Hi there,
I'm a junior in college now, and I'm looking for an internship in consulting this upcoming summer. As my GPA isn't stellar, I'm probably (or definitely) not qualified for MBB or any of the top tier firms.
Just wanted to know if the mid to lower tier consulting firms (think Big 4 outside of Deloitte) have very strict rules or requirements for recruitment, and is it possible to start from a lower tier firm and slowly move up to the bigger players? For now it doesn't matter where I get to intern at, I just want to be able to gain some experience.
Thanks!
I am not too sure about the GPA requirements, but if you land any consulting internship, you'll be in a great position to recruit for MBB full-time. It happens all the time!
Great is an overstatement.
Alright, true. I try to be optimistic.
For OP, it is hard. But, definitely not impossible imo. Depending on your school, try looking at alumni now, networking, and keeping in touch during your internship to land an MBB interview by the fall. Of course, if you GPA is really that poor and you're deadset on MBB, Canadiens16's advice is perfect. However, that, too, will be a difficult road.
If you don't have some sort of foot in the door at MBB (either via networking or friends/family) then, with a sub-3.4-ish GPA, there's not much you can do to gain access to those firms regardless of internship. Sorry. A better path to MBB given your postion would be to kill your internship, work at securing a FT gig at a tier-2 (Big Four tends to be easier on GPA requirements than OW, LEK, etc.), kill it at work, get a 720+ the GMATs, and matriculate to a top b-school. Once at b-school a tier-2 pre-MBA gig will put you in the running for an MBB offer.
Networking really helps. Also McKinsey in my experience isn't as big on GPA as the other two.
My GPA is not stellar either, but I started several businesses in school with decent revenue and recruited at all the consulting firms that I applied to: MBB, D, BIG 4, etc.
Take the advices on here with a grain of salt, most of the people/advices here apply to ultra competitive env. : think NYC, etc.
Breaking into MBB from 2nd tier (Originally Posted: 03/04/2013)
I'm currently a junior from a semi-target school (think Berkeley, UCLA, UVA).
Choosing between Deloitte S&O, Cornerstone Research, and Deloitte BTA for summer analyst positions, which would yield the best chances for securing a MBB FT offer? And which would have the best exit options post-FT?
I'm honestly not very interested in operations and IT, but I'm not completely sure if the econ consulting background translates well into the strategy side. Any input?
Thanks so much!
Deloitte S&O would likely be the best option but it's important that you distinguish between getting a FT interview and getting a FT offer.
Internship experience is very important in securing a FT interview, but it is almost non-determinative in getting an offer. Your internship experience only comes into play during behavioral portions of interviews which are usually weighted less and are more about firm fit than impressing people with what you did or where you worked.
Deloitte S&O. Solid brand for FT recruiting + they do pretty much exactly what MBB does (even McKinsey does quite a bit of operations work now) + pay for b-school + get into top b-school + growing fast (prestige-wise)
Cornerstone places well into b-school too (and I know a few MBB guys who worked at Cornerstone pre-MBA), but I think S&O's the better option if you want to go to MBB for FT.
You should rule out BTA...
Breaking into MBB (Originally Posted: 10/30/2013)
Hi guys. I am a senior from a non-target and am looking to break into MBB. It is really difficult. Would it be beneficial to try working in finance (at a bank for example), or a 2nd tier consulting firm + getting a masters, for a couple of years then try to get in? How would MBB value a masters in International Business that is cased/scenario based and involves traveling.
Are you already in business school? Have you already previously worked in sales & trading?
What are your credentials?
No, I am in UG and have previously done internship in Equity Research.
Why would you get not-an-MBA if you're willing to work for a few years and then go to school to get into MBB?
There are non-MBA Master's programs that MBBs target. Do your homework on whether the specific school/program is a target. If you're able to get into one of those, by all means, go for it. If not, than don't bother unless you have another reason for doing it besides MBB.
Not really.
I'm an an MBB firm and came in with not-an-MBA. I went to training with everyone in the US my year that had not-an-MBA. Most, like me, were PhDs. There were a couple of MDs, a couple of JDs, and a couple of randoms (Rhodes scholars, etc).
That's it. With very very few exceptions we do not target master's degrees at all. A master's in international business would be a waste of time if MBB is your goal.
