Applying to MBB and LEK - Best place for CV review?
Hi,
I am a boutique consultant (less than 2 YOE) applying for MBB/LEK in the UK.
As I am preparing to apply - I'd like to have an experienced person's perspective on my CV and any tweaks. I am happy to pay but ideally not something super expensive. I would really appreciate it if anyone could recommend decent websites/people that has helped themselves a lot during recruiting.
Ex BCG Principal & Global Interviewer (10+ Years) | 100+ MBB Offers | 90% Success Rate
Hi Kitcha,
A manual review by someone with real experience is the most effective option, and in my opinion the one that adds the most value to a CV, since it optimizes the parts that actually get read. It is also the most expensive one. For transparency, I offer that service myself, so take my bias into account, but I still believe it gives you the best return on the investment.
The alternative is one of the many online platforms out there, which in my view have two limits: they do not optimize specifically for consulting, and their feedback is less deep and less specific than what an experienced person can give you.
As a general guideline, whichever route you take, your CV should bring out two things:
--> excellence, meaning some proof of above-average performance, ideally professional or academic
--> that you have developed the skills consulting requires across your different experiences
In my opinion these come before everything you can read online (e.g. quantifying impact and so on).
If you want something more specific to your situation, feel free to share your resume with me in DM, happy to help.
Hi there,Most coaches offer CV review services - my recommendation is to go with the coach you think would be most knowledgeable/committed.In the end, “worth it” is a calculation on your end. Any professional help you get improves your odds of success by x%.If the size of the prize is, say, a $160k salary, and a resume review improves those odds by even 1%, your expected return is $1,600…not a bad return on investment!
You're making a life-changing career decision. It might be worth spending a few hundred dollars to get that decision right by working with a career and case coach.
If you want something cheaper, you can find a cheaper coach, go with an LLM, or try tapping into your network. Just remember: you do tend to get what you pay for. It is not 100%, but there is generally a correlation between price, expertise, and quality.
For MBB and LEK applications, I’d focus on making the CV concise, achievement-led and easy to scan, with clear evidence of your impact rather than simply listing responsibilities.
I run Next Step CVs, a UK-based CV service. To be fully transparent, I’m not a former MBB recruiter or specialist consulting coach, but I can provide an independent review, identify areas that could be strengthened and help improve the structure and wording without the high cost of specialist coaching.
Our CV Refresh service is £19.99, and there is also a free CV Health Check if you would prefer an initial assessment before deciding whether to pay.
For a consequential MBB or L.E.K. application, the best review is usually a consulting-specific human review. Start with trusted alumni, consultants or former screeners who understand UK recruiting. If you pay, ask what the service includes, who will review the CV, whether you receive one revision, and whether they can explain each change. Avoid paying only for a score or generic template.
Use automated tools for spelling, formatting consistency and first-pass clarity. They are less reliable at judging whether an achievement is impressive in context or whether your boutique experience is positioned at the right level.
Before paying, run a simple check: one page, clear education and dates, unfamiliar employers explained briefly, and bullets that show what you owned, what decision changed and the measurable result. Then use the reviewer for the harder questions: positioning, evidence selection and application route.
For MBB/LEK, I’d prioritize someone who has actually recruited or interviewed candidates at those firms rather than a generic CV review service. With <2 YOE, the main thing is making your impact, problem solving and progression very clear, especially since you already have boutique consulting experience.
PrepLounge has coaches with MBB interview and recruiting experience, so that could be worth looking at if you want targeted feedback rather than just formatting advice. I’d also get a quick review from someone who knows UK consulting CV conventions.
