Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your family situation, hope the situation is better now. In terms of your question:

Q: I am a consulting analyst at Accenture with 1 YOE coming up this august. What can I do to make sure I can make it passed the resume screen? I want to reapply to MBB. 

You need three main things to pass the screening: a great CV, a great Cover and a referral.

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1) CV

The key elements they will look for and that you should structure correctly are:

• Work experience
• Education (university brand, major, GPA, experience abroad)
• Extracurriculars and volunteer experience

Common red flags include:

• Low GPA
• Bad formatting / typos
• 3-4 pages in length
• Lack of clear action --> results structure for the bullets of the experiences
• Long paragraphs (3-4 lines) for the bullets of the experiences with irrelevant details
• Long time gaps without explanation

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2) COVER LETTER

You can structure a cover with 4 parts:

1. Introduction, mentioning the position you are interested in and a specific element you find attractive for that company
2. Why you are qualified for the job, where you can report 3 skills/stories from your CV
3. Why you are interested in that particular firm, with additional 1-2 specific reasons
4. Final remarks, mentioning again your interest and contacts

In part 2 you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others.

It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.

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3) REFERRALS

This is probably the most important point and can help to compensate for the low GPA. To find a referral, you should follow three main steps:

1. Identify the people that can help you (most of the time, the best bet is Alumni of your university)
2. Write to them a customized email
3. Have a call and indirectly ask for a referral

As general tips:

• Don’t use LinkedIn for your communication – emails work better. You should target 30% conversion for your messages; if you are not achieving that, there is space for improvement
• When sending emails, your goal should be to organize a call, not to ask questions – you can then use the call for the questions
• You need to close the call with an indirect request for a referral – don’t leave that to chances. There are specific ways to ask for it

You should prepare three main things before the call:

• Your own pitch. 3-4 lines should be enough
• 3-4 questions on the personal experiences of the person. Avoid to ask questions about the company only
• A closing question for the referral. It should be an indirect request to avoid being too pushy

You can find more information on networking and referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation 

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BONUS: CASE INTERVIEW PREP

In terms of the interview itself, you can find some tips below:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

If you need more help please feel free to PM me.

Good luck!

Francesco

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you faced during your college years, and I hope your mother is doing better.

To answer you question, getting a referral should be your number one goal. Once you get it, everything depends on your performance during the intreviews.

To increase your chances of making it past the resume screen for MBB, you can take several steps:

1. Focus on highlighting your relevant work experience and achievements in your resume, since you will need to share it with those to whom you will reach out. Since you have already worked as a consulting analyst at Accenture, emphasize the relevant skills and experiences you gained in that role, including project management, data analysis, problem-solving, and client interaction. Highlight any particularly challenging projects you have worked on and any positive feedback or recognition you received from your supervisors or clients.
2. Use your network to your advantage. Reach out to alumni or other professionals who work at MBB and ask for informational interviews or advice on how to strengthen your application. This can help you gain insights into the recruiting process and what recruiters are looking for in candidates.
3. Demonstrate your interest in MBB and your commitment to a career in consulting. Use your cover letter and networking conversations to convey your enthusiasm for the work MBB does and your eagerness to contribute to their team. Share your long-term career goals and how you see MBB fitting into those goals.
4. Don't be afraid to contact people high up in the hierarchy. They are usually more responsive and have greater referral power.
5. Be honest, explain your situation and people will understand.

Overall, focus on highlighting your strengths and experiences, building your network in order to get a referral, and demonstrating your passion and commitment to a career in consulting. 

Good luck with your application!

(editiert)

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your family situation!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, if the recruiter specifically encouraged you to apply, he/she must have taken a look at your resume. In that case, you do not need to worry, and I would highly advise you to apply.
• Moreover, if you had any extenuating circumstances like caring for a sick parent during your college years, I would advise you to mention that in your application. You can explain that in your cover letter or in a separate document. By doing this, you provide the recruiting team with context for your GPA and show that you have valid reasons for not performing academically. I have helped several coachees in similar situations and it has always turned out well so far.
• Lastly, I highly advise you to contact a coach to have your application files refined and to reach out to current employees of your target companies to secure a referral. By doing this, you can ensure that you have done your very best to pass the screening phase.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

(editiert)

Hi there, 

Sorry to hear about all this. It sounds like you had a difficult time. 

To make sure you pass the resume screen, you need to have great application documents:
 

1. CV
2. Cover Letter
3. Referrals - you can use coffee chats to get these - more information on this HERE.

I'm happy to help you free of charge with the CV. I can't imagine what it's like being in your shoes. DM me and we'll take it from there. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Congrats!

There are two main things you should do.

1. On top of already being invited, you should try to get a strong referral from someone in the firms.
2. Get a resume overhaul to make sure you have the right keywords and phrases in their to make you shine in the best possible light. Cover letter is often mentioned however has almost no impact.

All the best,

Florian

Hi there,

The #1 rule is to focus on what you can control!

That is:

1. Get as strong a resume as you can (invest in a coach for this)
2. Build a strong a profile as you can (get a promotion, get additional “side” experience/skills, etc.)
3. Network a ton and network effectively

Good luck to you!