Six reasons to join Singular
You will develop your entrepreneurial skills
Singular is an owner-led company. You will be given the opportunity to work closely with our partners, as well as other senior leaders, as soon as you join us. At Singular, everyone – including Junior Associates – contributes to the improvement of our company. Working with highly committed colleagues enables you to move the company forward and treat it as your own. You can contribute to our internal development through various initiatives such as recruitment, industry reports and attracting new clients right from the start of your career.
This entrepreneurial mindset also applies to our consulting projects. From day one you are put in the driver’s seat of your development by being given significant project responsibilities. As an Associate, you will start facing C-level clients and build deep relationships. As an experienced hire, you will have the entrepreneurial freedom to structure the project and lead the team.
You will be part of the Singular family
Working at Singular is very personal. Right from the beginning of your Singular journey, you will experience our distinct family atmosphere. This is due to our open feedback culture, in all directions, ensuring direct communication with managers and partners.
Other important aspects of Singular are that we support each other beyond the call of duty and that fun is an important aspect of our work. Having fun is not limited to team events – we value colleagues who make each other laugh even during challenging phases of a project. Our work environment is very ‘start-up like’: informal, driven and hands-on.
You will gain international exposure
You will be given global exposure through our international projects, particularly those in the emerging market in South Africa. As our project teams are staffed across borders, you will work with consultants from all over the world. After two years, Singular consultants have typically worked in five countries with a diverse selection of colleagues spanning ten nationalities.
On top of that, you will meet all your colleagues during our annual firm-wide events. To underline our global mindset and unified team spirit, the whole company comes together at an international hotspot to network, exchange experiences and explore a new city together. Some of the last destinations were Havana, Bangkok, Cape Town, Barcelona and Dubai.
Your work will be meaningful
You will work on projects with key decision makers at large international companies and help to reshape their businesses. Thus, the decisions that clients make based on your work can make an impact on hundreds, or even thousands of people. Working on topics of this magnitude and complexity will ensure you build skills to tackle any business challenge and provide personal growth in terms of leadership skills.
You will be exposed to a variety of topics
Singular allows you to go beyond consulting by offering unique exposure to the fields of private equity, venture capital and technology. Through our close collaboration with the family office of our founding partners, you will be able to work on early-stage growth capital investments and mature-stage buyouts.
Your promotion will be purely based on merit
Singular is known to be the industry’s fastest track to leadership – you can become a partner within six years after joining as an Associate. Your progression is based solely on merit rather than seniority – we pride ourselves in having a meritocratic attitude in which strong performance is highly rewarded.
YOUR CAREER PATH
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS:
Internships at Singular are a unique opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to get a broad insight into our business. Interns participate in international client or investment projects from day one. Therefore, interns get a true feel of the work at Singular. Interns are treated like Associates: Real full-time members of the Singular team taking on big responsibilities on consulting cases.
One location for 2+ months
Internship at one of Singular’s international offices for at least 10 weeks.
Two locations over 4+ months
Internship at two of our global offices for at least 4 months.
Three locations over 6+ months
A truly international internship at three of our offices for at least 6 months. By the end of your employment, you will have experienced the life of an international consulting and investment professional.
“My internship at Singular was a truly enriching experience due to the high degree of responsibility and senior client interaction I had from day one.”
“Singular offers a great environment for self-development. I felt like being part of a highly motivated and supportive team which ensured a steep learning curve during my whole internship.”
“Working at Singular was an inspiring experience. I embarked on new journey across the globe by joining the Singular teams in Munich, Johannesburg and Moscow. Together, we untangled complex problems and connected the dots to see the bigger picture.”
A week in the life of a Singular consultant:
The pace of work at Singular means that each week is different in terms of the challenges you face and the problems you solve. However, many weeks could resemble the following:
We start our week with a team meeting where we discuss progress on projects and business development initiatives. We also use this time to share newly-learned ideas and tips to help move the company and its people forward.
During the week, we do individual research and analyses on the project to form our own hypotheses. We then collaborate with project team members to analyse our findings and develop innovative solutions for the clients. This could involve speaking to experts and drawing on the insights and knowledge of senior team members, which would require you to juggle and synthesise expert advice and different perspectives.
Towards the end of the week, we prepare deliverables for the client meeting with the guidance of a Partner. Once all the changes are made, we end the week with a CEO workshop where we ‘wow’ the client with our analyses and recommendations.
CONSULTING CAREER:
(Junior) Associates
Associates work in case teams to help solve complex business issues. They are responsible for the delivery of their own modules as part of the broader case team delivery focusing on analytical work (data analysis and problem solving). Associates work closely with client members from all levels of the organisation (including CEOs, MDs, CFOs, etc.) to help them better understand their competition, develop strategies for change, and achieve results. On top of that, Associates support Singular Partners with analytical tasks for business development initiatives.
Based on their performance, Associates can be promoted to Senior Associates within one year (minimum 1 year, average 1.5 years).
Senior Associates
In addition to an Associate’s responsibilities, Senior Associates are responsible for increasingly larger and more complex parts of a project while managing smaller teams. Senior Associates directly interact with clients by themselves to understand their pain points, develop solutions largely on their own and make recommendations to sustainably improve clients’ performance.
Based on their performance, Senior Associates can be promoted to Managers within one year (minimum 1 year, average 1.5 years).
Managers
Managers have developed leadership skills and proven the ability to effectively manage teams. Managers assist teams in reaching their full potential by developing new skills and expanding their knowledge. Managers guide and allocate their talents to ensure the project outcome fully suits the client’s needs. Managers show that they have a strong capability to deliver strategic and sustainable solutions autonomously.
