From my personal experience, I can highly recommend our company values as a final tip: Empathy - be authentic and be yourself; Excellence - show us your skills in the case interview as well as in the personal interview; Entrepreneurship - use your entrepreneurial thinking in the case to thoroughly understand the actual problem and objectives, as well as to develop creative solutions.

Further, I would recommend taking a critical look at your own CV, your previous experiences, and your motivation for consulting. On the other hand, prepare yourself intensively for case interviews. Take another look at current economic issues. We are not looking for perfect case solutions, but rather at the approach, openness, and drive of the candidates to handle the case.

Remember, an interview is an opportunity for both sides to get to know each other better. Show us who you are as a person and be your authentic self!

Daniel, Senior Consultant

In my opinion, there are three important qualities. First, having an open mind and being curious is key. As you will most likely be staffed on projects across a variety of industries, facing different problems and client setups, it is necessary to motivate yourself to dive into new areas, tools, and team structures.

Second, being a team player is absolutely crucial. This doesn't mean you need to be the most extroverted person or the biggest "social butterfly" at a party, but you should feel comfortable among colleagues and working in teams, as this will be the standard working setup, even in a remote environment where we operate in virtual teams.

Third, not being afraid of data and numbers is important. As our clients increasingly adopt data-driven, digital strategies, our projects are evolving toward data-driven setups. Again, you don't need to be a number cruncher when you apply, but it certainly helps if you are open to immersing yourself in the world of Excel and data science.

Nicolas, Principal

We are regionally organized, so each country recruits for its own offices. For specific questions, please reach out directly to our local HR contacts: Contact Us | Roland Berger

Mona, HR Team

Our work is truly international, and so are our project teams. However, we need to respond to our clients' needs. Outside Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, German is not a prerequisite! Most of our offices require fluency in the local language. For our DACH offices, we need fluent German language skills. There are, however, some exceptions, and it depends on the position. If you have, for example, already consulting experience and relevant expertise in a global industry, it might be easier to join without fluent language skills in the office language.

Mona, HR Team

Within Roland Berger, there are three key mechanisms that will support your career development. First, you'll be assigned a mentor right from the start of your consulting career. The mentor will be your go-to person for all career-related questions and will actively help you get staffed on projects, as well as assigned to internal development projects and training.

Second, at Roland Berger, you will undergo a two-week global kick-off training at the beginning of your consulting career. This training not only equips you with valuable tools and insights for your daily work but also connects you with colleagues from all over the world. As a result, you will start building a network of peers that you can rely on for advice and exchanges from day one.

Third, we have a comprehensive training schedule for all consultant levels that will allow you to grow both your hard and soft skills. Importantly, you can choose from a wide variety of non-mandatory training sessions to focus on the areas where you would like to develop further.

In a nutshell, I can say from my experience that at Roland Berger, you have every opportunity to develop in various directions. All it takes is your initiative and curiosity.

Verena, Project Manager

Having an entrepreneurial mindset, along with an eagerness to learn, shape, and take responsibility, are key success factors in my opinion. We have a diverse range of characters, nationalities, and backgrounds, but the mindset and passion for their work are recognizable in all of our colleagues. Many of our colleagues aspire to make a difference and have an impact.

Barbara, HR Team

Yes, we do. Specifically, anyone who has been with Roland Berger for approximately two years is eligible for an educational leave. This leave can support various programs, including a Master's degree (for entry-level professionals with a Bachelor's degree), as well as PhD or MBA programs.

The MBA program is usually preferred by consultants who a) have started their career at Roland Berger with a Bachelor's degree or b) have a non-business-related academic background (e.g., engineering). Typically, consultants can take leave after approximately two years of work experience to pursue an MBA program. We have great partnerships with leading MBA schools. Of course, Roland Berger supports you financially, as well as with application guidance, time off (leave), networking, and experience exchange.

Verena, Project Manager

Our firm provides numerous challenging opportunities for developing an international career. Many colleagues have embraced the chance to support our global growth, which in turn has advanced their own careers. The types of transfers available include long-term (1-5 years), short-term (up to 6 months), rotator (8-10 weeks), and permanent (unlimited).

Mona, HR Team

For me, it is the unique balance between its global footprint and manageable size, which creates a great work environment. We are large enough to cover all major industries and functional topics, yet small enough that you don't feel like just a number in a complex hierarchy. This allows for building strong relationships and establishing yourself early in your career.

Additionally, I highly appreciate the level of freedom and empowerment given to all colleagues on a daily basis. You can drive your own ideas and concepts forward both in projects and internally. Our very flat and collaborative hierarchical understanding facilitates benefitting from this general entrepreneurial mindset from day one at our firm. Raise your voice and you can achieve anything at Roland Berger.

Leonard, Senior Consultant

I think our organizational structure, as well as our size, creates unique conditions for our culture.

At Roland Berger, we have a matrix structure that includes both functional and industry expert teams. Functional teams focus on areas like restructuring, operations, and digital across various industries, while industry teams specialize in one sector, such as automotive, addressing different functional topics within that context.

In most of our offices, you will start as a generalist when joining Roland Berger as a Junior Consultant. Once you have more project experience, you will have the chance to focus and will then be assigned to an industry or function. In the DACH region, you typically start in one of our "platforms" with a focus on a specific industry or functional topic that aligns with your background.

