Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 448,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

Circumstantial lack of experience | MBB middle East

BainDubai BCGDubai dubai Kearney dubai McKinsey Dubai McKinseyDubai
New answer on Apr 14, 2021
4 Answers
1.3 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Apr 13, 2021

I'm attending a top MSc in management in a few months, with the goal of landing a consulting entry-level position preferably at MBB in Dubai. My school has, by far, the largest Dubai recruitment base in Europe

What's really upsetting me is my lack of relevant experience. I had one commercial banking internship, but then in the summer of '20, my CF internship got cancelled due to covid restrictions. To add insult to injury, due to further covid restrictions, I'll be done with my undergraduate degree by the end of July. Though I have secured an internship already, there is no time available to actually take the job as by then I have to head to Europe for my master's degree.

I can take part-time while studying, but I can only work too many hours then. With that said, how much do I have to worry? Is MBB or tier2 wishful thinking now?

(edited)

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 13, 2021
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

I would say it depends on the brand of the company you did the internship for – if it is a top brand could be enough as work experience.

Additional elements you can consider to strengthen your application, besides a part-time job:

  1. Find a referral (more on that here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176 )
  2. Identify extracurriculars that can provide value and require low effort in terms of hours (eg – no profit requiring 1 hour per week)
  3. Prepare a top CV (more on that here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/experienced-consultant-resume-writing-8946)

Best,

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 14, 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, I recommend working on international experiences and prestigious internships to make the cv a perfect fit for top consulting

Best,
Antonello

Was this answer helpful?
Mickle replied on Apr 14, 2021

Great advise!

Was this answer helpful?
0
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 13, 2021
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

If I were you I would do everything I could to get a bit more work experience - otherwise your resume will be quite sparse.

Now, that could be a short-term internship this summer, or part time work during your Masters. You could also lead some clubs/organizations to further flesh out your resume.

If you can help it, you do indeed want to avoid a situation where your resume is just your education.

That said, you can overcome this by extensive resume work to "hide" this, as well as by networking extensively.

Was this answer helpful?
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely