"Why intern and not full-time?"

Hi there, 

I unfortunately have to agree with your initial hunch: the current positioning shows some weakness and lack of confidence. 

The only alternative I could have thought of would be to say: “I have a strong hypothesis that I like consulting, but it is nevertheless still something I would like to try as an internship first to get that confirmation.” 

But if I read your abbreviation correctly that FTC = Full Time Consulting position, then you cannot really use the above motivation. 

If I were you, I would go back to your fundamental reasons and see if there is any way to update your thinking there. 

1. On the re-application timeline: do you think you would realistically apply straight away after an internship rejection to a full time position and that would go perfectly smooth? I would personally have some doubts there. 

Alternatively: can you apply for a different MBB in case of a rejection for one? Like to stack your chances. 

2. On the test-run: what is exactly you want to test? If you already do consulting, that would be fairly representative on the nature of job. But say you want to test-run the company. Well, in a 3 months internship, you get two projects at the very best case scenario - this of course gives an impression on the type of work & company, but by no means a full picture of how your career will be there. 

Alternatively: can you expand your research and try to answer your questions as much as possible before applying? 

Hope this provides a helpful perspective, 

Ariadna 

Hey,

Good idea to prep for this question. I got it back in the days, the interviewer challenged me a lot asking why I would turn down the extra money the FT position offers. 
My advice on answering fit questions is to stay true to yourself as much as possible. Focus on framing it in a way that shows that you can fit in. For this question, you can share that you want to increase your chances to get a FT offer by doing an internship first. Don’t present it as you not being confident enough in your ability to get through the FT itw process. Instead, show that you are self-aware of your weaknesses and mention one that they will see anyway during the interview (for example: I have a monotone voice which sometimes gives the wrong first impression) and that’s the reason why you prefer to play it safe, get the internship and then prove yourself over a longer period. Express that you are confident in your ability to convert the internship into a FT offer thanks to your qualities 1,2, and 3. This way the interviewer can’t think that you’re not confident, they will appreciate having someone aware of its strengths and weaknesses and adapting his approach to make the most out of them. 

“Firstly, as I understand if I get rejected from an internship I can still apply immediately to FT, but rejection from FT will need 1 year until I reapply (confirmed by my connection).”

This isn't correct. The idea of not applying the ban is that if you are still doing your degree, you should be able to apply for a summer internship, for example, and then apply for the full time role again a few months later, and you'll have 1 more academic year on your belt by then. 

This doesn't apply to you. You'll have the same exact resume. If you get the interview and fail, they will reject your application for the full time role anyway (even if they don't reject the application), because you failed recently. I.e., you may not get the formal ban, but you get the rejection anyway. 

“Secondly, I want a test run first. I have a contract at my bank that can start in 10/2024 or 06/2025. So doing an internship is a good experience first (legally allowed, by the way). I realise these reasons signal strong weaknesses. That is, lack of confidence and commitment."

I would frame it the following way: what I want is to get the job. I am happy to either get the full time offer immediately, or the internship role instead because I am confident I will perform well enough to get the full time offer afterwards.

Basically, turn the tables - instead of being a sign of lack of confidence ("I can't get the FT offer"), make it a sign of confidence ("I am so confident I'll have a great performance that I don't care to start as an intern")

The way you are positioning is very negative and fearful. It makes you come across as someone who is not sure about consulting and are hedging many options. Generally people don't want to hire someone who is not confident. 

Another approach is to say - you are really sure about consulting for x,y,z reasons but you want to make sure the firm is a good fit before committing because you see yourself there for a long time. 

Hi there,

I am not sure which MBB you are talking about but most McK offices don't even hire interns after graduation as their line of reasoning goes: “At that stage of your career, you need to know what you want to do.”

Make sure that your answer is structured and authentic:

• Think of 3-4 personal reasons and qualify them (should be centered around your desire to learn more about the job before committing to it fully)
• Hint that you would immediately like to convert the internship into a full-time position if your hunch about consulting proves to be right

All the best,

Florian