Should an aspiring consultant apply to 100 companies or just to 10 targeted companies? Kindly elaborate for each option. Open for additional advice.

Hi there,

Great question, and definitely one that almost every aspiring consultant faces.

When thinking about “100 companies vs. 10 targeted companies,” it’s helpful to understand what each approach actually gives you.

Applying to Many Firms (Broad Approach)

Pros

• Higher overall chance of landing interviews: Consulting is highly competitive, and even strong candidates can be filtered out for reasons unrelated to merit such as how the market is doing / hiring quotas etc.
• Exposure to diverse firms: Boutique consultancies, internal consulting roles, and mid-sized firms often offer excellent training and faster responsibility.
• Long-term flexibility: If your end goal is to join a well-known firm, starting elsewhere can still get you there. Lateral moves into top firms after 1–2 years of experience are very common and even sometimes easier than getting in as a fresh candidate.

Cons

• More time and effort: Tailoring applications, preparing for interviews across many companies, and tracking processes can be exhausting.
• Quality may suffer if spread too thin: Generic applications rarely stand out.(However this can be overcome)

Applying to a Small, Targeted Set of Firms

Pros

• Allows deep preparation and customization: You can create highly tailored cover letters, network with more intention, and prepare thoroughly for that firm’s style of cases.
• Reduces burnout: Focused effort can lead to stronger performance in interviews.

Cons

• Higher risk strategy: If those 10 companies don’t work out, you’ve lost time and optionality.
• Excludes many great opportunities: Some boutique firms offer steep learning curves, strong culture, and excellent exit opportunities.

A Balanced, Practical Recommendation

Instead of thinking 10 vs. 100, think tranches:

• Tranche 1 (your top choices): 10–20 firms where you craft highly personalized applications and actively network.
• Tranche 2 (mid-tier + boutiques): 20–40 firms where you apply with solid but slightly less tailored applications.
• Tranche 3 (selectively broad): Additional firms you’d genuinely consider if the fit is right.

This way, you maximize opportunity without diluting effort or application quality.

Final Thoughts

Consulting paths are rarely linear. If your long-term goal is to grow in the industry, starting at a boutique or internal consulting team and transitioning later is completely valid, and often a smart strategic move.

So yes, cast a wide net, but do it strategically, not randomly.

Hope this helps!

Are there even 100 consulting companies to apply to? 

Hi there,

Good question! Although, I would say that 10 consulting firms is already a lot!

The best way to think about it is by first answering this set of questions:

- How much time do you have?

- What do you value the most in this job?

- What is your end goal?

If you have plenty of time and energy and want to aim high, why not apply to several consulting firms starting from boutiques, to top tier ones. This would allow you to train, maybe manage to secure an offer to help you feel more confident, and then move up in difficulty. However, keep in mind that it takes a lot of time and energy as each process last for months. In addition, all those consulting firms will look and value different aspects, which might not align with what you value yourself. Finally, rejecting an accepted offer might make you look bad if you ever encounter those people again.

Overall, I would advise to chose wisely which firms you apply to, and really consider why you are applying to them, how aligned they are to what you look for. Once those are aligned, you can train for them and ensure that what you get whether it is an offer or feedback, it will resonate with you and your end goal and will be useful for the next firm (if there is). The important thing is to strategically sequency your interview to go up in level at each round!

In any case, good luck!

Hi,

not gonna do a full evaluation of both options.

But would advise you to honestly check-in with your self on which companies you think you have the profile for and then build from there. Essentially strech for firms that you would not think you qualify and then also add firms that you think are easy for you. 

Then be smart about your application strategy. I.e., sequence the firms in a way that you can get some real interviews in before your priority firms come up.

Depending on where you stand in the process right now, working with a coach might help to get some real feedback on your CV and help assess what firms to target.

Let me know if you need any help! Happy to.

Best,

Lukas

The answer is somewhere in the middle. 

The reality is that you shouldn't choose one or the other. 

You need a very strong application package - CV + CL that are 90% similar across firms and then you're willing to put in the additional effort to tailor the remaining 10% for every application. 

Then you need a list of firms that you're targeting. I'd say a dozen at the minimum. Then you should go ahead and try to get referrals for as many of them as possible. 

Doing these things increases your chances of passing screening for each individual application. 

Applying to more increases your chances of more applications getting to the next stage gate in the application funnel. 

I explain this at length here:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

For referrals, you might find this useful:

• Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

Best,
Cristian

That is a fantastic strategic question, and it speaks directly to why consulting recruiting feels so different from corporate job hunting. The reality is that the 100-company approach is designed for failure in this sector.

In management consulting, the application process is fundamentally high-touch, not high-volume. The goal is not just to get your PDF into a database; the goal is to secure an internal referral and champion before the application officially hits the ATS. If you apply to 100 firms, you are spreading your networking efforts so thin that every application becomes generic, which the recruiting machine immediately filters out. The recruiter's priority is filtering for commitment and fit, and a generic application signals you haven’t done the basic groundwork required to be a good consultant.

You should pivot toward a highly targeted list of 10 to 20 firms, maximum. These firms break down into three tiers: MBB, the Tier 2 strategy houses (e.g., L.E.K., Strategy&, Oliver Wyman), and 5-10 specific specialist boutiques whose sector focus genuinely matches your background (e.g., ClearView for life sciences, Altman Solon for TMT). While there may technically be 100 organizations that offer "consulting services," only a fraction of those provide the strategy career path and training you are aiming for.

Your resources—time, mental energy, and networking capital—are finite. Dedicate 80% of your time to securing 2-3 deep, meaningful networking calls at each of those 10-20 firms, ensuring your name is known and your application is flagged by a Partner or Principal. A targeted application with a strong internal referral beats 99 untargeted submissions every single time.

All the best with the pivot!

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, applying to 100 firms is not only exhausting but also ineffective. I would strongly advise you to build a solid list of the firms you would actually consider working for, and focus your energy there.
• Moreover, I would advise you to potentially split this list in two groups, depending on the absolute number: priority firms with fully tailored applications and networking effort, and a second batch of firms with a lighter approach but still personalized enough to stay relevant.
• Lastly, I would advise you to sequence your applications smartly - start with less prioritized firms to get live interview practice and feedback, and then move to your top choices once you’re warmed up.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen