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should I start to networking and prep cases

internship MBA MBB technology
New answer on May 15, 2020
9 Answers
1.5 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Apr 22, 2020

Hi all, i am a 1st year mba student, will start to do my internship at a big tech(FAANG) but i want to recruit for consulting next year for full time.

shall i start to networking now and prep cases or shall i wait till after summer intern?

thanks

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Anonymous updated the answer on Apr 23, 2020

Hi there,

If you are following the US timeline, the typical full time recruiting interview would start from late Sep. By late Oct many of the big consulting firms would have been done with the interviews and send out offers. So you need to be ready by mid to late Sep. If your intern is during the July-Aug timeline, then starting after the summer intern would be a bit late in my opinion.

Summer internship could actually be a good time to prep. But if you expect your summer time to be very busy, then wouldn't it be better to start earlier if you have time now? Don't leave things to last minute.

Best,

Emily

(edited)

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Luca
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 26, 2020
BCG |NASA | SDA Bocconi & Cattolica partner | GMAT expert 780/800 score | 200+ students coached

Hello,

You should consider 1 month and an half of full time work to prepare your interviews (studying + practicing with other people). If you are planning to start in January, I would consider to start now your preparation and to schedule your interviews in September.

Regarding the networking, I would suggest to start as soon as possible because it could require some months and there is no downside to build it with some months in advance. Try to leverage the events organised by your school and your alumni network.

Best,
Luca

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Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 23, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Sure yes!

I would leverage the MBA for both: taking classes related to consulting and using the networking events & alumni who are current MBBs.

Cheers,

Clara

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Vlad
Expert
replied on Apr 23, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I know how hectic the MBA process can be and the earlier you start - the better. I believe your internship will be mostly remote so you'll have plenty of time

Best

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Thomas
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 23, 2020
150+ interviews | 6+ years experience | Bain, Kearney & Accenture | Exited startup| London Business School

Hi, this answer is indeed very simple; yes absolutely!

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Udayan
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 23, 2020
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /6 years McKinsey recruiting experience

As suggested by others. It might be helpful to start now. One reason to consider postponing is if you happen to like your internship at FAANG enough to work there vs consulting.

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Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Apr 23, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

when are you planning to apply? As general rules:

  • Case prep: consider around 100 hours of prep minimum to be safe. For many people, this means starting to prep 2-3 months before the expected interviews. Of course, you can spread this further if needed or if you expect to be busy
  • Networking: I would start to do this 1-2 months max before the time you apply, otherwise the person may forget you

Best,

Francesco

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Anonymous replied on May 15, 2020

Dear A ,


I would recommend you to start networking, because it's very time-consuming. But you can wait with case prep until you've done with your internship.

Best,
André

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Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on May 01, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, there are no wrong time for networking, therefore I totally recommend starting to creat it. About case preparation consider a maximum of 3-4 months (if you will be super busy)

Best

Antonello

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