Question about including a startup I'm doing in college on my resume

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• Listing your startup on your resume is a great idea. As long as you frame it well, it should not raise concerns.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming applications, pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

For sure I recommend including your start-up experience on you resume. I would only prepare an answer on the question how you see the future combining both - which is very hard. You can state you will have a more advisory and less operational role at your start-up.

Good luck.
Mattijs

Hi,

Long story short: I would definitely recommend adding your startup experience on your resume and cover letter.

Having such an experience i.e., setting up and leading a startup is totally great as it shows drive and initiative. Consultancies, PEs, IB, ... and all sorts of competitive environments do appreciate people with those characteristics.

You may also want to bring with you some interesting stories to share in the fit portion of the interview (be prepared, the interviewer always picks things up from your resume to dig deeper).

As to your concern about leaving at some point to work on your startup: Do not overthink here. It is no secret that most people start off at, say an MBB, to build experience and jump to the next thing after a couple of years (roughly ~10% will stick around to become partners) - nothing wrong with that and no hard feelings.

Good luck with your applications!
All the best,
Konstantinos

I think you are overthinking it :)

It's fine to include it in. Just make sure you are developing the points on your resume in a relevant and sharp manner.

In terms of your story - there are always ways to craft a compelling story if you are worried about the interviewer asking a question during the interview itself.

Hey!

You should definitely include your startup on your resume! It showcases leadership, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial drive—all qualities that consulting firms value. Since it's still in development, it won’t necessarily raise concerns about you leaving. Just frame it in a way that highlights your skills rather than positioning it as an alternative career path. I wouldn’t worry too much—consulting firms love entrepreneurial candidates! 🚀

Alessa

Hi there,

You should definitely add it. There are NO downsides to it. :-)

Cheers and all the best,

Florian

Hey there,

Yes, I'd recommend adding it. 

It shows that you have an entrepreneurial mindset, and have a bias to action towards actively seeking opportunities and solving problems.

All the best

Hi,

No worries about stating your startup experience! In fact, I think this could work to your advantage – you could have many good stories to tell about problem solving while building the startup. Likely you would also learn a lot more about real world business vs. in-theory learning from school.

As long as you demonstrate that you are keen to commit a few years in consulting to learn and develop the different skills and expertise, I don’t think companies would reject you because one day you might leave. People come and go in consulting all the time – they are used to it.

For myself, I left consulting for startup / tech for 3 years and then come back to consulting again. When I re-interviewed, no one questioned my tendency of leaving again someday. Rather, it is more about what I can bring to consulting from my startup experiences.

Feel free to DM me if you’d like to discuss more.

Best,
Emily