Best Path to Break into MBB Consulting

Question

Hi, I’m currently 19 years old and have been offered two apprenticeships my end goal would be to get into consulting hopefully MBB.

My first offer is with Accenture for Technology (Data) with BPP Uni for 2.5 years not a target uni at all but I would have the experience at Accenture.

Secondly is Forvis Mazars Due Diligence ( M&A team) with me getting the ACA in 4 years

Lastly, I could do maths and data science at City University of London not a target uni at all.

Just a bit lost making this decision at such a young age any advice would be so helpful. Thank you!

Answer 1

Hey - there’s no right answer here, because the paths to MBB can be very varied, and you’re still early!

I’d suggest option 1 or 3, combined with an MBA in future, might be the highest-probability route.

Even if the apprenticeship in option 2 offers DD experience and an ACA, I don’t recall seeing many MBB consultant in London without an undergrad degree, except for a few athletes or military people.

Remember that for recruiting at undergrad level, especially in the UK, most successful MBB applicants are from target or semi targets (I.e., Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial, LSE, then Russell Group unis). That’s not to say it’s impossible from a full non-target, just a lot harder than normal.

If MBB is the goal, an MBA might be helpful for you further down the line, since it will open up another route to apply.

Answer 2

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I would strongly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional (and maybe even personal) mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:
- Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., personal growth, culture, international exposure, location). After that, score the three options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in three scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
- Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
- By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 3

Hello,

Congratulations on your two options. I actually recently spoke with a McKinsey recruiter and I was told that for junior consultants they look for excellence in one of these three areas: grades, internships or extracurricular activities. So I would strongly suggest to focus on one of these!

I have interviewed and hired many entry level consultants (including at BCG) and what I would recommend is to go online and search on LinkedIn for the profiles of analysts that work for the consultancies of your choice and in the location of your choice because this is going to give you a very good overview of the skill sets and the profiles that these consultancies are looking for.

In addition, you will understand whether or not these particular apprenticeshis give you the development opportunities and the skillset wich is sought after in these consulting firms.

Should you like to have a concrete discussion on whether this opportunity would make sense for you or would be relevant for the consulting firm of your choice or how you can get other opportunities that might be even more relevant, please don't hesitate to chat me.

Best of luck,

Sasha

Answer 4

Hi there,

Great that you have in mind so early in advance.

Basically, it comes down to two things: ability and brand. They are to a certain extent interlinked.

Ability - has to do with whether you would be able to actually pass the interview. So here is about practicing case studies and developing your reasoning ability and business logic. Being part of internships where you can practically develop these skills or doing a degree in a related field, helps immensely.

Brand - has to do with whether you show a track record of excellence (such as being part of distinctive universities or organisations). Going to a target university also then makes it easier to get to the interview stage, both because of the learnings you'll acquire, but also because it signals to the firms that you are high worth candidate.

You might also find this guide helpful:

Expert Guide: What Do Management Consultants Do?

And also this one on how to develop your application strategy:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy
Best,
Cristian