There certainly is a lively discussion going in the comments section of our post about jobs at Bridgewater Associates, but today we’re talking about the The Bridgespan Group. They may have similar names, but they are very different organizations. Bridgewater Associates is a hedge fund, while the Bridgespan Group is a non-profit organization that helps other non-profits by “bringing leading-edge strategies and tools to the challenges and opportunities facing” them. In other words, they’re consultants. Bridgespan was an outgrowth of Bain & Company, one of those consulting firms that seems to persist despite the fact that nobody ever seems to get jobs there. Bain and Bridgespan continue to have a strong financial and working relationship; in fact, 15% of Bridgespan’s staff are Bain employees on six to twelve month assignments. Beyond sharing people, Bain also shares its vast consulting resources with Bridgespan’s consultants.

A Non-Profit to Help Non-Profits

The Bridgespan Group has three main areas of business: strategy consulting, knowledge sharing, and Bridgestar (which focuses on helping non-profits attract top-level managers and leaders). The list of non-profit clients that they’ve worked with is both lengthy and impressive. They seem to be held in the same regard as the firm from which they were born, Bain. That reputation doesn’t just extend to their clients, it’s also acknowledged by people who want to work for Bridgespan. From what we hear, the recruiting process is extremely competitive because the jobs are considered to be on the same level as those at a prestigious for-profit consulting firm. All entry level hires at the Bridgespan Group come in as Associate Consultants. These jobs are intended specifically for new college graduates, so keep an eye on campus recruiting events to see if Bridgespan is making a stop on your campus. The resume deadline is October 10, and you can apply online through Bridgespan’s Online Application system. Before you do that, you should probably check out Bridgespan’s Sample Case Study and their Recruiting FAQ. You should also freel free to contact recruiting@bridgespan.org if you have any questions. They have offices in Boston, New York, and San Francisco.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• The Bridgespan Group Home Page
• Jobs at the Bridgespan Group
• About the Bridgespan Group
• The Bridgespan Group Team & Bios
• Case Studies from the Bridgespan Group
• Bridgespan Group Clients

Any experiences with The Bridgespan Group? Leave a comment.

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