Just my two cents to those considering making big and expensive decisions (going for a masters, switching schools) in order to break into MBB: please do not plan your life around a potential gig with MBB!! The interview process is extremely competitive and variable, even among targets. You could do everything right (go to target/ network/ practice cases extensively) and still end up with zero offers at MBB. So my advice is don't make these life-changing decisions unless there is some other reason for doing them , should MBB not work out (echoing @humblebot)...
You better not be talking about Hult's International MBA.
Most firms (at least in Europe) hire even with a 2:1 grade average (for Americans, thats a GPA ranging from 3.3-3.6). For sure try T2 firms such as LEK, AT Kearney, Oliver Wyman.
If you want experience I would suggest leveraging any language skills you have (e.g. if you speak Spanish, apply to T2 firms in Spain or South America) so you can get your foot in the door. That being said, here are some ideas of companies you may want to consider by category (I'll try to include firms with US and European offices):
Arthur D Little: The guy was the first 'management consultant' and the firm is on fire. Offices all around the world including the US and considered a T2/T2.5 firm. Solid reputation in Europe and all around great name for the CV
Bearing Point: More along the lines of a T3 firm but still pretty solid. A consulting firm with an emphasis on technology consulting
Goetz Partners: Very strong 'boutique' with about 14 global offices. They're a mix of consulting and also have a corporate finance division. They keep the two separate but one can move between them within and pick up skills from both. May not seem like a big name, but people I know who interned there one summer ended up at MBBs the next.
Roland Berger: This firm is huge in Europe and pretty big in the US but not considered as much. Think T2 in Europe and T3 in the US.
OC&C: These guys are huge in the UK, pretty big in Europe and not sure about the US. Strong firm focusing on TMT and consumer goods (strange mix but it works)
Zeb Consulting: Pretty good firm for financial consulting with global reach. Regularly recruit at UK targets (LSE/Imperial/Oxbridge)
If your GPA is less stellar than 3.3 then I would go for boutiques but there are SO many, you're better of PMing me or Googling.
Hope this helps
-
Hi PharmaGuy, I know you posted this a while back but had a similar question. I want to get into or close to strategy consulting but I'm a non target, 3.5 gpa. As a result, I was thinking of targeting mainly Big4 and boutiques but wasn't sure which boutiques to aim for.
I eventually want to get into corporate strategy or development of a tech company.
For Corporate strategy a lot of boutiques will be fine. For tech you wanna find one that is tech heavy. From those mentioned above, Bearing Point is strong
MBA Tier 2 Consulting Internship to MBB FT (Originally Posted: 03/24/2015)
Thanks.
You can wait. They likely expect that you will re-apply for FT, and people successfully skin that cat every year. A thank you note wouldn't hurt, but nothing past that. Focus on being successful with the internship you have.
Reach back out in August when you finish up, try to grab coffee and reconnect then. You'll be able to tell them about your summer, so you actually have an interesting excuse to reach out. It'll also give you practice talking about the newest part of your resume before you are actually sitting in front of the interviewer.
If you felt like you had a decent connection with them, I wouldn't hesitate to reach out and tell them exactly what your intentions are. No one is going to be surprised that you're reapplying for MBB after striking out - it happens a lot. I would be very honest with them and tell them that you're really excited about your internship and a chance to get consulting experience under your belt, but that you're definitely still very interested in ___, and you want to stay in touch.
A couple of other things - why did you bomb your R1 interviews? Once can happen, but 2/2 seems like a bit of an issue. Second, I would look for those connections you've made that were second year hires, especially if one was a Tier 2 intern somewhere. It can be really helpful to get their perspective.
On that note, I know a bunch of second years currently or first year MBBers that needed to use the full time process to secure their offer. Most important is to crush your internship and be a top performer - apparently word very much gets around about how you do.
Thanks for your advice!
Re: bombing 2/2 cases: Mostly nerves got the best of me. Did OK in practice cases but missed key insights in the interview room.
I'm hoping to go into FT recruiting with an offer so I can care less about the results, but any tips on getting calm would be welcome.
