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Looking for some advices

Hi everyone, I'm writing to seek some advices - here is my situation. Recently graduated from my Master (top European business school) and just finished my second consulting internship. I'm now actively looking for a full-time job at MBB/T2 consulting firms in the EMEA region (English or Italian friendly offices only)

If you were in my shoes, what would be the steps that you'd follow in order to secure a job in 3-4 months? Considering also the currently economic situation, what countries/companies in particular would you target)

Thanks a lot for any advices, your expertise is very precious to me!

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Top answer
on Mar 03, 2023
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Q: If you were in my shoes, what would be the steps that you'd follow in order to secure a job in 3-4 months? Considering also the currently economic situation, what countries/companies in particular would you target)

If you speak Italian and English, the realistic targets are:

  • Italy
  • UK
  • Middle East

Bain Amsterdam also should not require local language based on the candidates I helped (while McKinsey and BCG do require it).

In terms of landing the interview, you will need three main things to pass the screening: a great CV, a great Cover and a referral.

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1) CV

The key elements they will look for and that you should structure correctly are:

  • Work experience
  • Education (university brand, major, GPA, experience abroad)
  • Extracurriculars and volunteer experience

Common red flags include:

  • Low GPA
  • Bad formatting / typos
  • 3-4 pages in length
  • Lack of clear action --> results structure for the bullets of the experiences
  • Long paragraphs (3-4 lines) for the bullets of the experiences with irrelevant details
  • Long time gaps without explanation

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2) COVER LETTER

You can structure a cover with 4 parts:

  1. Introduction, mentioning the position you are interested in and a specific element you find attractive for that company
  2. Why you are qualified for the job, where you can report 3 skills/stories from your CV
  3. Why you are interested in that particular firm, with additional 1-2 specific reasons
  4. Final remarks, mentioning again your interest and contacts

In part 2 you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others.

It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.

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3) REFERRALS

This is probably the most important point and can help to compensate for a lack of relevant experience. To find a referral, you should follow three main steps:

  1. Identify the people that can help you (most of the time, the best bet is Alumni of your university)
  2. Write to them a customized email
  3. Have a call and indirectly ask for a referral

As general tips:

  • Don’t use LinkedIn for your communication – emails work better. You should target 30% conversion for your messages; if you are not achieving that, there is space for improvement
  • When sending emails, your goal should be to organize a call, not to ask questions – you can then use the call for the questions
  • You need to close the call with an indirect request for a referral – don’t leave that to chances. There are specific ways to ask for it

You should prepare three main things before the call:

  • Your own pitch. 3-4 lines should be enough
  • 3-4 questions on the personal experiences of the person. Avoid to ask questions about the company only
  • A closing question for the referral. It should be an indirect request to avoid being too pushy

You can find more information on networking and referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation 

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BONUS: CASE INTERVIEW PREP

In terms of the interview itself, you can find some tips below:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

If you need more help please feel free to PM me.

Good luck!

Francesco

Ian
Coach
on Mar 03, 2023
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

You should target any and all countries/companies that you can.

In particular target the ones that match your profile.

As in, if you worked there you would hire you.

Here's how you can optimize your odds:

  1. Get consulting experience! How? Sign up for pro bono/experiential learning programs…there's a million! If you can get a few consulting projects on your resume yu'll address this gap well and tell a story better.
  2. Get more consulting-related experience in your current role. How? Volunteer, raise your hand, identify/propose/launch initiatives, etc. Example: I went to my MBA program at Stern and said I wanted to launch a data-based approach to recruiting. I proposed that I grab their data, run a survey, and run various multi-variate regression analyses to determine the key factors to getting and passing interview.
  3. Network, network, network. See my point #2? Well, it turns out that the #1 thing that can change your fate it networking. Get out there, get in touch with people, and get referrals.
  4. Get a killer resume. Highly recommend you pay for a review to build a 10/10 resume (after points 1 and 2 are done)
Hagen
Coach
on Mar 03, 2023
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 9+ years consulting, interviewing and coaching experience

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

  • First of all, realistically and depending on the company, you might consider Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and the Middle East.
  • Next, you need to polish your application files to perfection and tailor them to the strategy consulting companies you are applying to.
  • Moreover, I would highly advise you to reach out to alumni from your university working at those strategy consulting companies, have coffee chats with them, and try to get a referral, ideally from someone more senior like a partner, associate partner, or project leader.
  • Obviously, you should start practicing case studies and preparing for general and behavioral personal fit questions as soon as possible. Especially with case studies, it is much more a question of persistence than talent.
  • Lastly, nobody knows for certain when the best moment will be for you to apply. While there is a possibility that we will reach the economic low soon, this might as well take another 6-12 months, for which I feel you would not be willing to wait for obvious reasons. As such, I would highly advise you to take the current economic situation as it is and make the best out of it.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Deleted
Coach
on Mar 02, 2023
1st&2nd session 33% off|Incoming BCG Consultant ME|President of the Consulting Club|Esade MBA|Offers from McKinsey & BCG

Hello A,

Here are some steps you could take to secure a consulting job in 3-4 months:

  1. Polish your resume and cover letter to highlight your education and consulting experience. Make sure to tailor your application materials to each firm you apply to.
  2. Network with alumni from your business school and professionals in the consulting industry. Attend virtual career fairs and information sessions hosted by consulting firms to expand your network.
  3. Apply to a variety of consulting firms, not just MBB/T2. Smaller firms can provide valuable experience and help you build your skills.
  4. Consider targeting countries with a strong consulting presence, such as the UK, Middle East, or the Nordics. Look for job postings and reach out to contacts in these locations.
  5. Practice for case interviews (starting now), which are a key part of the consulting recruitment process. 
  6. Be patient and persistent. It may take time to hear back from firms, and you may face rejection along the way. Keep networking and applying, and eventually, you will find the right fit. 

Good luck!

Andi
Coach
on Mar 05, 2023
BCG 1st & Final Round interviewer | Personalized prep with >95% success rate | 7yrs coaching | Experienced Hires

Hi there 

In general, with a degree from a top business school and consulting experience under your belt, there should be plenty of opportunity within the consulting industry - 

Provided your grades were solid enough, you can offer some international & extracurricular experience, typical MBB and Tier 2 firms will be interested in such profile - in Italy, but also select other geographies are quite open to hiring non-locals. ME, London, Amsterdam are some good examples, but it all depends on the specific firm and your exact profile of course.

Would you be able to share your CV via PM? Happy to take a look and give specific advice on where and how to proceed.

Regards, Andi

Pedro
Coach
on Mar 03, 2023
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

The two places where you have decent chances without speaking the local language are Belgium and Middle East.

But honestly, you should network your way up - you have a good question which is a good excuse for a few phone calls/emails.

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