Cocktail Masterclass with Newton

For another year running, a small group of students were able to join Emma and Alex from Newton, an operational consultancy firm, for a cosy cocktail masterclass at Raoul’s bar in Jericho. There was a champagne reception to start, and then throughout the evening everyone got a turn to make a couple of cocktails of their choice from the Raoul’s menu. Emma and Alex were cool, young and chatty, which made them easy to relate to and put everyone at ease. The informal, relaxed setting allowed everyone to learn more about the firm and the role of being a consultant without feeling any pressure. Making cocktails was a great change from your average networking event, because the activity allowed conversation to flow more easily. A drink on fire? What a great conversation starter!

You would be forgiven for having a particular idea of a consultant as a bit cold and intimidating, but Emma and Alex surprised everyone with their friendly charm, relatable attitude, and approachability. Eager to encourage potential Oxford recruits, they were more than happy to answer any questions, and ease apprehension about the application process or consulting in general. The two women have not been working at Newton for long, so applications and interviews were still fresh in their minds, and they were able to give a lot of advice.

By the end of the night, it was much easier to imagine being a consultant at Newton yourself, and you got a real feel for the culture of the company. Newton prides itself on being a very vibrant, energetic and unique company, and the cocktail class definitely demonstrated that passion and energy. Newton are currently searching for new graduate consultants (applications close in December), so if you’re interested definitely look up the graduate programmes advertised on their website (https://www.newtoneurope.com/careers/graduates). As for the drinks, Raoul’s Indian Summer, with gin and passionfruit liqueur, was the clear favourite!