Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, unfortunately, two months will not suffice for preparing and interviewing in strategy consulting, which is what I would advise you to do instead of preparing for a potentially unnecessary MBA.
• Moreover, given that you do seem to require help in developing an application roadmap, I would highly advise you to reach out to a coach about it.
• Lastly, you might very well start with initial readings, such as those found here on PrepLounge (cf. https://www.preplounge.com/en/case-interview-basics).

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there, 

If I understand correctly, getting into MBB is the long-term plan and now you're trying to figure out what you could do within the next two months to help you get closer to that goal. 

If that's the case, I would consider applying for the MBA because not only will it elevate your profile and make you a more attractive recruitment target, but it will also improve your English and your numerical skills (which will then be reflected in higher GMAT scores). 

Sharing with you here a guide on how to approach the recruitment process for consulting from then on:

• How to get a job in consulting during an economic downturn

And you might also find it useful to read these two articles on what to expect from consulting life and what it takes to excel at it:

• What being an entry-level consultant is like
• How is lifestyle in consulting

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

You're talking about a long-lasting career shift so first of all, let's get away from the 2 months you're looking at. It goes way beyond that… I once shifted from being a Geologist in O&G to being a consultant at McKinsey to a strategy leader for a global logistics player.

Instead of focusing on what to do in the short term, you should first be clear about your long term ambitions. A ‘stint’ in consulting (2-3 years for most people) may or may not get you there. For most people, consulting is indeed a great door opener for whatever career goals they have.

If MBB is your medium term goal, and it feels like a radical shift, then you should ask yourself how to make it feel less radical. That's because recruiters will feel the same way about your application. Here I see two options:

• The shift is actually radical e.g. from highly specialized academic in the field of XYZ to generalist consultant, and you may need to pick a very specific path in consulting e.g. expert path focussing on XYZ. Alternatively, you can consider an intermediate experience e.g. educational (could be an MBA) or work wise.
• The shift isn't actually that radical and you simply need some help to tell your story i.e. what you're doing now, how you got there, and how that same trajectory points towards a successful career in MBB.

Hope this helps a bit - happy to discuss more!

Best,
Moritz

Congratulations on looking to make a change - that is a big step! 

I'd recommend the following:

• Research the companies that you're interested in so that you can decide which ones to apply for
• Get your CV into shape and write a couple of cover letters so that you have the CV and some draft cover letters ready to go when you're ready to apply
• Prepare for the case interviews - there's loads of support here but relearn basic maths (you don't need the full GMAT, but percentages, fractions, times tables) and get used to doing the case studies
• Prepare for FIT interviews through thinking through times when you've shown leadership, working with challenging people, led a team, taken the initiative and prepare short stories to answer questions on them 

I don't think that you need to learn English unless you're applying for offices in English speaking countries - but it's worth looking up the entry requirements for the companies that you're interested in. 

Good luck! 

Hi there,

Italian ex-MBBer here.

Very hard to give you advice without more details on your profile, background, target firms etc.. so I will stay uber-general in terms of “macro” activities, given the two months

1) Front-load ramp-up - get a session w/ a coach upfront:  will drastically improve your results vs. effort (time)

2) Macro-activity #1 - Narrow-down your research and create “opportunity funnel”

- Finalize list of target geographies/consulting firms/offices

- Prepare CV, Cover Letter, gain referrals to get invitations to first-round interviews to your firms

3) Macro-activity #2 - Prepare for cases

- Most-intensive one. You have a ton of resources on this plafrom (look at resource pages) to get started. Self-study up to 7-10 cases (to be reached in 2 weeks max) then book a session w/ coach as per 1) to really get your preparation sorted

4) Macro-activity #3 - Prepare for fit

- Network and gain intelligence from people in your target offices 

- Self-reflect and polish your story on the WHYs (why consulting, why this firm, …) and on fit in general

- Agressively rehearse and practice delivery   

Totally NOT EXHAUSTIVE, but to give you a “bird-eye” overview.

DM me if interested in deep-diving.

Hope it helps 

If you want to go to MBB, you should take the quickest route: just apply. If you don't get the interview, then go for the MBA.