Strategy& is PwC's strategy consulting business. It used to be Booz & Company before PwC bought it in 2014. It's one of the three Big 4 strategy arms (with Monitor Deloitte and EY-Parthenon) and does work very similar to the MBB firms, with the backing of a much bigger network.
I had an offer from Strategy&, and the part of the process I remember most was the written case.
The structured written case
My Strategy& case studies were in the same format as the practice cases on CaseCoach: you're given a pack of information and have to structure an answer and present it. If you've only practised spoken cases, this is a different skill. You need to:
- Read a lot of material quickly and pick out the few numbers that matter.
- Structure the answer on paper before you start writing.
- Lead with the recommendation, then the support.
A CaseCoach subscription is worth it for this alone. I'd do several timed written cases before the real one.
What the CV should show
- The three things every strategy firm looks for: leadership, problem-solving, drive.
- Written communication. Because of the written case, anything that shows you can write clearly is worth having: research you've published, an essay prize, a society newsletter you edited.
- Why Strategy& and not PwC consulting. Make sure your application is clearly for strategy, not the wider PwC consulting practice, which is a separate route.