I don't really have much London work experience; is that an issue when recruiting for MBB London? Is it really important to get work experience in London before applying, since I also didn't complete my education there? Or will getting strong experience from abroad be sufficient? I'm worried that my CV doesn't demonstrate a strong link to London since the main reason for my relocation is family-related.
Ex BCG Principal & Global Interviewer (10+ Years) | 100+ MBB Offers | 95% Success Rate
Hi,
London work experience / education is not a strict requirement. What matters is demonstrating a credible reason for choosing London. E.g., a family-related relocation is a legitimate and strong long-term connection. In any case, make sure to provide a strong rationale behind your application in that specific office.
Networking with people in the office can also help reinforce your motivation.
Thanks for your reply. Regarding networking - from what I understand about London recruiting, HR dominates the screening process and referrals don't have as much power in helping with your application (but correct me if I'm wrong). In that case, should I prioritize networking with HR or MBB consultants?
This is not an automatic rejection, but your story needs to make sense!
Always ask yourself: If I were looking at two resumes and they were identical except for one difference, who would I hire?
If one candidate has studied, lived, or worked in London and the other appears to be applying to a “random” office, the first candidate has the stronger story.
Family relocation gives you a legitimate reason, but you need to communicate it as a credible long term connection. I hope at least you have a referral if you're applying to a “random” office!
That said, your application is evaluated holistically across tons of factors: education, grades, experience, CV quality, work rights, language, office fit, networking, referrals, and more. You don't buy a house just because of its living room. Equally, recruiters do not assess a candidate based on one feature.
When selecting an office, distinguish between the office that is best for you and the office where you have the best odds.
My Applications course covers office selection, CVs, networking, referrals, and the wider application strategy.
Globally top-ranked MBB coach | >95% success rate | 9+ years consulting, interviewing and coaching experience
Hi there,
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:
First of all, no, missing London work experience is not a real issue. MBB London hires a large share of people who studied and worked abroad, so strong experience from another market is completely sufficient.
Moreover, the link to London does not need to be visible in your resume. A family-related relocation is a fully credible long-term reason, and you can place it in your cover letter and interviews, so nobody expects your work history to explain the move.
Lastly, I would advise you to invest your energy in referrals from London consultants and in sharp application files, since these two levers will decide over your invitation much more than any local work experience.
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming MBB pre-interview assessments and/or MBB interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
No, I wouldn’t consider London work experience a requirement for MBB London. Strong experience abroad can absolutely be sufficient, particularly if you have a strong academic and professional track record.
What matters more is whether you can demonstrate that you’re a credible candidate for the London office and have a genuine reason for wanting to work there. Your family connection is perfectly reasonable, although I’d frame your motivation around London and the office itself rather than making the relocation the entire story.
I wouldn’t try to add London experience purely to make your CV look more relevant. If you have strong experience elsewhere, focus on positioning it well.
Yes, it's important that you have some sort of connection to the office location to which you're applying. Otherwise, your application might seem random.
That doesn't mean that it automatically gets screened out, only that the chances are lower than say, somebody who is from that location, or studied in that location or worked in that location.
If your reasons are purely personal, you can articulate those in the cover letter, and that should make the transition clearer, but still, ideally you would have some other type of connection already.
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer & top performer
At the end of the day, applications do not exist in a vacuum. Therefore someone who is able to demonstrate closer ties to London (most of the time at least European) have a stronger case for being there.
Firms are invested in hiring people that will stay and help to grow their business, not move to another geography.
The hard part about the personal reason is that this is something that cant really come out in the CV.
If this is your choice - then you have to network aggressively for an effective chance if you ask me.
