Starting a career in consulting with a STEM degree

Hi Oliver,

Q: Anyone has been in a similar position and could provide any advice on what sort of jobs/internships to apply for and generally how to enter the field with no prior experience in it?

There are several candidates with a non-business background that apply for consulting positions. Most firms will be happy to invite you to interviews if you have a strong CV, Cover and a referral.

Below you can find some tips.

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1) CV

The key elements they will look for and that you should structure correctly are:

• Work experience
• Education (university brand, major, GPA, experience abroad)
• Extracurriculars and volunteer experience

Common red flags include:

• Low GPA
• Bad formatting / typos
• 3-4 pages in length
• Lack of clear action --> results structure for the bullets of the experiences
• Long paragraphs (3-4 lines) for the bullets of the experiences with irrelevant details
• Long time gaps without explanation

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2) COVER LETTER

You can structure a cover with 4 parts:

1. Introduction, mentioning the position you are interested in and a specific element you find attractive for that company
2. Why you are qualified for the job, where you can report 3 skills/stories from your CV
3. Why you are interested in that particular firm, with additional 1-2 specific reasons
4. Final remarks, mentioning again your interest and contacts

In part 2 you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others.

It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.

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3) REFERRALS

This is probably the most important point. To find a referral, you should follow three main steps:

1. Identify the people that can help you (most of the time, the best bet is Alumni of your university)
2. Write to them a customized email
3. 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 chance. 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 about the company
• A closing question for the referral. It should be an indirect request to avoid being too pushy

You can find more information on networking and referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation 

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BONUS: CASE INTERVIEW PREP

In terms of the interview itself, you can find some tips below:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

If you need more help please feel free to PM me.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there, 

I would suggest first starting to network with a few people who work in consulting to get a better understanding of the work, the sort of firms that would be most relevant for you and whether you'd even be a good fit for the job. 

I wrote a couple of articles on PrepLounge that cover precisely this topic:

• What being an entry-level consultant is like
• How is lifestyle in consulting
• How to network and get referrals

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

It is definitely very common and top firms are always looking for non-traditional hires.

What is important at this stage is not your specialization but consistent excellence on your resume. In order to have a shot with MBB you would need to demonstrate the following:

• Strong academic track record (prestige of uni and/or program, high GPA,…)
• Preferably some relevant work experience (this is what most STEM applicants lack → try to get 1-2 internships with a smaller consulting firm or a leading company in your area before applying at MBB, ideally in an analytical role)
• Time spent abroad (always a plus to have studied or worked abroad)
• Extracurricular activities (e.g., leadership experiences, etc.)

Cheers,

Florian

Hi Oliver,

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

• If you're looking to start a career in strategy consulting with a background in STEM, you're definitely not alone. Many strategy consulting firms are looking for non-traditional hires and value diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• It is important to note that while your specialization in chemistry may not directly align with consulting, what is crucial at this stage is academic excellence across your professional life so far. Highlighting your ability to analyze complex problems, communicate effectively, and work well in teams will be key in demonstrating your fit for a consulting role.
• Additionally, I would advise you to get a referral by reaching out to current employees of the target companies, ideally someone with a connection to you, such as a mutual acquaintance or a colleague from university. Having a referral can increase your chances of getting interviews and ultimately landing a job with the companies.

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,

I joined McKinsey with a STEM degree and 6+ years experience as a Petroleum Geologist in the oil industry (and an MBA, to be fair…).

Consulting is generally open to everyone and you wouldn't be the first Chemistry graduate to join straight out of uni. You would typically start as a Generalist, just like a philosophy or business major would. That's because you don't have any relevant experience yet that would qualify you for a more specialized role.

What you may lack, however, is business acumen, key consulting skills, and the ability to convey both via the right communication style. You will need to develop this for all your interactions and stages of the transition:

• First, start with a great CV that must be fit for business regarding content, form, and format, and not for academia (coaches can help a great deal here)
• Secondly, you should get busy networking and talk to current consultants to understand career paths and get your profile on their radar (with your brand new CV). I suggest a linkedin search for school alumni with a similar backgrounds and start reaching out (a coach can help here, too)
• Once you feel comfortable, it's time to apply (ideally with a referral). This will ideally lead you to the interview process, which is going to be the most intense part of your transition considering the preparation it takes (needless to say, coaches can help a great deal here)

Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more, happy to help!

Best,

Moritz

Hi Oliver,

So many people have been in your situation! You do not need prior experience to get in - they want smart, capable, driven people that can learn.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Get exposure/experience in consulting - consulting club, experiential organizations like Impact Consulting, etc.
2. Network - get on the phone and talk to people
3. Resume - get it professionally reviewed to make it as good as possible

Good luck in your journey!

Many people enter consulting with a STEM background and no prior consulting experience (myself included). Many of the larger consulting firms also have chemicals practices. That might be a way for you to get a foot in the door.

Good luck

Why don't you apply directly? Why do you think you need to have a complicated path until you reach consulting? It's usually the other way around.

Coach Francesco has given a top answer here!

All the best.