Consulting Careers Initiatives prepares MSU students for competitive industry roles

The Eli Broad College of Business continues to expand career-focused programming through its Consulting Careers Initiatives, which are designed to prepare students for highly competitive roles in strategy and management consulting.

The initiatives are led by Adam Merrill, senior associate director in the Russell Palmer Career Management Center, who believes that consulting offers students a unique opportunity to understand business holistically rather than through a single aspect. It also provides early exposure to real-world problem-solving and professional expectations.

“The curriculum was designed to help students understand consulting, the recruitment process, and what it takes to be successful,” Merrill said. “For students, it prepares them with the tools and resources first to land the interview, and then perform at a high level during the interview process.”

Because consulting recruitment timelines begin early, often between the end of sophomore year and the start of junior year, the initiatives focus on accelerating student development. Through targeted programming, students are encouraged to build a strong portfolio of experiences within their first three semesters, positioning themselves as competitive candidates when applications open.

“They’ll put together a slate of student organizations that they’re involved in, leadership positions, and keep a high GPA,” Merrill said. “If they’re in business, we’re helping them build out their technical acumen. If they are in engineering or a computer science student, we help them build their business acumen so they become a complete, well-rounded candidate highly desired by the industry.”

Students can also increase their experience for consulting through case competitions. Case competitions give students hands-on experience with consulting-style problem solving in fast-paced, team-based environments. These competitions can also expose students to a firm’s campus recruitment team and even practice case interviewing.  Just recently, a team of four Broad students took first place at the 2026 Wisconsin Invitational Consulting Case Competition, outperforming 20 teams from universities across the country.

The program also provides one-on-one mentorships for case interviewing, along with access to tools such as RocketBlocks, a platform that helps students build technical skills through targeted drills on their own time. These exercises focus on core components of case interviews, including structuring problems, mental math and market sizing, while also tracking student progress and highlighting areas for improvement.

Driss Mestari, finance junior

For students like Driss Mestari, a finance sophomore and development chair for 180 Degrees Consulting, the initiative has played a critical role in shaping early career goals.

“This initiative is directly helping me reach my early career goals by preparing me for consulting recruiting,” Mestari said. “Through upperclassmen sharing their knowledge, I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would about approaching a case, persuasive public speaking, structured problem-solving, and general business acumen.”

Ikenna Oriaku, supply chain sophomore

Students with hands-on consulting experience say the initiative complements and strengthens what they learn in real client settings. Ikenna Oriaku, a supply chain management sophomore and analyst with Spectrum Consulting Group, first became interested in consulting through a shadowing experience.

“I was initially drawn to consulting through a shadowing experience at a boutique firm,” said Oriaku. “Experiences like this, combined with the consulting initiatives, help students build transferable skills like structured thinking and communication while also preparing them for recruiting.”

Through his work with Spectrum Consulting Group, Oriaku has seen how structured preparation translates into real impact.

“Working on client projects has helped me turn ambiguous problems into clear, practical recommendations,” he said. “Case studies and mock interviews have also changed how I approach problems. I now focus on fully understanding the issue first, then applying a structured but flexible way of thinking to develop solutions.”

Andrew Mossington, supply chain management junior

For Andrew Mossington, supply chain management sophomore and consultant for 180 Degrees Consulting, exposure to consulting at Broad reshaped his career path entirely.

“Before coming to MSU, I wasn’t aware of what consulting was,” Mossington said. “The consulting career initiatives have really shaped my goals by providing the resources needed to recruit at top firms successfully. I am grateful to be part of the first wave to underclassmen to reap the benefits of this initiative, and I try to spread awareness of our consulting resources to other Broad students. A group of my friends and I, all involved with these initiatives, are representing MSU at a national case competition next month. With a strong placement, we hope to impress recruiters in attendance and boost MSU’s reputation for producing strong consultants.”

Ava Soltysiak, finance senior

That sense of collaboration and shared ambition is echoed by Ava Soltysiak, a finance junior and vice president of 180 Degrees Consulting, who has seen interest in consulting grow significantly across campus.

“Since joining 180 Degrees Consulting during my freshman year, I have seen interest in consulting grow among both Broad and non-Broad students,” Soltysiak said. “Although the process is competitive, there is a strong sense that MSU students want everyone to succeed.”

By combining technical preparation with mentorship and real-world application, the Consulting Career Initiatives reinforce Broad’s commitment to experiential learning and career readiness, strengthening Michigan State University’s presence in the consulting talent pipeline.

With applications opening each spring, students interested in consulting are encouraged to explore the Consulting Career Initiative early by scheduling a one-on-one advising session through Handshake and beginning case preparation. Interested students should reach out to Adam Merrill (merri143@broad.msu.edu) for more information.