Regular collaboration with partners and managers
- Answering critical questions through analyses and structured approaches
- Managing your team’s day-to-day activities
In 2017, L.E.K. Consulting hired around 50 MBAs from U.S. business schools, looking for candidates with a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences. However, gaining a position at L.E.K. Consulting can be an intimidating experience. They’re ranked as having one of the world’s most challenging interview processes—ranking 3.4 on a 5-point scale—according to Fortune Magazine.
Salary & Benefits of Working at L.E.K. Consulting
According to TransparentCareer, the average total compensation for an L.E.K. Consulting employee with an MBA degree is $252,500. That can be broken down into approximately:
- Base: $150,000
- Performance Bonus: $25,000
- Retirement & Profit Sharing: up to $30,000
- Signing Bonus: $25,000
- Relocation: up to $5,000
As for employee benefits, it’s a large, multi-national organization, so there are many advantages including life insurance/disability, 401(k), paid holidays, and vacation.
MBA Internship Program
One of the best ways for an MBA candidate to get an “in” at L.E.K. Consulting is through their Summer Associate program. This eight- to ten-week program is available for top-performing MBA candidates who want to experience real casework as part of a team.
Students will dedicate 100 percent of their time to a single engagement, which will result in guiding and managing the client to a solution. As a Summer Consultant, you can expect to complete a range of day-to-day activities, and you’ll be responsible for:
- Identifying critical issues
- Structuring analyses
- Managing Associates
- Communicating insights
- Participating in client communication
Summer Consultants have the support of all full-time Consultants at L.E.K. This means that you’ll have a chance to be mentored throughout the summer with guidance and coaching.
International SWAP Program
One unique opportunity that L.E.K. Consulting offers its employees is their SWAP Program. This program gives consultants a chance to SWAP their position with another associate anywhere in the world for a short period. For example, a Boston consultant might head to Paris while the Paris associate heads to Boston for six months. During the SWAP, you do not change your job. Instead, you change your work location for a unique international experience.
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Working at L.E.K. Consulting
What’s it like to work at L.E.K. Consulting? According to Glassdoor reviews, it’s a “fast-paced, dynamic work environment.” However, it can also be demanding and “hard to maintain a work-life balance.” One thing that most employees agree on is that the work is challenging with great people to work with who are talented, smart, and fun.
According to one consultant who has been at the company for three years, “L.E.K. runs teams lean compared to other consulting firms, meaning all team members will have meaningful step-up opportunities and more responsibility/ownership relative to their peers at other firms, earlier in their careers. The work is generally interesting, and the learning curve is steep. This job will keep you learning and challenged.”
On the flip-side, “Work/life balance seems worse at L.E.K. relative to other firms, because of the lean structure. Most projects are under-staffed. In addition, there are no systems/processes in place to retain talent that is burned out.”