Hi there,

To be honest it's not easy, especially if you are not currently working, but it is possible.

You're really going to have to network aggresively. You do not need to know people to network.

To network effectively, follow these immediate tips:

a) Reach out to people in your network

b) Reach out to people once removed from your network

c) Reach out to people with a similar backgorund to you (i.e. same alma mater, same historically underrepresented demographic i.e. gender, orientation, ethnicity, etc., same career switch, etc.)

d) Tailor a message to them specifically both showing interest in them and their journey and demonstrating that you have done your research and could be a valuable hire

e) Play "tag" across calls you get so that you can work your way towards the company/office/role you want

f) Never directly ask for a referral, but "hint" at needing one (this is nuanced and important...happy to talk through wording)

Hey there,

I would fully focus on the networking and referral aspects.

Given the fact that you got invited for BCG interviews and even managed to get to the final round points to the fact that your resume and experiences are valued by top-tier firms.

How can you go about it?

In general, there are three ways to link with consulting firms and their employees:

a. Participation in events

Attend recruiting events, talk to the consultants. Get an impression of the firm and the people and leverage the contacts you have made for a referral afterward.

b. Networking with consultants and alumni

Tap into your network. Chances are some of your peers are working for your target firm. If not, use Linkedin and other platforms to reach out to consultants of your desired employer. You have a better chance when reaching out to people with a common background (alumni of your school, same hometown, same previous employer, same clubs, etc.)

c. Try to get into a mentorship program

Firms such as McKinsey and BCG have talent programs for high-potentials to mentor them during their studies. Being part of these programs is a referral in itself and an invitation to the interviews is almost guaranteed. However, getting into one of those is not as easy either and we discuss this in more detail in our networking article linked above.

The more

• referrals
• diverse
• senior

the better will be your chances to move to the interviews or aptitude test stage of the application.

Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Florian

(editiert)

Great answers from Florian and Francesco!

In addition have a look at this article I have recently published on "How do I know which Career is Right for me". Plenty of tips you can borrow: https://www.preplounge.com/en/how-do-i-know-which-career-is-right-for-me

(editiert)

You are a Yale graduate with a good GPA so firms will definitely consider you. I would approach consider a few options to pursue in parallel (assuming you haven't already started another job):

1) Network with people in your target consulting firms through school alums, mutual connections etc. Understand the timeline of next recuiront cycles and whether they do off cycle, this can vary by office

2) Reach out and apply for plan B jobs in parallel, if you weren't joining consulting right away, what would you be interested in doing? Go into something that fits your interest and have transferable skills to consulting. Tech companies and high growth startups are always a good idea

3) Pursue a passion project, mentoring, volunteering, start a blog/ podcast, etc. so that you are not idle. Again go after what makes sense for you but if they are also transferable skill sets/ topics that would be a plus

All the best and feel free to follow up if you have other questions.