Internship offer dilemma

Hi there,

Both options could work out just fine. The key question is how sure you are that you want to go for MBB. If you're pretty confident in MBB, I would focus on option (b), putting yourself in the best position possible for applications. The only scarcity in life is time and if you want to go for MBB, then go for it. 

I could be misreading this, but it also seems like the main reason you'd accept that IT audit role is as a potential stepping stone to MBB. And while I totally understand where you're coming from, that's probably not a great reason to accept an internship position, especially if that's not what you want to do as a career.

My experience working with recruiting teams at an MBB firm is that audit roles, even for a consulting firm, can sometimes also be perceived as "not being a perfect fit" with general management consulting given the nature of audit work being very precise and in-depth. 

Hope this helps, but do take feedback from other coaches as well to have a well-rounded set of feedback. All the best, and feel free to reach out if you need any application help

Cheers,

Nick

Hi there,

“feel IT audit is not relevant enough a stepping stone.” - what matters is what you achieve within this environment. I joined McKinsey having gone from industry (heavy machinery) to a BA position. If that is your main concern, IMHO take the job and make the absolute best out of it. Meanwhile, study hard for MBB so that when the time comes, you’ll have case interview experience and great stories to populate the fit portion. Also, you’ll be able to apply for Big4 and tier2 consulting, taking the some of pressure of MBB off.

Best,

Mari

Hi there, 

Can you not do both? 

In the sense of accepting the offer and seeing it as a fall-back option And in the meantime, going full in on recruiting for MBBs (as well as other firms who are still open to recruiting). Btw, I would make sure to go broad with the applications strategy, meaning, especially because of the current market, it might make sense to apply to multiple firms and do your best at each recruitment stage, rather than only aiming for MBB. 

You might also find this guide useful:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Hello,

I have interviewed and hired many entry level consultants (including at BCG) and what I would recommend is to go online and search on LinkedIn for the profiles of analysts that work for the consultancies of your choice and in the location of your choice because this is going to give you a very good overview of the skill sets and the profiles that these consultancies are looking for.

In addition, you will understand whether or not this particular internship gives you the development opportunities and the skillset wich is sought after in these consulting firms.

Should you like to have a concrete discussion on whether this opportunity would make sense for you or would be relevant for the consulting firm of your choice or how you can get other opportunities that might be even more relevant, please don't hesitate to chat me.

Best of luck,

Alexandra

While you are correct, it is not the ideal stepping stone and will not be particularly valued by MBB, I don't understand why you can't do both. You are getting an offer for an internship more than 12 months from now, not a full time offer to start when you finish your degree. I don't see why this would be incompatible or, if you are able to get an MBB offer in the meantime, how getting a full time offer would not be a reasonably good justification for declining the internship.

Hey there :)

Totally get your dilemma. Given the non-target background and missed Big 4 deadlines, it might be strategic to accept the offer now to keep something solid on your CV, especially in a tough market. But only if you’re still planning to re-recruit next year with stronger positioning (networking, prep, maybe a brand-name experience during the added year). IT Audit won’t be a strong stepping stone for MBB, but it’s still better than a gap if no other options are certain.

So if you’re willing to extend graduation and build further, option A gives you more flexibility and safety. Just don’t let go of the MBB goal—use the time to sharpen your story and network hard.

Best,
Alessa :)