There seems like a fair amount of emphasis above about making connections and fit, but first round interviews at MBB mostly come down to just doing well on the cases. You also get two cases at each first round, so even if you get a tough case or are nervous for your first one, you get a shot at redemption with a different interviewer right after. And you don't need to crush both of them to move to the next round. I would focus in the fall on practicing cases and getting lots of feedback from your case partners about everything, including your poise, confidence, or whatever you think might be your weakness.
And try to figure out why you got snubbed at the third MBB. You're at an MBA business schools">M7 school with a solid GMAT and consulting background, so it's an anomaly that you didn't get a first round. Maybe tweak your industry interest or office preference if that's flexible, or whatever else to make your application a little different next go-around.
But in the near term, good luck with your internship, worry about FT when the summer's over.
Second tier to First Tier transfer (Originally Posted: 11/14/2011)
Hey guys,
I've been accepted into a second tier consulting firm (OW, Deloitte, PwC, AT Kearney) and would like to transfer into MBB.
Is there a route from second tier to MBB before an MBA?
Thanks,
.
.
Any insight on whether its really worth it to go from OW/Booz to MBB before business school if consulting is not long-term goal?
OW seems to place less emphasis on bschool than MBB or Booz. That said, the brand is still good and I'm sure you can get into a good school with any of these firms.
I think it depends on whether or not you like what you are doing at OW/Booz and if you have started to build a good rep or not. If you stay at your firm for a year or two and then try to transfer, you may be "throwing away" some good connections and taking a pay cut to get to a slightly more prestigious firm.
MBA: Tier 2 Summer to MBB Full-time (Originally Posted: 03/31/2013)
Any post-MBA MBB'ers who spent the summer at a different consulting firm?
Background: I'm at HWS. Made it to final rounds for NYC offices of all 3 of MBB, but just couldn't convert, although I still have some good contacts at these firms. I ended up with a Tier 2 consulting offer (Deloitte/Booz/OW) for the summer. However, I'd still really like to be at MBB full-time.
Do consulting firms generally give exploding offers to their summers, or will I have time to interview for full-time without having to be upfront with the current firm (assuming I even get a FT offer)? I'd love another crack at MBB, but I'm worried about striking out again and being left with nothing.
I'll preface this by saying that I am an undergrad - but I expect it'd be similar for MBA students. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Most firms do give you exploding offers, but usually your school's career center will force them to give you at least 3-4 weeks to decide (if not more). If you reach out to the firms you got to final rounds with and let them know about your offer and that you're still very interested, they will bring you in for interviews during the summer.
In my case, Bain let me interview in early August and BCG and McKinsey late August. The Bain one was actually BEFORE my internship ended.
PS: Congrats on Deloitte/Booz/OW! :)
I'm at school now and if I recall correctly the offers stand for a pretty decent amount of time in the fall. That said, I'm pretty sure the sign on bonuses disappear real quick. Like if you want that 40k sign on commit right away. Otherwise your offer will stand but you won't get the 40k if you recruit again. That is a pretty big carrot if you ask me.
Out of curiosity, if you are really at H/W/S, can't you just ask a friend, peer, career center admin? Seems odd to me that you'd resort to this message board for such a simple question.
Thanks for the info. I could ask someone here, but I was going for anonymity - it's kind of a sensitive topic to be bringing up before my internship even starts.
2nd tier internship -> MBB FT (Originally Posted: 03/17/2011)
I did a bit of searching but couldn't find anything specific to my case.
Basically, I'm a junior in college interning at a 2nd tier consulting firm (think OW/M/Booz) this summer. I'm very excited about my internship, but I would still like to apply to MBB for FT. I had 2 questions on how to approach this.
In terms of networking, I did a lot of networking with MBB for internship recruiting but obviously didn't get an offer. How should I reconnect with my contacts at MBB and what can I say besides tell them of my continued interest in their firm FT and my summer internship? I don't want to feel like I'm wasting their time by continuing to ask about firm culture, life as a consultant, etc. Also, should I mention my summer firm by name, or is there a chance word might get around to my office that I'm trying to jump ship?
Say I go to a top 20 school in Boston and all my networking has been in the Boston offices. If my goal is MBB NY... are my chances significantly lower for these offices? Would it help to get to know some consultants in the NY offices (most of my contacts are in boston)?
These are my specific questions, but other general pointers for getting to MBB FT would be appreciated.
Thanks!
bump?
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