Approaching the end of my studies - Apply for an internship or full-time position?

Hi there,

Q: Does it make sense to apply for an internship position starting on January 01 or go for a full time position right away in February?

Most consulting companies have fixed periods when you can start, so you may not have the flexibility to choose.

I don’t think there is the pro for full-time you are referring to. In most countries, they can terminate a full-time offer within a certain period of time. So even if you join full time you won’t have specific advantages. 

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In terms of internship vs full-time: usually it makes sense to apply for an internship if:

1. You have fewer interviews to go through
2. You can start significantly earlier
3. You want to “try” consulting as you are not sure and still get a good brand on your CV

In your case #2 and #3 don’t seem to apply and full-time could make more sense, unless #1 is true.

You should also check with HR/internal contacts about what they would recommend – in some countries there may be limitations on the role you may apply for given your background. 

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Overall my recommendation is to:

1. Find someone that can refer you (it will help with getting the interviews as well)
2. Align with them based on the office needs / their suggestion on the best option, unless you already see a clear winner given the criteria above

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You can find more on referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Referral

Good luck!

Francesco

Honestly, I don't see a benefit in applying for the internship. 

If you fail recruiting for the internship will you get a second chance one month afterwards for the same company? Not really. 

If you get the intership but have a bad performance will it be different from getting a full time offer and having a bad performance? Not really, in both cases, you'll be counselled out. So no, you don't have higher job security if you go for the full time offer.

Frankly, you are almost done with your degree. You need a full time job. You know this, they know this. They are likely to perceive you as a full time candidate anyway. You don't even have enough time for a full project between January and February…

Meaning that you either apply as a full time candidate, or you ask them what they prefer, and let them choose.

Hi there,

I personally don't see a reason to apply for an internship. You may as well go straight for full-time.

Now, I strongly recommend you network extensively. As you network, you can ask this question to the consultants/recruiters at that exact office! They'll be able to tell you with absolutely certainty what makes most sense given your profile and their office dynamics!

Hey there,

For McKinsey, you can only apply for a full-time position at the end of your studies.

Cheers,

Florian