What MBB Application Should I Fill Out as Experienced Hire Lateral?

Question

Hi all,

Looking to lateral to an MBB with 1 year of experience post college. I noticed that while on campus hiring applications are open for students entering their final year of undergrad or MBA programs, I can't seem to find applications for people with my specific background of full time job experience as a college graduate.

Is there a separate place to apply in my position? Thank you.

Answer 1

Hey!

Great that you're looking to make the switch early — with 1 year of experience, you're in a solid spot for generalist roles at MBB. You won’t fall under campus hiring anymore, so you should apply through the "Experienced Professional" or "Generalist Consultant" sections on each firm’s careers page. Sometimes roles are listed without super clear titles, so filter by location and experience level (usually “0–3 years” post-grad). If nothing shows up, it's totally fine to submit a general application or reach out to recruiting contacts via LinkedIn — especially at McKinsey, where referrals help.

Happy to help with tailoring your app if you want :)

Best,
Alessa :)

Answer 2

Hi,

Which office are you targeting?

First and foremost I’d suggest reaching out to a recruiter from said office to discuss further. They will direct you to the right position / application.

The roles open to you can vary by geo. For McK in London, for example, you’d likely apply as a Junior Associate rather than an entry-level Business Analyst. In other offices they may ask you to come in at entry-level.

The best case outcome would be to secure a referral from an existing MBB employee, for the position you are targeting (after speaking to a recruiter).

Answer 3

Hello there,

For some companies, your limited experience will point you towards recent grad roles, such as BA for McKinsey. I suggest that you reach out to HR to understand what role will be the best for you in every company you’ll apply.

Good luck!

Best,

Mari

Answer 4

Hi there,

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

First of all, you do most likely not qualify as an experienced hire with only one year of work experience.
Moreover, when in doubt about the right role, I would strongly advise you to reach out to the recruiter as soon as possible, as only they know for certain.

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

Answer 5

Hi there,

Check directly with the recruiter.

In some situations, if you have graduated in less than 18 months, they might even allow you to go as part of the 'cohort' graduate recruitment process. But this depends on firm to firm. Only the recruiter will be able to tell you for sure.

Best,
Cristian