Summer Internships in big consulting firms- MBB, LEK, etc

Hi there, 

The MBBs usually have some form of on-campus recruiting, especially in top schools. From your message I understand you might have fallen outside of their typical recruitment window? 

Assuming you are not able to get into the next one either (e.g., you graduate already), but you are interested in consulting long term, my suggestion would be to stay open in getting a FT role in one of the companies you have already interned at. This will prove your continued interested in consulting and will provide a good reasoning on why you want to continue in an MBB - basically applying as a (semi) experienced hire later on. 

Hope this helps, 

Ariadna 

Cold emailing won't help. 

You need to apply when they are open for applications. 

They almost always make these deadlines public. It's also good to get in touch with the recruiter from the office you are targeting and confirm the deadline with them. 

If the deadlines have passed or you've been screened out already, there's much that you can do about these rather than wait. 

In the meantime, you can apply to smaller firms to get into the industry, and then you can make a lateral move later on. 

If you're at the application stage, this guide should prove useful:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

It’s incredibly frustrating to put in the work for a top-tier profile only to get tripped up by the initial CV screen. You're running into the fundamental issue of mass recruiting at target schools: it's not always about fit but about volume management.

Here is the crucial reality regarding internships: For MBB and most Tier 2 firms, the Summer Associate/Summer Consultant program is the single, highly standardized FTE pipeline. Firms rely on converting 80%+ of their intern class into full-time offers. Because of this structured pipeline, they rarely offer meaningful, generalist "off-cycle" internships that lead to an FTE conversion. These positions are budgeted, controlled by global HR, and are not something a partner can conjure up based on a cold email.

Therefore, do not waste energy cold emailing to secure an internship slot. Instead, you need to pivot your strategy and focus entirely on securing a full-time (FTE) offer without the internship prerequisite. Use the next six months to turn your strong profile into internal championship.

Start networking aggressively—this is where your cold emailing/LinkedIn time should go. Focus on alums from your Tier 1 school who are now Associates or Consultants at your target firms. Do not ask for an internship or a job. Ask for 15 minutes of their time to learn about their project work and career trajectory. By the time the full-time application window opens, you need to have cultivated 2-3 strong relationships who know you and are willing to provide a rock-solid internal referral. That referral will be your new mechanism to bypass the initial CV filter and get you straight into the interview process.

Hope it helps!

Hi there,

Cold-emailing HR usually isn’t how big companies source interns, though it doesn’t hurt to try. A more effective approach is connecting with consultants for a coffee chat or call, focusing on genuinely learning about their work and office. You can mention your interest in internships, and sometimes they’ll offer to refer you, but it’s best to build the relationship first. 

Hi,

If you are recruiting as a student - you have to go through the on campus recruitment (OCR) process.

If you try there and don't succeed, then there are still 2 paths:

• Work a few years at Tier 2 consulting firm
• Work a few years in a big brand industry name

Then after that you can apply again as an experienced hire. 

All the best!

Hi,

If your are Tier 1 University there should be on campus recruiting which is your best bet. If that is not the case, reach out the to recruiter for your offices and understand the process from them.

Best,

Lukas

Something is off here. They DO have openings for internships. Even more than smaller firms.

So either they are not recruiting at your school, or you missed their timeline.

Either way, if that's the case, there isnt much you can do now.