Getting into MBB Consulting after graduation with boutique internships

Question

I want to ask a question about getting into MBB consulting after graduation with boutique internships.

So, I graduated from a target UK university last year in 2022 post-COVID 19 and I interned at a boutique family office in London after graduation where I did advisory for debt and equity raising > USD 50M, 100M and 1B.

I also have previous experience representing the University in case competitions, winning international and UK-wide competitions for the University society.

I wanted to ask whether I would stand a good chance for the MBB firms in the upcoming recruitment window starting September 2023. My casing is very strong and I have been recommended to apply by EYP and BCG consultants alongside a Roland Berger partner, a McK associate and a McK EM that I know through my networks. I've been following the threads on PrepLounge for a long time and I'm not sure whether the lack of significant brand name internships affect me although my achievements at the family office firm have definitely been insightful into my decision to go to consulting.

Appreciate the help otherwise and look forward to being here for the foreseeable future, fingers crossed!

Answer 1

Heres some reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

Answer 2

Hi there!

A great brand helps, but not having them doesn't mean you stand no chance.

Practically speaking, I'd optimize for the quality of your application strategy. That means:

Firms that you apply to. In what order. When. What roles. Where.
Application document. CV. Cover Letter.
Referral strategy - the more firms you have referrals from, the higher the chances of passing screening with several of them.

Sharing with you a guide that covers all of these and will enable you to put together you own application strategy:

Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi Ewan,

You have a great background that would absolutely be a good fit for MBB! Be sure to quantify your achievements at the boutique family office on your resume. The fact that you have connections at several consulting firms is also fantastic – I would recommend seeing if you can translate any of those into referrals (e.g., from the McK EM), as that will greatly increase your likelihood of getting an interview.

Answer 4

Hi,

Without seeing your actual resume, would be hard to give specific feedback. But there are already a few things going well for you, including being from a target as well as potentially some good impact in terms of your advisory role.

It's unclear from your phrasing if ‘recommended to apply' is advice, or an actual referral. The best way to get an interview is to leverage your networks to get an actual referral - this will immensely help in getting your CV in front of recruiting. Then its up to the strength of your CV.

All the best!

Answer 5

Hi there,

Q: I wanted to ask whether I would stand a good chance for the MBB firms in the upcoming recruitment window starting September 2023.

From what you shared you have a good profile. The experiences you have seem relevant and if you can leverage referrals through your connections, that should help to compensate for any possible lack of brand recognition of the boutique family office.

You can find more on referrals below:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

Good luck!

Francesco