Recruitment information and FAQs

To thrive at Portas, you need more than just skills—you need passion, dedication, empathy, and the highest standards of professional integrity.

Be more than a CV

In our interviews, we seek more than just a CV. We look for individuals with impact-driven mindsets. Your entire personality matters to us. We value your unique experiences, talents, and perspectives that can bring exceptional value to our team.

Submit your CV and cover letter

Ensure your CV is up-to-date and limited to two pages. Include your academic background, relevant work experience, and interests beyond academics. We also recommend submitting a cover letter - use this to help us understand your motivations and suitability for the role.

We review every application we receive – make sure your application stands out! Only selected candidates are invited to participate in multiple interview rounds, which include case studies and questions about your professional background.

Our goals during the interview process are to:

• Get to know you personally
• Understand how you think and address business challenges relevant to our work
• Identify your strengths and the skills you can bring to Portas
• Gain insight into your motivation and interest in the sports sector,
  management consulting, and a career with Portas
• Provide you with an opportunity to learn about our firm

What is the interview process?

The interview process varies depending on the role. For analyst and consulting positions, the process includes the following steps

Online Testing (interns and analysts only): This is the initial stage where you will complete various assessments online to test your numerical and verbal reasoning skills.

Screening Interview: This is where we assess your qualifications, experience, and fit for the role and company. If you pass this stage, you move on to the case interviews.

Case Interviews: There are three of these for about an hour each, and each one will test your how you structure your problem-solving skills, analytical abilities, creativity and how you approach complex business scenarios. You will be presented with a business problem to solve during the interview, which is often candidate led. Your performance in each case interview will determine if you advance to the next one.

Final Interview: If you successfully pass all three case interviews, you will reach the final interview. This stage will likely include a case and focus on your overall fit within the company, your long-term potential, and your ability to contribute to the company’s goal.

How should I prepare?

Online test preparation

We suggest using online resources to practice your verbal and numerical reasoning before taking the test.

The case interviews:

Preparing for case study interviews can be challenging, but it is imperative that you practice and with the right approach - you can excel!

Here are some steps to help you get ready:

The Format: You will be given a scenario, asked to analyse it and provide recommendations. Familiarise yourself with the typical structure, which includes understanding the problem, asking clarifying questions, structuring your approach, analysing data, and presenting your findings.

Learn Key Frameworks: Study business frameworks as they can help you structure your thoughts and approach problems systematically.

Practice Mental Math: Case interviews often involve calculations.

Develop Hypotheses: Learn to develop and test hypotheses.

Practice with Sample Cases: Use online resources to practice with real case studies and practicing with a partner can be very beneficial.

Work on your Communication Skills: Clear and concise communication is crucial to explain your thought process and recommendations in a structured manner.

What you will receive from our Accelerate Internship Programme: 

·       Training and development: You will receive a full onboarding programme and a dedicated mentor.  

·       Develop your business and consulting skills: Problem solving, communication, presentation skills, story lining, knowledge gathering, quantitative data analysis, synthesis and recommendations.  

·       Sport industry experience: Exposure to sports leaders, experience on multiple sports projects and an introduction to sports practice experts.  

·       Recognition and reward: Award certificate upon completion of the programme and an opportunity to build your network.

·       Opportunity: To be offered a permanent position at the end of the programme.

Career development / Capability training

We offer role specific in training sessions across our office region locations. Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to cover key skills essential for your role and is tailored to support your career progression at Portas.

Training - new employees

As a new employee, you will participate in a thorough onboarding programme. The onboarding programme includes meeting colleagues, receiving training on core skills to ensure you hit the ground running and a welcome session with our leadership team, your mentor and your office lead.

Evaluation process

Our evaluation process occurs twice a year and it involves a detailed review of both your project and internal work. This process ensures you are provided with regular, insightful performance feedback to enable you to develop rapidly and effectively in the firm.

Internal mobility / secondments

We also support your career growth through internal mobility opportunities: whether you want to explore different roles across various projects or relocate as a secondment to one of our international offices, we provide the resources and support to help you achieve your career goals.

Mentorship

From the moment you join Portas, you will be assigned a mentor or buddy to guide you through your initial days and throughout your career.