At Phase Black, we believe in paying forward the mentorship and guidance that helped us build our own careers. The Phase Black Vanguard Fellowship is our way of creating real opportunities for early-career professionals to gain meaningful, résumé-ready experience in the world of consulting.

The Fellowship places participants in the role of Business Analyst Fellow. It is a role that naturally lives at the intersection of business and technology, requiring the ability to listen, document, analyze, and translate. For someone at the start of their professional journey, there may be no better seat to learn from. Business Analysts often serve as the connective tissue in projects, ensuring that ideas become requirements and requirements become results. That perspective gives Fellows a chance to see consulting in action and understand how projects truly move forward.

Fellows are invited to join select client meetings under strict confidentiality. Cameras remain off, microphones muted, and participation is limited to moments where we intentionally bring them into the discussion. Their primary responsibility in these settings is to observe how client conversations unfold and to translate those discussions into a one-page debrief. Over time, Fellows may also be asked to support light tasks — preparing discovery questions before meetings, organizing notes afterward, conducting short research assignments, or helping document processes. These are small steps, but they mirror the real responsibilities of analysts in the field.

This is not a free internship or a promise of future employment. Fellows are compensated for their time at a set hourly rate, and all participation is governed by non-disclosure and intellectual property agreements. They are clearly identified as Fellows, not employees, and their exposure is carefully structured to protect both our clients and the integrity of the program.

The Fellowship is designed for recent graduates, career switchers with technical certifications, and early-career professionals who want to better understand consulting from the inside. Participants are expected to be reliable, discreet, and eager to learn. Time is tracked independently, and Fellows submit invoices for their approved hours just as any consultant would. This reinforces the professionalism of the experience while giving them a realistic view of how work is documented and billed in practice.

Most importantly, the Vanguard Fellowship is about building relationships and opening doors. Each Fellow leaves with tangible outputs — debriefs, research notes, diagrams, or short reports — that can be referenced on their résumé and in future interviews. They also leave with mentorship and guidance from Phase Black leaders, who remain part of their professional network long after the Fellowship formally concludes.

If you have been referred to Phase Black and are interested in joining the Vanguard Fellowship, you can begin the process by submitting an application HERE.

The Fellowship represents our commitment to the next generation. By creating a structured but supportive environment, we help Fellows gain confidence, build skills, and step into their own careers with momentum. It is not just about observing what we do — it is about learning how to do it themselves.