Breaking into consulting: your advice would mean a lot

Question

Hello guys,

I recently got my masters degree, and I have already completed a first internship in consulting. Despite this relevant experience and tailoring my CVs, I often do not get shortlisted for the first round of interviews.

I am strongly motivated to build my career in consulting, and I am working actively on improving my application materials. but, I believe I may be missing clarity on what firms prioritize at the CV screening stage.

Would you be open to sharing your perspective on this, specifically on key elements firms look for in entry-level applications and how I might better position my consulting internship and transferable skills to stand out.

I would deeply value your advice, and I am committed to putting it into practice.

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Hi Khadija,

Congrats on completing your Master’s and already gaining consulting internship experience. That’s a strong starting point.

From my time at BCG, I can say firms look for three main things at the application stage (for junior hires):

Academic excellence: strong grades (ideally top ~10% of class), prestigious university, or scholarships/awards
Professional experience with impact: internships (consulting or adjacent fields like banking, strategy, or high-impact corporates) where you can show measurable results; here it also helps to show case strong brands
Leadership & extracurriculars: evidence that you’ve taken initiative, led teams, or achieved something beyond academics and internships.

There can be many reasons why applications don’t progress (e.g., highly competitive offices, limited local ties), but to directly address your question on your internship:

Focus on transferable skills consulting firms value, such as strategy formulation, data analysis, client interaction, and market assessment
Highlight impact, not just tasks. This means use strong action verbs (e.g., “Developed market model across 4 markets adopted by client leadership” vs. “Conducted market research”)
Quantify achievements wherever possible as numbers and outcomes stand out more than responsibilities (even something as simple as “organized an event for XXX participants”).

Final thought: you may benefit from professional support in refining your CV. Many coaches on Preplounge (myself included) offer this service, so feel free to reach out if that would be helpful.

Best,
Lukas

Answer 2

Hi Khadija :)

At the CV screening stage, firms focus on three things: academic excellence (top grades, strong schools), clear achievements with measurable impact (ideally quantified in numbers), and evidence of leadership or initiative. A consulting internship is a big plus, but you need to frame it in terms of outcomes you drove, not just tasks. For example: “Led analysis that identified €5M savings opportunity” reads much stronger than “Worked on cost reduction project.”

Transferable skills from other roles should also be positioned through impact: problem-solving, structured analysis, client interaction, leadership in teams. Make sure your CV is concise, achievement-driven, and highlights progression. A strong cover letter tailored to each firm can also help push your application over the line.

best,
Alessa :)

Answer 3

Generic advice won't cut it. If you are struggling that means you have significant improvement on your CV. That requires a conversation, understanding your profile and your achievements, and then assessing what is about 1) improving your CV document vs. 2) improving your profile.

Happy to schedule a session and provide a discount for this topic.