Regarding size, we are large enough to offer global exposure yet small enough for you to feel recognized and valued. This combination of a truly global footprint, room for moving things ahead, and a size that allows forging connections really motivates me.

Verena, Project Manager

Entrepreneurship, Excellence, and Empathy are our values that I truly experience every day and care about.

Starting with Entrepreneurship, I can confidently say that in all my projects and internal initiatives, I have demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit. You might ask yourself what that means—I will tell you. Having an entrepreneurial spirit means that I consider the bigger picture when addressing my clients' issues and then try to convince them to change by adapting their business models with digital innovations, such as AI or a new customer-centric approach. In most of the twelve projects I have completed so far at Roland Berger, I have acted like an entrepreneur, feeling responsible for the company and striving to make a meaningful impact with my work.

Excellence is a core value. We work for top companies (and public institutions) worldwide and always strive for the best solutions. Top quality in every analysis and presentation is a must for us.

The last value, Empathy, is the most important for me. In my team and on projects, this is the reason why I enjoy my work and how I make a difference when collaborating with clients. Being empathetic about my clients' current situations is my personal priority. I have worked with various clients in difficult situations, and I was only able to get everyone on board with certain projects through my empathy and positive spirit.

Theresa, Senior Consultant

Firstly, I would say we don't have a hierarchical, top-down mentality; for example, it is easy to get in touch with our Partners and Mentors.

Second, we truly have a good collaborative and supportive working atmosphere. Everyone helps everyone, and everyone treats colleagues with respect. Our team spirit is great; we really grow together every day.

Third, we have an open but respectful feedback culture. Feedback is taken seriously across the board. In addition, what sets Roland Berger apart is our value of entrepreneurship, which is not just a claim. Besides your daily work, you can get involved in our firm and drive initiatives that shape our organization!

Theresa, Senior Consultant

This question is somewhat difficult, as consulting is usually characterized by a changing working environment, new tasks and challenges, unique clients, and much more every day. So very rarely is one day like another.

Depending on the client's needs, we are either at the client's office, meeting at one of our Roland Berger offices with the team, or working remotely. On a Monday, we usually start with a "check-in" session to kick off the week and discuss main To-Dos and upcoming meetings - first within the Roland Berger team and then together with the clients to align and keep them posted. After that, the work really depends on the respective project: having client meetings and workshops, working on data analyses, or preparing management presentations. The day usually closes with a joint team dinner and/or free time for sports or other leisure activities.

Verena, Project Manager

Our staffing is generally discussed and determined with your personal mentor, who will consider your personal preferences during this process (e.g., yes/no for international assignments, thematic preferences, etc.).

Since we are organized into various expert areas, staffing is also influenced by the industry and the functionalities required for specific projects. During your internship, you will have a supervisor who is responsible for your staffing. For consultants, we utilize a central staffing tool that aims to create the best teams by pooling and balancing capacities across countries and competence centers.

Nicolas, Principal

I feel that I have a good work-life balance. By being involved in multiple projects as well as acquisition work, I face a great variability in tasks and have the chance to work with many people across our platforms and markets. This variability gives me a lot of energy, even when the workload in terms of hours increases. At the same time, I am also a father of young children, and I try to spend as much time as I can with my family. This can be challenging when project deadlines loom, but there is still enough flexibility and, more importantly, enough understanding from Roland Berger that family life matters.

Taking a step back from my experience, we are prioritizing this topic globally within Roland Berger and have a multitude of initiatives and tools in place to ensure that work-life balance is taken seriously. For instance, it is possible to take a sabbatical after you have been with the company for a while. You can also take additional holidays as needed. For each project, you can establish individual commitments with your project manager and team, such as scheduling time for sports twice a week in the evenings. These commitments are monitored as well.

Ultimately, it comes down to taking responsibility. There will be times of high intensity and times of lower intensity in your daily work.

Nicolas, Principal

Personally, I have had the opportunity to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, both in terms of geography and education. This includes peers from Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, and Ukraine, among others, who hold a variety of degrees ranging from business to mechanical engineering and physics.

However, Roland Berger teams not only include diverse educational and cultural backgrounds but also encompass a variety of religious beliefs and sexual orientations. In short, I believe that Roland Berger fosters a culture of openness and mutual respect. Diversity is an integral part of our culture and one of our key success factors.

Karin, Senior Consultant

Our management is deeply committed to promoting diversity within our company and actively participates in various diversity events and initiatives such as women@RolandBerger, ability@RolandBerger or FirstGeneration@RolandBerger. Management teams around the world also support many organizations at the national and local levels that work to advance diversity.

For example, during our last 'Pride Week,' one of our three worldwide managing directors prominently announced the event and co-moderated a discussion on LGBTQ+ awareness. Additionally, our global Head of HR attended the General Annual Assembly of our LGBTQ+ network.

Thomas, Principal

We embrace diversity as a core value of our company culture. Our 'JustBe' network provides LGBTQ+ colleagues with a platform for exchange and mentoring. In addition to virtual interactions, members meet regularly to share experiences and actively promote diversity within our firm. We also have the 'JustBe Friends' community, a global network of allies and supporters for our LGBTQ+ colleagues.

I truly appreciate that we cultivate a welcoming atmosphere for all employees. Furthermore, we celebrate 'Pride Week' in all our offices worldwide to reinforce this commitment.

Mona, HR Team