How common is it to land an MBB position in the middle east after a MSc in management in Europe?

Question

I am an undergrad senior and am thinking about possible career trajectories at the moment. I am trained heavily in finance and very passionate about it, but consulting seems incredibly compelling to me, especially in the middle east (i.e. the Dubai offices). My only problem is the lack of consulting-related experience, so my question is, is it common/possible to get an entry-level position at a MBB firm in the middle east after a MSc in management in Europe? My GMAT score is 720, and I am from an Arab country (have lived in the UAE for my childhood!, and I speak Arabic, English, & French fluently). So if it is possible, what is the top universities to seek? Also, is my finance knowledge going to be completely irrelevant? Thanks!

Answer 1

Hello!

No need to worry what so ever for the lack of experience in consulting. Think that, given your youth, is not that you really had plenty of chances to work yet.

Furthermore, the presonal connection you have to the region + the richeness in languages make you a strong candidate.

GMAT is not usually something to be taken into consideration in the interviews, but you can leverage it to tell your story of high interest, willingness to pusue an MBA, etc.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 2

Hi there,

Absolutely you can do this!

The key here is that you have actual ties back to ME (language, citizenship, time spent).

Now, in order to ensure this happens, make sure your CV/Resume is as compelling as possible and make sure you're really hitting the networking hard in the Middle East!

Good luck :)

Answer 3

Hi,

That's definitely possible if you can legally work in these countries. Language is a plus.

Finance knowledge will be mostly irrelevant, but excel skills will help

Best

Answer 4

Is there a reason your are leaning towards a Masters vs a 1 yr MBA which is common in Europe? There are too many grad programs you can apply to and honestly they may say that you can get any role after but the reality remains that an MBA is the best route. What exactly is your reasoning?

Answer 5

Hi,

It is absolutely possible!

I'll tell you more... The Middle East has lots of advantages with your background!

I've prepared candidates with very similar experiences to yours and they all got offers.

Don't hesitate to contact me to know more about their experience.

Best,

Antonello

Answer 6

Hi there,

It is definitely possible with your background. Fluency in Arabic is a nice plus.

To check the top schools in your region, you can search on LinkedIn for people who joined recently MBB in Dubai and see which universities in your target country they attended – that should give you the answer.

In general you won’t need to apply your finance knowledge, with the exception of Due Diligence projects.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 7

Hello there,

My experience sais it's very possible to get into consulting after MSc. Your language knowledge and international background is definetely a plus, you only need to sell it right. Yet if you also deside to go to MBA, it'll extremely increase your chances.

Hope I was helpful and good luck!

GB