Elite Careers Strategy advises ambitious students and their families on the route into corporate law, investment banking, private capital and consulting.
From school to first role. A London-based private careers advisory, working with families internationally.
A private conversation with our team to assess the candidate’s position, identify priorities and determine whether ECS is appropriate. Parents and sponsors welcome.
Founder-led judgement. A dedicated client team. A written plan for every engagement.
Named with permission. Evidence held on file.
Documented outcomes at
Goldman Sachs · Blackstone · HSBC · Gibson Dunn · White & Case · Clifford Chance
See the evidenceThe firms these candidates target receive far more strong applications than they have places, and they select in stages: the written application, the online tests, the interviews, the assessment centre. Each stage asks a different question.
In our experience a rejected candidate is usually losing at one specific stage while preparing for a different one. Good grades, a good university and hard work do not show which. That is the first question the Private Diagnostic answers.
How ECS diagnoses a stalled candidacy →We establish where your child stands, and why. We tell you honestly what is realistic.
We build a clear, personalised route towards their goals. And we work closely with them to execute it.
Advisory led by Hassan Akram, supported by the ECS client team. Parents and sponsors are part of the Diagnostic and the decision; the candidate owns the work.
Before university
Understand how law, banking, private capital and consulting select, and which early experiences matter.
Career guidance, with a parent or guardian involved. University admissions and personal statements are outside scope. Karam Kahlon began with ECS before university.
At university
From first-year insight programmes and spring weeks to final-year applications and offer decisions.
Graduate & Early Career
A defined selection process, or a considered move where ECS has depth.
A Training Contract offer from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, extended after the firm completed its own selection process.
Documented Private Careers Advisory outcomes at Ropes & Gray and Baker McKenzie, alongside anonymised offers at further US and Magic Circle firms.
“The best decision we made for our son.”
"The strongest career strategist I have encountered - anywhere in the world."
Kristin Irish
Former Head of IB Campus Recruiting
UBS Investment Bank, New York
Former Deputy Director of Career Development
Yale School of Management
Independent endorser - not a client of ECS.
Advisory led by Hassan Akram, with a dedicated client team and selection research from Who Gets In?, the firm’s research arm.
Client operations are led by Janet, Head of Client Operations, with Catrina Mira in Client Success. Tengo Meskhi, Shinaz Navas and John O’Regan advise the firm. Meet the team. clients@accessecs.com.
100+ documented outcomes and selection progressions, each recorded in the ECS evidence register (how we count).
Before founding ECS, Hassan Akram worked in London recruitment and search at Kea Consultants, Barclay Simpson and Heriot Brown. Across his recruitment career and subsequent advisory work through Elite Careers Strategy, he has reviewed more than 10,000 applications and candidate materials. We deliberately limit the number of families we work with each year to preserve the depth and senior attention of the advisory.
A written plan connecting the candidate’s profile, target firms and recruitment calendar with the work ahead.
Assigned work, written feedback and progress tracking, with client-team coordination between advisory sessions.
Firm-specific applications, interview rehearsal and assessment simulations, directed by the candidate’s current priorities.
Find the starting point
Pick the one that fits. The Diagnostic starts there.
Speak with our team about where the candidate stands, what matters next and whether ECS is the right fit. Suitable applicants are invited to a Private Diagnostic.
Request a Private DiagnosticEach year a small number of exceptional candidates are selected, on merit, for the ECS Scholars Programme.
A plain-English briefing for families and sponsors, written by Hassan Akram. No obligation.
