Struggling to Break into Consulting

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m feeling quite frustrated. I've been trying to land a position in consulting for over four months now, but despite many applications, I've received mostly direct rejections and very few opportunities for interviews. So far, I’ve only been invited to one interview with a boutique consulting firm and received an invitation to take the McKinsey Solve test.

I hold a Bachelor's and Master's degree from a well-known European university with strong grades. However, I don’t have any prior internships in consulting. Instead, I’ve gained practical experience in Marketing & Sales through various working student roles during my studies.

I’d really appreciate any tips or feedback from those who’ve been in a similar position:

How can I improve my chances of landing interviews?
Should I focus on boutique firms or explore other entry paths?
How important is a consulting internship for getting a foot in the door?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer 1

Consulting internships are definitely not a prerequisite to get into consulting. I got into MBB (and interviewed with 2 out of 3) for grad role without prior consulting and case competition experience.

Instead, i would 1) focus on internships at companies with strong brand names, and 2) showcase ownership and impact in your CV. Specifically highlighting concrete examples where you found a problem, solved it and delivered impact

I would cast the net as wide as possible and apply to both boutiques and MBBs. Getting an invite to McKinsey Solve test means you've already passed the CV stage - so congrats and prep well for that!

Answer 2

Hi and thanks for your question! Consulting experience or internship/working student experience in the industry is mo... (read entire answer)

Hi and thanks for your question! Consulting experience or internship/working student experience in the industry is mostly one of our requirements - at least for BearingPoint Ger... (read entire answer)