MBB without networking

Hello, I'm a sophomore from a semi-target school studying Economics and Computer Science with 3.9/4.0. I have a prior internship experience in a second-tier consulting firm (not US office) and I'm involved in some CS research at my school. I'll be spending this summer interning at a boutique IB in NYC. Except for this one internship, I haven't done a lot of extracurriculars related to consulting, and while I have done some networking with alumni, they are not in consulting/banking industry. Some of my family members have worked in MBB and I know a few consulting people in my home country, but since they haven't worked in the US office, they are not much of a help in US recruiting.  Is it possible to break into consulting without networking? My worst fear is getting my application rejected even without getting an interview. 

12 Comments
 

Depends on your school to some degree. Top target schools can get offers without it. The lower ranked the school is, the more important networking is.

A different question: why not just do the networking? Not only do you have the benefit of locking down an interview, but you also gain valuable contacts that you'll become friends with and call on down the line in your career. There are people I know that I met while recruiting for consulting that have given me job opportunities 4 years later, all because we spent time networking. Very little downside (if any) and all upside, why not just network?

Remember, always be kind-hearted.
 

30 min coffee chats w current employees

I’m not sure why you’re tryna over complicate it it’s as simple as that

I went to a school considered a semi target and got two MBB regional U.S. offers without networking, but my school is a top target to the specific office location I was Recruiting

 
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That's where the following two things become your friends:

  • LinkedIn
    • Go search who went to your school and works where you want to. Make a list and then send them brief (and I do mean brief, 10 lines total) intro messages asking them if they would have 10-15mins to spare to chat (details like location, etc. can come later)
    • If you need to, get that free month LinkedIn Premium to do it. If it runs out, just add the people and write your message in the note you can send when adding someone
  • Your school's alumni network
    • Ask them if they have a list of alumni / can put you in contact with alumni in your preferred sector (might need to be broader than specific firms, I am not sure how common it is for people to register on alumni contact lists)
    • Then do the same as above with a brief intro message
 

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