Based on their performance, Managers can be promoted to Principles within one year (minimum 1 year, average 1.5 years).
Principals
Principals do not only manage teams and deliver projects according to client’s needs, but also increasingly focus on attracting new clients. Principals have a growing role in business development, team mentoring and leadership. They are trusted partners to the client and shape Singular’s future portfolio of consulting services.
Based on their performance, Principals can be promoted to Senior Principals within one year (minimum 1 year, average 2 years).
Senior Principals
Building on the Principal role, Senior Principals devote a significant amount of their time to the acquisition of new clients and projects. They are part of the extended leadership team at Singular and actively shape our business.
Based on their performance, Senior Principals can be promoted to Vice Presidents within one year (minimum 1 year, average 2 years)
Vice Presidents
Vice Presidents focus on building strong and lasting client relationships. Vice Presidents are responsible for developing and acquiring new business. They act as role models by mentoring more junior colleagues and shape Singular as part of the immediate leadership team.
Based on their performance, Vice Presidents can be promoted to Partners within one year (minimum 1 year, average 2 years).
HOW TO JOIN US
What we look for – professional qualifications
- Preferably business or engineering background (BSc. / MSc. / MBA / PhD)
- Previous experience in management consulting, investment banking or strategy departments of start-ups/ corporates or other highly analytical environments
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Willingness to travel abroad
- Fluency in English required; mastery of one additional international language preferred (German is a plus)
What we look for – personal qualifications
- Self-starters keen to take responsibility from day one
- Dedicated and motivated team players
- Curious visionaries thinking ‘outside the box’ and challenging the status quo
- Entrepreneurs eager to learn, push boundaries and take initiative
- Initiators with the ambition to lead and make a measurable impact
Application process
- You are invited to apply online or by email at careers@singular.ch at any time.
- Please attach all relevant documents (including resume, job references and proof of academic record).
- As we review every applicant comprehensively, we encourage you to share your motivation, your practical experiences to date as well as your activities outside the university in addition to your academic record.
- We will confirm the receipt of your application documents from our online portal by sending you an email.
- If your application impresses us, we will contact you to arrange an interview.
- The interviews are structured as a three-round process. Each round typically consists of a one-hour interview including case studies to test your problem-solving abilities.
- The purpose of interviews is to get to know each other and identify the potential ‘Singular fit’. Therefore, please do not hesitate to ask anything you would like to know.
- The interviews are not only an opportunity to prove your extensive knowledge in business administration, but also to demonstrate your abilities in analytical thinking and to show that you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur at Singular.
- If you manage to convince our consultants in the first and second round, you are ready to proceed to the final interview with a member of our leadership team.
- If we are further impressed by your entrepreneurial spirit, your problem-solving skills and your intrinsic commitment to excellence, we will invite you to make a difference at Singular!
Interview preparation
The interview process at Singular is a conversation that is designed to help us get to know each other better. We do not intend to interrogate you but rather to understand your skills, capabilities and your ‘Singular fit’.
Our interviews are divided into three parts:
We want to learn more about you and your personal experiences. We want to hear about your greatest achievements in your personal and professional life, your motivations and your interests. This will help us to determine whether you have the entrepreneurial mindset to fit into Singular.
Your interviewer will guide you through a case study which you will analyse and develop solutions for. The case studies can be based on actual consulting cases, allowing you to become familiar with our work. The focus of the case interview is to evaluate the way you structure your analysis and your strategic and analytical skills.
We are happy to advise you to check out the following sources for preparing for case interviews:
//www.caseinterview.com/
//www.preplounge.com/en/
Book: Case in Point
We value intellectual curiosity so ask us as many questions as you would like so that you can get more familiar with our company. Our interviewers will be evaluating your communication skills and your confidence level.
The most important advice we can give you is to relax and be yourself.
MEET OUR TEAM
“Working at Singular means hard work, but it is also a very exciting environment! The closeness between the people at Singular really surprised me. Every day I feel like I learn something from my colleagues.”
Since joining Singular in August 2019 Kimberly has worked on enhancing sales effectiveness for a software SME in the Netherlands and on organizational topics for an international corporate client. “These projects involved plenty of client-facing time and allowed me to travel around Europe and the US – two great opportunities I was looking for in my job.” During her internship, she also worked on selecting a site in South East Asia for the expansion of a corporate client, and on 3-day DDs for investment targets.
Kimberly holds a Master’s Degree from WHU. Prior to joining Singular, she managed the administrative office of an Italian gaming company and supported the expansion into the Italian market of a German company focused on Real Estate brokerage. In her free time, Kimberly likes traveling, cooking, and spending time with her friends.
“At Singular I get the opportunity to delve into a variety of interesting topics, solve complex problems and craft tangible solutions. The work incorporates both my analytical and creative side”
Simphiwe joined Singular in 2018. With a background in Marketing and Economic Development, she was looking for the opportunity to work on impactful, purpose-driven projects in an energetic, high-growth environment. “I haven’t stopped learning and growing since I arrived, the culture encourages curiosity and crafting new solutions.”
She has worked on a range of topics for industrial and corporate clients, such as long-term strategy development, cost benchmarking and human capital development. Simphiwe holds a Bachelor of Business Science Honours degree from the University of Cape Town. She is based in the Johannesburg office. Her interests include travel, reading and periodic attempts at gardening.