How do I effectively integrate an MBB internship experience into my CV for other MBB/T2 applications?

Question

Context: I finished my undergrad studies this summer and interned with an MBB afterwards. I did not apply to other MBB/T2 firms as I was pretty confident that I could convert my internship into a FT offer. In retrospect, this might have been a mistake. In the last week of the internship I was informed that the timeline for my decision call would be delayed for a minimum of 2 weeks. It's been almost 3 weeks and I did not hear back from them yet despite what I evaluated to be good feedback.

Reality sort of hit and I feel that I need to start applying to other firms to prepare for the eventuality of not receiving a return offer. I have two questions:

1) How can I effectively present my internship experience on my CV, considering that staffing on each of my cases was relatively short (~three weeks)? Most of my other CV entries (non-consulting) reflect longer commitments (three months or more), where it’s easier to highlight impact

2) If I don’t receive a return offer, should I still mention the internship on my resume? Could that raise a red flag?

Answer 1

Hey!

On your CV, present your MBB internship by highlighting specific contributions and measurable outcomes from each project, even if they were brief. Use bullets focused on impact, such as solving specific client issues, contributing to key insights, or implementing solutions, to show the depth of your contributions despite the short time. Use phrases like "analyzed," "developed recommendations," or "spearheaded," followed by specific achievements or quantitative results where possible.
Yes, you should definitely include the MBB internship on your resume even if you don’t receive a return offer, as it demonstrates valuable experience and brand recognition that is highly respected in consulting. Many candidates successfully leverage MBB internships for other consulting roles, so it’s unlikely to be a red flag. Just be prepared to explain the situation professionally if asked, emphasizing what you accomplished and learned during the internship.

Hope that helps!

Alessa

Answer 2

1) How can I effectively present my internship experience on my CV, considering that staffing on each of my cases was relatively short (~three weeks)? Most of my other CV entries (non-consulting) reflect longer commitments (three months or more), where it’s easier to highlight impact

Include 2-3 bullets about your internship. Mention key achievements / outcomes, even for 3-weeks projects. Explain in the bullet how you contribute to the outcome, focusing on key consulting skills (data analysis, Excel modelling, problem solving, communication, stakeholder management, etc.).

2) If I don’t receive a return offer, should I still mention the internship on my resume? Could that raise a red flag?

All depends on your storytelling. Focus on what you learnt during your internship. Mention skills you developed and industries you worked for. If they asked about your offer, be honest and keep focusing on your learnings.

Good luck!

Alberto

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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Answer 3

Hi,

Re. 1) Agree with Alessa and Alberto. Happy to share some quick sample bullets others have used so you can use them as templates.

Re. 2) Agree with Alessa.

Additionally: To maximize your chances of landing interviews at top firms, make sure to have solid coffee chats with ~5 consultants at each of your target offices. This will help your resume stand out during a competitive recruiting cycle. Happy to share specific tips.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Hi there,

First of all, fingers crossed that you still get the return offer!

Since you mentioned that staffing was relatively short across several projects, it could be that not all decision makers/evaluators (usually partners, EMs) on the different projects had the time to provide their feedback, hence, the decision is delayed...

As regards the internship, I'll flip your questions:

Definitely add it to the CV. It's a very strong indicator for other firms and would likely lead to many interview invitations for the other MBBs and T2
Treat it like any other station on your resume:
1. Top-down, concise description of impact, achievements, and successes ideally quantified
2. Avoid generic task descriptions

Cheers,

Florian