I am currently pursuing a BCom and am deeply interested in both finance and consulting. I plan to pursue an MBA from a top-tier university eventually. I want to start building my profile for consulting and finance roles and gain work experience before entering an MBA program. Given my academic background, MBB firms are not a realistic option right now. I would greatly appreciate any tips on entering consulting firms, specifically roles related to consulting and finance which can be accessed post BCom , that offer decent pay and can lead to a good post-MBA role . I'm also looking for recommendations on firms that are not overly focused on past academic qualifications. Additionally, what other steps can I take to build in-depth knowledge and improve my chances of getting an interview?
Hey there!
This is one of the most common questions I get from students I mentor, and my honest answer is that it depends on what you're optimizing for — short term or long term.
1. If you're optimizing for the long term (MBA → MBB)
I'd actually push you away from another consulting role (smaller firm, Big 4, etc.) and toward a Finance or Corporate experience instead.
The reasoning is simple: a lot of people try to go Deloitte/EY → MBA → MBB, and recruiters look at that profile and think, "this person already did consulting, and I already have plenty of consultants in the office." They'd rather take someone with a vertical, differentiated background — someone from Nike if they need a retail expert, someone from Goldman or a smaller bank for finance depth, or even someone from supply chain / operations.
The same logic applies to MBA admissions: tons of consultants apply every year, and far fewer candidates come from industry, banking, or operations profiles, so paradoxically you face less competition going that route. If you already know an MBA is in your future, I'd seriously consider a non-consulting first job. I've given this advice to a lot of mentees and it's held up well.
2. If you're optimizing for the short term (Finance or Consulting now)
The calculus changes. A boutique consulting or Big 4 role is in any case an incredible experience and a reasonable stepping stone for almost any job. The single most important thing if you're at a target school is networking: find people on LinkedIn who went to your school, studied something similar, and now work at the firms you're targeting.
Reach out, have a 15-minute chat, ask how they actually got in. That gives you real information and, if you come across as sharp, often a referral -- which carries far more weight than a cold application a recruiter might barely glance at. Unfortunately, most firms still care a lot about academic pedigree, so there's no real workaround on that front.
3. The one-year master's option
Worth considering if your profile needs repositioning: a MiM, MSc Finance, or similar can reset the trajectory. I'm currently coaching someone who studied philosophy, realized consulting was hard to break into straight from undergrad, did a one-year MiM, and just landed a consulting offer. That path absolutely works.
Bottom line
Figure out the endgame first (MBB long-term via MBA vs. consulting/finance now), and then pick the first job that gives you the most differentiated and solid profile for that specific path: not just the most prestigious-sounding option today.
Feel free to DM me for more tips or to ask more questions. Good luck in any case!
Tom
