Reapplying to MBB in Germany (Networking, Cover Letter, Framing Experience since)

Question

Hello everyone,

Quick background:

I unsuccessfully applied to MBB in Germany (& Austria, the regions operate as one) ~18 months ago. I did not get invited to Bain, did not get an offer at the McKinsey interview day and very narrowly missed an offer at final round at BCG (cases & personal fit good, but "too keen" and "not professional enough in my communication" - being too informal, leaning forward on my knees during interviews, etc. was the kind of (baffling) feedback I received).

I have since completed a B.A. year at Cambridge (Judge) business school - tucked on to my social science degree from Cambridge - and joined a well-respected international development consultancy (Dalberg) in their London office after graduation. Work there is very interesting, but the small size of the London office limits learning and I am ultimately more interested in entrepreneurship and getting a top-tier MBA (ideally paid for).

Questions:

How important will it be to network before reapplying for entry-level positions?
- As I have studied in the UK, my network at MBB in Germany & Austria is very shallow, so there's limited scope for reaching out to friends there.
- Also, applications are handled regionally at MBB Germany, so I'm not sure how great the payoff will be, if I can't get an insider view to the office I'm actually applying to.
How should I frame my cover letter? To what extent should it be a blank slate application vs. an explanation of what is different this time? How to strike the balance between the two?
What view does MBB take on people who reapply from boutique consultancies after their last application? How can I frame the fact that I'm thinking of leaving after having spent less than a year there?
- I joined international development consulting because I see my long-term future in the sector and I've already worked on some very impressive projects, so for me it was a solid 2nd choice behind MBB.
Lastly, tiny detail: Should I use the same account for my online applications as I did last time?

Answer 1

Hi Martin,

great you are eager to reapply to MBB, I have replied to your questions below:

1) In terms of the importance of networking: this is very important. It can make the difference between receiving the invitation for the interview or not. It doesn’t really matter if you got invited before, you don’t have guarantees of an invitation now. To work on networking and referrals, you can find some tips at the link below:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176

2) In terms of cover letter: definitely emphasize your recent achievement in the last 18 months; you can still mention previous achievements if relevant tough.

3) In terms of reapplying from a boutique: there is no strong explanation needed for that – it totally makes rational sense and your choice of a boutique is congruent to the fact you were/are interested in consulting. Of course, you should still be prepared to answer how you improved since the last time and why McK/BCG/Bain.

4) In terms of the account to apply: the ban for MBB is usually max 24 months. Do you know when yours will be completed? If needed I would wait the possible extra 6 months before applying, I know people who applied with a different account and got recognized anyway thus I don’t think it’s worth to try to “hack” the system to save few months.

Best,
Francesco