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Right around this recruitment season, there’s lots of talk circulating about consulting. Recruiters coming to campus, Summer 2026 internships being posted on LinkedIn, but what even is consulting? To answer that question, I’ve compiled student testimony, general information, and consulting resources at Vanderbilt for those considering starting their journey in the field.
First, let’s hear a definition. The Harvard Business Review created a “Hierarchy of Consulting Purposes” to sum up the fundamental objectives of a consultant. The five traditional purposes include:
1. Providing information to a client
2. Solving a client’s problems
3. Conducting a diagnosis that might redefine a problem
4. Providing recommendations
5. Assisting with implementation of solutions
To simplify the jumble, consulting deals with solving problems for businesses. This can be a problem of any kind, which is precisely why we have different types of consultants who specialize in various fields.
As the Owen Graduate School of Management put it, there are “Five Types of Consulting Careers for Business Students.” These five include management consulting, industry consulting (health care, operations, public sector), human capital consulting, internal consulting, and political and economic consulting.
To gain a first-hand perspective from a student aspiring to enter the field, I asked Rachel Warner, a Vanderbilt junior and President of Phi Chi Theta (a Vanderbilt business fraternity), what consulting is to her. She replied, “I think consulting is using the stuff you learned in the classroom and actually applying it to help people. … You learn a bunch of skills and then quickly have to become an expert in that topic. … From an outside perspective, you come in and you’re able to give actionable insights on how they should work to solve the problem.”
“The opportunity to learn about all these different industries and try them out so young will be very formative.”
– Rachel Warner, Vanderbilt University Junior, President of Phi Chi Theta
I then asked Warner why she gravitated to consulting out of all the possible business paths. She noted two main reasons: the continuous learning and team-based environment involved in the field.
On the continuous learning side, Warner spoke on the constantly changing nature of consulting, explaining that “you have a new project every six weeks to six months. That can be in a whole range of industries. … You could do mergers and acquisitions for a healthcare case and then pivot to financial analysis for a consumer goods company. And so, the opportunity to learn about all these different industries and try them out so young will be very formative.”
On the team-based side, Warner explained, “I just love working with people. I love being around people and so I knew that whatever job I do has to be with other people, and consulting is kind of the epitome of team-based work.”
After hearing all that Warner offered on the nuts and bolts of consulting, one thing is pretty clear: consulting is for those who thrive in a people-centric, fast-paced environment and who value broad industry exposure.
So how exactly can students at Vanderbilt begin their path into consulting? I asked Warner: “There is a great online resource called Crafting Cases. They are a paid subscription, but they have a free seven-day class that has over 100 hours of content. … I would highly recommend watching some of those videos.” The second online resource Warner speaks on is Vanderbilt supported: “Vandy buys a subscription for you for Management Consulted, which is a platform that would otherwise cost around $500. They have practice cases, case math videos, deadline trackers, basically everything you could need. …So definitely take advantage of that. Have an account. Get the emails from them.”
As for student organizations on campus, Warner offered, “There is a club on campus called Consulting Academy and you can do it your sophomore spring. … I think that was really helpful for me to know what the timeline was going to look like and what my case prep should look like. And any other business org is also helpful in that, but that one is specifically for recruiting for consulting.”
As Warner mentioned, there are several consulting organizations on campus. A few popular clubs are Vanderbilt Undergraduate Consulting Club (VUCC), 180 Degrees Consulting, Rem & Company, and Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations (SCNO). These clubs have different acceptance criteria and member expectations, so it’s important to investigate each of them to determine the right fit. Grabbing coffee or lunch with active members is always a great way to learn more about the organization.
Between accessible online tools and a variety of student organizations for aspiring consultants, Vanderbilt students are equipped with what it takes to tackle the career. If you think consulting might be for you, all it takes is a hunger for excellence and a willingness to put in the work. Consulting starts here.
*From recruitment sources to career paths for aspiring business students, this Owen guide mentioned in the article is well worth exploring.
