Hi there!

First of all, I love your clarity and sense of purpose. It makes me confident that you're going to make it eventually regardless of what we might even write here in the comments :)

Basically, I see 3 things that you can do:

1. Get some ‘consulting-like' experience. This could mean joining a consulting club, doing a consulting internship or even starting something on your own. Displaying consultant-like skills is a huge part of getting firms interested in you. 
2. Get your CV & CL professionally reviewed. Most candidates assume that their CV & CL is ‘good enough’ and should do well, which is why most people get rejected. Once you've had it professionally reviewed, you'll see there is a significant gap between what good and great look like. 
3. Apply broadly. You can check out the article below, but in short, in a period such as this, you shouldn't only be aiming for MBB. You should first aim to enter the industry (ideally in the best firm possible) and then start moving around in 1-2 years when the market is better.

• Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

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Hi there,

First of all, read this article for general tips on getting a job (full-time and internship tips are very similar): https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

Second, I appreciate that you have flagged the economy/state of hiring as a factor: This cannot be underestimated!

Third, please don't underestimate the importance of networking

Finally, please don't underestimate that everything is probabilities. You might have a perfect resume and still not get interviewed - which is why you want to make sure to cast the net wide.

Now, in terms of strengthening your resume:

#1 advice here is to join a experiential learning/pro bono consulting gig. You should join several of those. Most have you work 5-10 hours/week for a few weeks/months. This is perfect for you to round out your resume to “look” more suited to consulting and simultaneously build up your business/consulting experience so as to perform better in the interviews.

Hi there,

1) Would any business internships be good or are there any specific business fields I should target for an M.D? 

Ideally I would prioritize experiences with:

• Strong brand
• Related to strategy

The best option if applicable would be another strategy consulting firm. You might want to target one covering healthcare to maximize chances (eg ZS Associates, LEK, IQVIA, ClearView, Putnam). Besides consulting, roles in F500 in strategy, VC or PE would also be good.

2) I'm also interested in venture capital so applying for some of the fellowships open to M.Ds as well, would those be helpful also? 

VC would be good as an industry.

3) Lastly, what else aside from business internships would consulting firms like to see on the resume?

For the CV, I would recommend this:

▶ How to Craft a Great CV for Consulting

Besides a strong CV, I would recommend finding a referral to strengthen the application, you can find more on that here.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

agree with the other coaches here - adding strategy-relevant experiences would be very helpful - be it with lower tier consulting firms, pro-bono consulting gigs, corporate strategy roles etc. Beyond that, other relevant (internship) roles with strong brands in the corporate world (esp Fortune 500 companies) will strengthen your candidacy too. With your specific profile, gaining a few months experience in big pharma can typically be a reasonable choice, for example. 

Feel free to share your CV via DM, then I can take a quick look and advise specifically.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi