How to position myself in MBB recruitment as an MBA when I have limited work experience? I am at a target MBA program but find it hard to pass the resume (at least for the summer). I think part of the reason why it is the case is that I only have ~2 years of work experience. I am sort of sad now because of this. Any tips? Thanks!
How to position myself in MBB recruitment as an MBA when I have limited work experience?
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Hi there,
Your work experience is not necessarily a problem. What you should do is the following:
- STEP 1: Polish your CV and Cover - chances are they have not been optimized
- STEP 2: Find a referral in the office you are targeting
- STEP 3: Apply via referral only
To find a referral, you should do the following:
- Identify the people that can help you
- Write them a customized email
- Have a call and indirectly ask for a referral
As general tips:
- Don’t use LinkedIn for your communication – emails work better. You should target 30% conversion for your messages; if you are not achieving that, there is space for improvement.
- When sending emails, your goal should be to organize a call, not to ask questions – you can then use the call for the questions.
- You need to close the call with an indirect request for a referral – don’t leave that to chances. There are specific ways to phrase it.
You should prepare three main things before the call:
- Your own pitch. 3-4 lines should be enough
- 3-4 questions on the personal experiences of the person. Avoid to ask questions on the company
- A closing question for the referral. It should be an indirect request to avoid to be too pushy
Before the call, you should have your CV and Cover ready – in this way you can send them right away it if the person wants to refer you.
If you are interested to know the exact email to write, questions to ask and indirect closing to land the referral, please feel free to PM me.
I provide a 30 min session at 50% discount to understand the exact steps to get MBB referrals, directly from home – no events participation required.
This includes all the scripts needed for the email to send and the call to have with the consultant.
Following the same process, I managed to get 6 invitations out of 6 applications – including all MBB. I regularly see my mentees getting referrals for MBB with that.
Best,
Francesco
(edited)
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#1 Improve your resume
- The template you use is critical. I've had candidates with amazing experience but horrible templates. Make sure your resume layout brings the eye to whats important, is sharp/clear, and organized/clean
- Be concise + clear with your experience bullet points. Make sure, where possible, bullet points articulate both clear skills/responsibilities (verbs) AND impact ($ or %). Do so with as few words as possible (without taking away the "bigness" of it
- Less can sometimes be more. Make sure you inlude the experience that actually matters. Anything you add that is uninteresting doesn't just add 0 value, it detracts from the rest of your experiences!
#2 Network Agressively
1) Check out the PrepLounge Q&As
2) Sign up with a session with a coach (I can teach you what you need to know in just 1 session)
3) Follow these immediate tips:
a) Reach out to people in your network
b) Reach out to people once removed from your network
c) Reach out to people with a similar backgorund to you (i.e. same alma mater, same historically underrepresented demographic i.e. gender, orientation, ethnicity, etc., same career switch, etc.)
d) Tailor a message to them specifically both showing interest in them and their journey and demonstrating that you have done your research and could be a valuable hire
e) Play "tag" across calls you get so that you can work your way towards the company/office/role you want
f) Never directly ask for a referral, but "hint" at needing one (this is nuanced and important...happy to talk through wording)
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Dear A,
I would recommend you to look at your situation not from the position "Everything is failed", but from the angle "What can I do?".
To help you to answer this question I would recommend you:
1. Take care about your CV and Cover letten and polish them nicely.
2. Apply through a referal. It will significantly maximise your chances for inetrview.
If you need any help with networking strategy for your referral or example of a good CV and Cover letter, feel free to reach out ot me.
Best,
André
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At target schools, MBB (at least in the US) have full time reps that work with MBA students on recruiting. Have you reached out to them yet? I would highly encourage you to do so as they are great and their entire role is to help you get in!
(edited)
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Hello!
Nothing to worry about. If you are in a target school, even with little experience, I am sure it´s great one.
Put it into value as u did with the MBA application.
Best,
Clara
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