Hi Guys,
I am a 37-year-old tax advisor with degrees in economics and law, and 11 years of professional experience at some Tier 2 tax consultancies in Budapest. In addition to my native Hungarian, I am fluent in English and German.
I have previously applied to BCG and McKinsey in Budapest, in 2019 and 2021, and reached the first-round interviews in all four applications. I have now decided to try again for MBB roles. At my previous applications, I realized that my problem-solving approach was not fully MECE and / or structured enough, so this time I am placing a strong focus on developing a highly structured, hypothesis-driven approach to cases and frameworks. While I understand that my tax specialization is not directly relevant, I do have extensive experience in stakeholder management, client relations, and presenting complex information - skills that should be highly relevant in fit interviews, especially since I have also developed a significant side project alongside my work, demonstrating leadership and initiative.
I am interested in exploring what opportunities are realistically available to someone with my profile at this stage of their career.
- Given my age and professional background, what roles at MBB are most realistic: generalist consultant, or specialist track?
- How can I best leverage my client-facing and stakeholder management experience to stand out despite a non-strategy background?
- What types of projects or sectors would my tax and legal expertise give me a comparative advantage in?
- Are there particular formats or examples in case interviews that I should focus on given my experience?
- How do MBB offices view multiple previous applications, and how can I position this positively?
- Would it be advisable to apply to multiple MBB offices (e.g., outside Budapest) to increase chances?
- How should I address the gap between my current functional expertise (tax) and the generalist consulting profile?
Thank you in advance for any guidance or feedback you may provide.
