Experienced hire - does my profile fit for applying to MBB?

Question

Hi,

I am looking to make a transition to a consulting role into a MBB at best.

Background:

I am come from Pakistan M33 and did my o and alevels there. Graduated with straight As and then did electrical engineering at the top uni within the country. I didn’t do that well though with the GPA. Got 2.8. after graduation got some work experience within the field of supply chain management for 2 years and did my masters within that field in Germany. In masters I got a 1.7 on the German scale. During studying I did an internship and a workstudent work at KPMG in their tech consulting wing. After finishing over there I went to and joined a reputed clothing manufacturer and got promoted twice within 4 years from junior BI analyst to senior BI analyst. I work mostly with data analytics, visualisations, communicating with zhr stakeholders and translating their issues into data requirements for dev ops, I can also develop myself. Though I’m progressing along here well I don’t find the job that challenging. You would want to ask the question why I didn’t apply straight out of uni? I wasn’t satisfied with my German skills and I was on a visa so I couldn’t wait around and I needed to pay my bills so I had to move fast. I would want to make a change where I’m learning the most and solving problems that actually matter. BI is important but a company can do without it as well. I wanted to try consulting and strategic consulting sounds challenging and I would be up for it. Does my profile even make sense applying or do I need to do a facelift after more work experience or promotions to make that transition or I’m simply too old? I don’t want to fall into a specialised tech role within the MBB and want to work as more as a generalist.

Looking forward to your replies.

Answer 1

Hi, there

Thank you for your question. Although a deeper assessment of your profile and stories would be required for a better answer, I'll give it a shot based on what you described:

Direct answer to your question, I believe, is yes. You seem to posess some skills and stories that are compatible with the consulting world - e.g., knowledge of BI tools, consulting and supply chain. Having said that, depending on the profile of the office you apply to, you might need to compensate for your grades. This can be done by showing relevant experience stories and demonstrating solid conceptual knowledge during the case interview (e.g., probability, statistics, finance etc.).

I don't know how much you are familiar to the MBB process and requirements, but if you are considering to apply to them (and to other firms) and accept a tip, I strongly recommend you to prepare in advance for all the dimensions of the recruitment process. Make up a robust plan for that - which firms to apply to, when and in what sequence, networking / coffee chat with employees, GMAT needed or not, language proficiency, FIT questions and stories, structured communication, case interview types, daily case interview prep plan, list of questions to the interviewer, etc.

I hope it helps you on your journey and best of luck!

Anderson

Answer 2

Hi there,

At the moment, not sure to be honest.

Why?

With 33 years, MBB would expect

strong brand names on the resume
more leadership experience
more strategic (not purely analytical) experience

You could:

Directly network with the firms and active consultants to learn more
Apply for a different firm first (boutique or Big 4), gain experience, and then apply with MBB in 2-3 years

With a longer-term perspective, I think it would be feasible!

All the best,

Florian

Answer 3

What's the action here? If people answer no you will refrain from applying?

It's not a clear cut resume, there's a good chance you won't be invited. But it's not a complete waste of time - you do have a chance. A minor chance, but not a “residual” chance.

So go for it. Apply!