The talent at New Link Consulting can be described in one word…entrepreneurial, and this is the basis of our three stage interview process for permanent hires. At New Link Consulting we want to understand if you have the spirt and aptitude to solve problems in an entrepreneurial fashion.
For the first stage you will meet with a member of our Talent Management team who will be able to give you an insight into the organisation, career growth and projects that New Link Consulting take on. This will be a behavioural based interview, where we will look to understand your drivers and rationale behind your career decisions to date. You will also have the opportunity to ask about the position, culture and training available at New Link Consulting.
For the second stage you will meet with a senior team member who will be able to offer you in-depth business insight and future business plans whilst looking to understanding your technical ability and skills through a presentation and / or case study.
New Link Consulting value all hires and as such our Partners play a key part in our hiring process. The final stage will be with a Partner whereby we will look to assess your potential in the organisation.
The combination of Talent Management / Business representative and Partner interview will give you a unique insight into the makeup of New Link Consulting, helping you to make an informed decision on your next career move. Where possible we will also look to facilitate an informal peer interview. Your point of contact throughout the interviewing experience will be a member from the Talent Management team.
Advice when interviewing:
- Understand your audience and prepare accordingly.
- Look into our company and the projects we take on. How does this compare with your experience and what transferable skills can you bring to the table?
- Remember that interviewing is a two way process. Make sure New Link Consulting is the right fit for you.
Use the form below to begin the application process:
My First Day on BA Kinetics
Hi, I’m Adam, the newest member to the BA Kinetics Programme at New Link Consulting. I’ve worked in Financial Services for nearly 4 years across buy side research and also consulting. Here’s a little insight into my first day at New Link Consulting.
Rise and shine!
- A quick breakfast snack before being picked up by a taxi and taken to London City Airport. On my first day at New Link Consulting I am flying out to my first client assignment which will be for one of our European customers
- Having checked in for my flight, I am greeted by members of my new team and start getting to know my new colleagues. Incidentally, Tom Masters, a Partner at New Link Consulting and one of the people I met during the interview process, is the client engagement lead. I am able to quiz him on what to expect and the project plan before we touch down.
Client site
- Upon arrival, an introductory meeting with our client sponsor to discuss the project, expectations, key milestones and objectives, I am encouraged to see the transferable skills I can bring to the table.
- Settling into our desks where we will be based Monday to Friday for the next 4 months, as a team, we begin familiarising ourselves with historic pieces of work, the stakeholders we will encounter and the timeframes available. We create a detailed plan for the duration of our time understanding each other’s key strengths and skills to maximise our outputs.
- A quick intro call with my New Link Consulting Career Coach before I spend the rest of the afternoon learning more about the client organisation and planning content for a senior management meeting in week two. It really is full speed ahead.
1st day is almost over
- Finishing up for the day we head over to the hotel where I will be staying for the rest of the week and the duration of my time on assignment. Quick change of clothes and check out the hotel’s gym facilities, before heading into town for some dinner and team drinks to celebrate the first day with the client, and my first day as a New Link Consultant.
- My first day on the BA Kinetics programme at New Link Consulting has delivered on its promises - not many of my friends are able to travel with work or have a variety of work. It was an exciting way to spend my first 24 hours experiencing a new team, new client and working environment…especially for someone who loves to travel.
Dimitri Manzi
I have the opportunity to work on multiple projects throughout the year which vary in scope and deliverables. This means that I am continually developing my skill set as no two projects are ever the same, which keeps it exciting. It also provides me with the opportunity to work in various clients' business units and locations. This is important to me as I enjoy meeting new people and building meaningful relationships.
Working for New Link Consulting has provided me with the opportunity to work at some of the world’s biggest investment banks. I find this extremely interesting as I can see how businesses are run and the varying benefits and difficulties that many different firms face. Another great benefit of working for a small consultancy is the exposure to the Partners and senior staff which gives me the opportunity to learn directly from them and leverage their experience. Through attending and presenting at the quarterly BA Kinetics evenings, I have improved my presentation skills and confidence massively. Another skill that has helped me greatly both on client site and internally at New Link Consulting is the ability to analyse a problem and propose potential solutions to the issue, rather than just escalating the issue.
