Case Study: Lighting a fire - Exposing badly behaving consulting firms, a viral website
Consultancies were hiring students, then firing them right before their internshop/job started. Konsulentkarma is a website exposing firms with these bad practices. Well planned PR made the site go viral, with over 250k visitors.
- Company
- Konsulentkarma
- Year
- My role
- Creator
Why We Created a "Blacklist" for Consulting Firms
Together with my friend Mikkel Svartveit, we launched konsulentkarma.no - a registry tracking consulting firms that offer internships to students only to cancel them before the work period begins. In just one week, we've reached over 250,000 visitors, been featured in Aftenposten, Kode24, Digi, and Universitetsavisa, and received over 100 tips via email.
The Student Perspective
When students accept an internship offer, they organize their entire lives around this opportunity - declining other job offers, planning housing near the workplace, and counting on that income. A last-minute cancellation leaves them in a vulnerable position with few alternatives. The financial impact can be severe, as this income is critical for many students.
Why Transparency Matters
Our registry serves as a tool to hold companies accountable and create a more transparent job market for students. By publishing information about certain companies' practices, students can make more informed choices about where to invest their time and career ambitions. The list sends a clear message that unethical behavior has real consequences. I understand these are challenging times for businesses, especially smaller companies. However, transparency and predictability for students are essential. The lost income and experience weigh heavily on students, particularly when cancellations come at the last minute.
A Proposed Solution
Here's one concrete solution to address many of these problems: No internships, summer jobs, or graduate positions should be advertised before January 1. This timing gives companies enough control over their future outlook while still providing adequate time for hiring. It's simple on paper but requires cooperation between students, student organizations, and companies.
Not About "Taking Down" Companies
I'm not personally affected by this issue, but I'm taking up this cause on behalf of those who are. We're not looking to "take down" any companies - we're aiming to create positive change for everyone involved. The overwhelming response shows how significant this problem has become.