From supply chain to consulting

Question

Hi,

I am an engineering student (applier mathematics) at my final year at Centrale Lyon (Top 5-10 french engineering school) with 3.8/4.0 GPA

I've done 3 internships at big companies but none of them was consulting : ( 1 month as a logistics operator at an airbus subcontractor , 6 months at groupe seb ( big french group owner of t-fal and 30 other brands) as a demand planner, and 6 months at l'oréal as a supply planner.

For my end of studies internship i am willing to break into consulting (Strategy or operations) at MBB or tier 2.

Do you think it is possible ?

thank you

kind regards

Answer 1

Hi Anonymous, yes, it’s absolutely possible — your profile is actually quite relevant.

Coming from Centrale Lyon with a strong GPA is already a very solid base. On top of that, your internships in supply chain are not a weakness — if anything, they can be a strength, especially for:

operations consulting
transformation projects
even strategy roles with an operational angle

What matters is how you position them.

Right now, you shouldn’t think:
“I didn’t do consulting internships”

But rather:
“I’ve worked on real business problems (planning, demand, operations) in top companies”

That’s valuable.

A couple of things to focus on:

1. Position your experience in a consulting way
In your CV and interviews, highlight:

problem solving (what was the issue?)
impact (what did you improve?)
ownership

Even in supply chain roles, there are always elements like:

optimizing processes
improving forecasts
reducing inefficiencies

That’s very close to consulting work.

2. Be clear on your story
You’ll need a strong answer to:
“Why consulting now?”

Something like:

you’ve seen operations from the inside
you now want broader exposure and more strategic impact

3. Prepare interviews properly
At your level, this is often the real differentiator.

Good candidates get rejected because of:

weak structure
lack of case practice

So make sure you:

practice cases consistently
get comfortable with math and structuring

4. Be realistic but ambitious
MBB is competitive, but your profile is definitely in range.
Also apply to Tier 2 — they’re great options and often a very good entry point.

Overall, you’re in a good position.
You don’t need a “perfect consulting background” — you just need to present your experience well and perform in interviews.

If you want, happy to help you refine your CV or practice cases.

Answer 2

Hi there!

First of all, don't worry, breaking into consulting is absolutely possible. To give you some perspective, in my experience at McKinsey, at least 30% of my colleagues came from an engineering background.

Here is generally how it works. Candidates entering straight out of an undergrad or Master of Science program are typically hired for generalist roles. Sometimes they are brought in as digital profiles, but even then, they still do a significant amount of generalist work. Experienced hires with 4+ YOE, instead, are the ones brought in with specific functional or industry expertise.

The main issue is really how you manage to pass the initial screening, because MBB candidates are constantly increasing. In this case, getting a referral can definitely help you secure an interview. Then, regarding the case preparation, that is where you truly have the opportunity to make a difference if you make it to the interviews.

Best,

Tom