Top tips for a good Business Analyst
A successful Business Analyst is a sought after asset across the financial services sector, so New Link Consulting have worked with our experienced consultants to share their best tips to becoming a standout Business Analyst.
- Do your research:
Before you approach stakeholders, make sure you are prepared and understand the project methodology that has been adopted. The detail and approach for capturing requirements can vary greatly depending on the project methodology (e.g. Agile versus Waterfall) so make sure this doesn’t catch you out.
- Understand the influencers:
It’s important for a good business analyst to identify the key stakeholders and establish their level of interest and influence early on. Identifying the key influencers on a project will ensure you are engaging with the correct individuals and conducting meaningful conversations that will quickly gain the stakeholders trust.
- Understand the problem statement:
Prior to diving into the detail of understanding your stakeholder’s requirements, it is beneficial to understand the problem statement and the reason for change (regulatory, efficiency, stability etc.). Be aware of your stakeholder’s individual perspectives though, as the problem statement may be different for each. By breaking down the problem statement into meaningful categories you can approach the right stakeholders and extract the right information step-by-step.
- Communication is key:
It is vital that a Business Analyst has great communication skills across varied media. When working with many stakeholders you need to ensure you can communicate across all channels to gain sufficient insight into their vision. The art of a good Business Analyst is being able to understand and simplify.
- Negotiate with conflicting opinions:
When working with multiple stakeholders who will have conflicting priorities it is key that a good Business Analyst can bring conflicting opinions together to reach an amicable compromise. This can be helped by understanding the dynamics of the programme such as: motivations, priorities, costs, benefits, blockers, and many more. Conflict is a possibility and so you must keep a cool head to ensure the best result for your stakeholders and to provide the clearest picture to the ultimate decision maker, the programme sponsor.
- Don’t be afraid to challenge:
A good set of requirements comes from fully understanding the stakeholder’s demands, which comes from a clearly communicated vision. It is the responsibility of the Business Analyst to do the digging to get the detail, so a successful Business Analyst must have the confidence to challenge the stakeholders to ascertain the level of detail required.
- Keep it simple when writing requirements:
Make sure each requirement is standalone and leaves no room for interpretation. Do not use conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘with’, ‘also’ and ‘or’. This can cause confusion, so make sure the requirements are individual statements to keep them clear and concise for the next person to complete their review.
- Relationships are vital:
View every meeting and interaction as an opportunity to expand your network.
The longer you spend in the industry the more valuable your relationships and network will become. Well maintained relationships can often be converted into future commercial opportunities.
Hi, I’m George, and I’ve been interning at New Link Consulting for the past 5 months in order to gain some exposure into Management Consulting and Financial Services. I have definitely been a part of an entrepreneurial environment, and have been able to relish the opportunity of being a part of so many projects.
My time at New Link has been a fantastic introduction to both industries and I’ve been involved in everything from enhancing existing processes, undertaking detailed research, attracting new talent, managing the communication plan for a new campaign and improve the branding of internal documentation. All of the work I’ve been a part of has enabled me to strengthen core skills in stakeholder management, analysis, communication and collaboration.
In particular, I’ve enjoyed my role as a Talent Management Researcher. I was tasked with finding and approaching potential candidates for New Link Consulting’s BA Kinetics programme. As a result of my outreach, I have facilitated 15 introductory calls, 5 interviews’ and the placement of one new Business Analyst for the BA Kinetics programme!
I’m very grateful for being taken into such an efficient and well organised company such as New Link Consulting. Not only have I been given a large amount of responsibility, I’ve also been treated as a valued member of the team. I will be able to transfer the skills and motivation I’ve developed at New Link Consulting into my final year of university, and further studies.
