Hi everyone! I'm a final year Masters student in Europe. I'm planning to apply for positions at MBB and Tier 2 (T2) consulting firms in the Middle-East starting in August (internships and full-time jobs). The problem is, I haven't been able to find a strategy or consulting internship for the summer. The only consulting experience listed on my CV is my role as a senior consultant at 180 DC. Should I include that in the "Work Experience" or "Extracurricular Activities" section? Thank you!
then it is absolutely fair to present it as work experience. From a recruiter’s perspective, what matters is the nature of the work, not whether you were paid.
On the other hand, if it was more of a light, student-club type involvement without real client exposure or clear deliverables, then extracurriculars would be more appropriate.
In your case, given the title “senior consultant,” I assume you had a meaningful role — so positioning it as work experience is likely the stronger choice, especially since you don’t have a formal consulting internship.
One important point: regardless of where you place it, what really matters is how you describe it. Make sure your bullets clearly show:
Structured problem solving
Impact (even if small, quantify where possible)
Ownership and leadership
That’s what will make the difference in screening.
So don’t worry too much — having 180 DC on your CV is already a good signal. Just position it in the strongest and most credible way.
This is a really common question, and it's smart to think about how to best position your experiences. 180 DC is a valuable experience and definitely something recruiters look for, particularly when you've taken on a senior role.
However, from an MBB/T2 perspective, the "Work Experience" section is typically reserved for paid, formal employment, like internships at companies or other consulting firms. While 180 DC offers legitimate consulting experience, it's generally categorized by recruiters as a high-impact extracurricular or pro-bono leadership role rather than traditional "work experience."
My advice would be to create a section titled "Leadership & Projects" or "Extracurricular Activities" and place 180 DC there. The critical part isn't the section title, but how you describe your contributions. Focus on quantifiable impact, client results, and the specific consulting skills you developed (problem-solving, analysis, communication, project management), just as you would for any paid internship. This signals that you understand the core functions of consulting and can deliver value.
Hope this helps you strategize for your applications in the Middle East!
I’d put your role at 180 Degrees Consulting under Work Experience if you can frame it like real client work. if you worked on actual projects with external clients, had ownership, delivered outputs, and can quantify impact, it’s absolutely credible as “experience” in the eyes of firms like McKinsey & Company or BCG.
the key is less the label and more how you write it. make it sound like a proper consulting role with clear results and responsibilities.
only put it under extracurriculars if it was more internal, low commitment, or without real client exposure.
happy to help you polish the bullet points if you want!
Put it in work experience. MBB recruiters know what 180 Degrees Consulting is. It is real client work with real deliverables, not a hobby club.
That said, the section matters less than how you write it. Each bullet should say what you did and what the outcome was. Specific numbers help. Vague lines like assisted with strategy projects will get skipped no matter where they sit on the page.
If this is your only consulting experience on the CV, it is your most important entry. Make sure it shows that.
