Struggling to find opening Experience Hire Consultant roles at top consulting firms

Question

I am based in China and did my MBA in Europe (only speak English). I am trying to apply to experienced hire roles (generalist consultants) at top consulting firms, but it's challenging to find opening roles. I am quite flexible to locations, as I'm quite determined to continue a path in consulting.

I've tried to network with people to find openings but didn't manage to do so, and I thought it may be a good idea to exchange recruitment informations here.

Based on people's feedback, MBB seems not actively hiring and there is still a hiring freeze (at least in China / HK). I'm wondering does anyone know whether MBB (or other tier 2 firms) are still hiring in Singapore / London / Amsterdam / Middle East, or any other English speaking regions that are welcoming foreigners)?

Lastly, are there other more effective ways to find out which firms are hiring actively in different regions? Networking takes a lot of time but sometimes its hard to get a contact email of the firm in a region…

Any suggestion is appreciated!

Answer 1

Hello,

This is going to depend by office/firm/role, but I have seen some candidates get hired in Germany, UK, and Middle East over the past few months. Regarding the strategy to find this out more concretely, you are doing the right thing - keep reaching out to people who work in the offices you are interested in applying for, and visit companies' websites to see if any updated applications are posted.

Answer 2

Hi there,

1) Does anyone know whether MBB (or other tier 2 firms) are still hiring in Singapore / London / Amsterdam / Middle East

Some of my candidates do have interviews with MBB in the UK and the Middle East scheduled in the next weeks. Please keep in mind there could be differences also due to the seniority of the candidate / target role.

2) Lastly, are there other more effective ways to find out which firms are hiring actively in different regions?

The best way to get real up-to-date information is that you connect with current consultants in those offices, which is useful in any case to get a referral.

You can find more on networking/referrals below:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

▶ The Exact Steps to Get a Referral

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 3

Hiring waves are getting more and more unpredictable these days. Some companies are on, some are frozen, some locations are on, some are frozen.

Middle-east is generally a fairly active region for recruiting, but the competition is fierce. Happy to guide you in your quest - pls feel free to write me with more details.

Answer 4

Hi there,

A candidate of mine was just given an offer by BCG yesterday.

Plenty are getting interviews.

Is the market great? Nope. Is hiring still happening? Absolutely!

I agree, it absolutely is challenging, but I recommend you take a second look a 1) Your networking approach and 2) your resume.

I've seen interviews/hiring happening recently in all of the places you just listed (except Amsterdam, which I just don't have news on).

Network through LinkedIn, not email! There is a right way to network and many wrong ways!

Answer 5

Recruitment is more active in the Middle East right now.

Just a couple of notes:

- There is no formal hiring freeze. There may be very slow hiring, or delayed entry, but recruitment hasn't stopped.

- If you don't find an opening through networking, it doesn't mean that there isn't one at the company you are targeting. So you should apply anyway.

Answer 6

Hi,

I'm from Singapore and still have networks in MBB. Some MBB in SEA are still hiring but only for 1) Manager & above; 2) Industry expertise

In terms of finding out which firms are hiring, unfortunately networking is still the most reliable way, especially if you are in contact with the recruiters themselves. You could also try LinkedIn - BCG SEA does post open roles there, but may not be the same for all firms.

All the best!

Answer 7

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the situation. It's indeed a rather tough period at the moment.

Regarding MBB: London is definitely hiring. I have a few candidates interviewing there now. Middle East offices also are. As well as German offices. I don't know specifically about Singapore.

But it doesn't matter, funnily enough. These things change rather quickly, even from one day to the other. What you need is a strategy that goes beyond these market fluctuations. You need to identify multiple targets and then do a great job of increasing your chances of passing screening (which comes down to having a great CV, cover letter and referral).

I wrote a guide specifically for this purpose that you might find useful:

Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Best,
Cristian