Internship consulting

Firstly, don't be discouraged. The consulting industry is vast, and while GPA is a factor, it is not the only thing that firms look at when hiring interns. That said, I understand your situation and here are some suggestions:

Apply to boutique firms: Boutique consulting firms often look beyond the GPA and focus on practical skills, relevant experiences, and cultural fit. They usually have less rigid GPA cut-offs compared to larger firms.

Demonstrate improvement and other qualities: Many firms appreciate seeing a trend of improvement, so if you can demonstrate that your GPA has significantly improved over time, this could be a positive point. Be prepared to explain your situation and the steps you're taking to improve. Highlight other strengths such as leadership roles, work experience, or extracurricular activities that demonstrate desirable skills for consulting.

Network: Networking can play a crucial role in landing an internship. Attend industry events, reach out to alumni from your school who work in consulting, and try to get an internal referral.

Gain relevant experience: If you're finding it challenging to secure an internship in consulting, consider interning in a related field or industry where you can develop transferable skills.

Consider internships during the school year: Some firms offer internships during the academic year which could be a good opportunity to gain experience once your GPA has improved.

Lastly, remember that everyone has a unique path to consulting. Even if you face obstacles initially, there are many different routes into the industry. Good luck!

Hi there,

Thanks for the context. 

Basically, I'd optimize for a couple of things:

1. Go broad. Identify not only the 2-3 firms that you'd want to work in the most but actually 8-10. Consulting firms are rather tough at the moment, so going broad maximises your chances of getting at least one offer and entering the industry. Here's a guide on how to do this:

• Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

2. Develop an amazing application package. Worth considering working with a coach on this one to already be placed within the top quartile of applicants. That means, developing an application strategy (what firms to go for, when and in what order), CV (this one is the most important to get right), Cover Letter (which should tell your story in a persuasive way beyond the CV) and referrals. 

Regarding referrals, you can leverage coffee chats to try and get some:

• Your Guide to Consulting Coffee Chats

Best,
Cristian
 

Hi there,

Definitely look to retake some previous classes with particularly low grades. Do everything you can to get straight As moving forward. A low final GPA is going to be very hard to overcome…

There are SO many smaller firms. Small firms, by their very nature, are going to be region/specialty specifc. There's no real use in listing a bunch of random ones here. Rather, I advise you to:

• Check out your college's online application portal (and apply to “everything”)
• Google
• Look at LinkedIn and dig. As in, grab x company and look at similar ones…and keep going
• NEtwork with and talk to a TON of people to figure out what's out there

Good luck!

Hi there, 

Agree with the other coaches here - suggest you go broad in terms of number of target firms, optimize your application materials and put significantly more emphasis on networking.

Now obviously, for the top firms care a lot about strong academics, however they look at candidate profiles more holistically than that. 

So you might consider improving the parts of your CV you CAN control at this point… 

• Seeking an off-cycle internship / working student arangement with a strong industry brand name to strengthen work experience
• Enhance your extra-curriculars  
• Engage in relevant club activities etc

Best of luck!

Regards, Andi