在普林斯顿大学入学第一天，Liv Bobby 与 Ezekiel Akinsanya 在 ice cream social 相遇，最初都以进入顶级管理顾问公司（如 McKinsey & Co.）为共同目标。这两人后来在本科联合成立咨询社团并完成暑期实习；但今年毕业后，Bobby 去华尔街，而 Akinsanya 则倾向回到英国加入政府或军方工作。文章指出，顶尖顾问公司每年新进人员规模大，估计约有 10,000 到 45,000 个 entry-level 职位，并以高薪、名望与人脉吸引求职者；同时，产业仍在调整后疫情时期的快速扩张，面临延后到职、裁员与薪资增长放缓等压力，外加政府合约缩减与移民政策不确定性，令 2026 年毕业季出现明显谨慎与焦虑。
AI 已能接手大量过去由初级顾问完成的基础研究与资料处理，虽未即刻引发全面性裁员，但已迫使公司重新定义入门职位与人才选拔。McKinsey、Bain 与 BCG 已开始将 AI 能力纳入面试：例如 McKinsey 在面试测试中使用内部工具 Lilli，Bain 亦将同步采用，且透过纪录候选人使用行为评估其实战判断与合规风险意识。Boston Consulting Group 则特别重视品质控制的风险管理，对 AI 使用采较保守态度；McKinsey 也将在数位解题测验中新增行为面向，加入更开放、主观的沟通与应变题型。
专家普遍认为就业市场趋势由「可量化技能」转向「判断与人际能力」：顾问不只要能快速产生内容，还要能验证 AI 输出品质、持续追踪模型更新，并在客户面前进行有效商务沟通。这种变化使创意、专案管理、决策与叙事力更受重视，甚至带来对人文与艺术素养的回归。Duke 大学就业中心副主管 Greg Victory 指出，该校超过 10% 的本科生通常毕业后进入咨询；这股重训意味著部分学生转向更广泛申请与 boutique firms。虽然顶尖公司仍有需求，但许多未上榜学生已进入“panic mode”，反映初级职位正在快速重塑中。
On their first day at Princeton, Liv Bobby and Ezekiel Akinsanya met at an ice cream social and shared the same goal of joining top management-consulting firms like McKinsey & Co. After co-founding an undergraduate consulting club and completing internships, they now face different paths: Bobby is heading to Wall Street, while Akinsanya is considering jobs with the UK government or military. The context shows elite firms recruit at large scale, with estimated entry-level hiring of 10,000 to 45,000 positions depending on role, but industry hiring has cooled after a post-pandemic binge that triggered delayed start dates, layoffs, and muted salary growth. Firms with heavy government exposure are also hit by DOGE-related spending cuts, and uncertainty about US immigration and visa policy is heightening anxiety, especially for foreign-born candidates.
The article emphasizes that AI now performs much of the rote work previously done by junior consultants, especially deck and spreadsheet-heavy tasks. This shift has not caused sudden mass layoffs, but it has changed role definitions and recruitment practices. Firms like McKinsey and Bain are already integrating AI in recruiting, including McKinsey’s use of its internal tool Lilli and Bain’s planned adoption, while recording how candidates use AI during preparation. Boston Consulting Group reports stronger caution around AI quality-control risk. McKinsey is adding behavioral components to interviews, moving from mostly quantitative prompts to more open-ended, real-time communication tests that better gauge judgment, client handling, and adaptability.
A key trend is a premium shift from brute-force execution to judgment-centric skills. Candidates are now expected to evaluate AI outputs, monitor rapid model updates, and apply creativity, project management, and decision-making. As Dean Minello notes, AI can generate slide decks, but many consulting firms still require human presence and business judgment. Greg Victory notes that over 10% of Duke undergraduates typically enter consulting, and the market is encouraging broader applications across firms and boutique names. While some students like Minello’s peers remain in “panic mode,” consultants still in demand are those who combine technical fluency with communication, commercial sense, and the confidence to sit with partners and discuss earnings, strategy, and risk in real time.