Hi,
How much is knowledge of a foreign language (Lets say top 10 language in the world) valued by a consulting firm (MBB). Specifically, lets say I am applying to Asian office of MBB (MBA from a target school plus good international experience) and have B2/C1 level proficiency in a major European language (apart from fluent English and native language proficiency) Would it aid my application in any way? Would the dynamics change if I instead apply to a European office?
Thanks
Hi there,
language skills definitely can be a plus. However, the degree to which it will aid you really depends a lot on the specific geography (i.e. office). At the end of the day, consulting firms, through the application process, want to understand how “staffable” a candidate will be - if your language skill is frequently used on projects worked on by a given target office, it can be a massive catalyst. If otherwise, the skill may be nice, but not overly relevant for the recruiting decision.
Feel free to PM me, if you'd like to get a detailed view on a specific geography. I worked for BCG in both Asia and Europe + for years + did target school MBA, so surely can give you further insight.
Regards,
Andi
Hi there,
1) Would it aid my application in any way?
A foreign language can normally add value only if it can be used during projects. Given it is a European language and you are applying in Asia, this is unlikely to be the case.
An exception could be if you learned the language fluently in a very short amount of time (eg 6 months) as this would indicate you have great skills as a fast learner.
2) Would the dynamics change if I instead apply to a European office?
The same rule applies, so if the language is used in the office it is going to have value, otherwise no. In most European offices, you need to know the local language to be considered.
Best,
Francesco
Hi there,
Any added skill on your resume adds value. If you have a skills section that has a whole bunch of quantitative/analytical tools and then several languages, you're a more attractive candidate simply by virtue of being generally more impressive!
3 languages is a great addition to your resume to round you out as a candidate.
that said, a European language specifically for an Asian office obviously adds less value than if the language matches the office to which you're applying!
Ultimately, what matters? None of the above…just add your languages to your resume. Move on and don't worry about the exact % that it improves your odds…just add it!
If you apply for an office in Asia and you know French or German (e.g.), this has close to zero impact on both your chances to land an offer and your chances to have a fast-track when inside each of the MBB.
Other things are much more relevant (some high-level competitive sports experience, army experience, knowledge of some commercially used analytics tool, etc).
It doesn't have much value in itself. It has some value if, when considering other achievements, shows that you have a very strong work ethic and ability to learn.
Hello
Knowledge of an European language, when applying to an Asian office with clients primarily centred around that region, will have no impact at all. However, if you apply to the native country office for that language, it might be seen as a positive (in potentially your initial screening) but might not be a needle mover.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Thanks Andi. I shall reach out to you in the near future