On apprenticeships and entry-level hiring
We’re occasionally asked whether CM Beyer hires apprentices or graduates. The short answer is not yet. The longer answer is worth explaining, both because it’s a real question for any small consultancy and because we want to be honest about what we are and aren’t doing.
The current position
All of our team members are mid-career or senior. Our most junior person is a part-time research analyst at PhD level — experienced for their stage but not what you’d call entry-level. We don’t currently have any apprentices, graduate trainees, or interns.
This is partly a function of stage. With four months of trading behind us and a team of six, the bandwidth required to support an apprentice properly isn’t yet there. It’s also partly a function of model: consultancy work is inherently senior-led, and small consultancies that hire entry-level talent often end up under-supporting them.
Why we’re cautious
The big-four consultancies and the larger marketing agencies hire enormous graduate intakes every year, and many of those programmes are excellent. They work because of scale — graduate cohorts learn from each other, structured training programmes are economically viable, and the volume of routine work creates appropriate space for new joiners to start.
Small firms can’t replicate that. We can’t run a structured graduate programme for one person. We don’t have a cohort for them to learn alongside. And the volume of routine work that allows graduates to find their feet doesn’t exist in the same way — most of what we do is non-routine almost from day one.
Hiring an apprentice or graduate when you can’t support them properly is, in our view, worse than not hiring one. Their career starts to drift, they don’t get the development they’d get elsewhere, and they leave with a CV that doesn’t help them.
What we are doing instead
Three things.
First, we work with universities. The research analyst we hired in May joined us alongside a PhD; the arrangement gives them paid research experience that complements their academic work and gives us specialist support without the obligation to provide a full development pathway.
Second, we work with specialist freelancers and contractors who are earlier in their careers but already have professional experience. This is closer to a development relationship than a transaction — we provide work, feedback, and exposure that helps them progress, even though they aren’t employees.
Third, we support — modestly — through paid speaking engagements at universities and industry events, where the founders contribute time to early-career audiences. It’s not the same as employing them, but it’s the contribution we can make at this stage.
When this might change
At some point, probably within the next 12 to 18 months, we’ll be big enough that taking on an apprentice or junior consultant becomes viable. We’d need to be able to allocate a senior team member as a proper mentor, run structured learning alongside client work, and ensure the apprentice has visible career progression from day one. When we can credibly commit to all three, we’ll hire.
Until then, we’d rather be honest about not being ready than make a hire we can’t support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer internships?
Not currently. For the same reasons as apprenticeships and graduate hires, we want to be able to offer a properly-supported experience before we offer one at all.
Will you take on work experience students?
Occasionally, for short structured placements where we can build a genuine learning experience. Reach out if you have a specific request.
Where would you suggest someone start their career in this industry?
It depends on the discipline. Larger consultancies and agencies generally have better-developed graduate programmes. Small firms suit people who already have a year or two of professional experience and want depth and autonomy faster.
