Would starting a business help me to get into management consulting ?

Hi, I was just wondering if starting my own ecommerce business would boost my chances of getting into a top tier management consulting firm assuming that I'm set on the case studies and other aspects of recruitment. I have asset management, investment banking and corporate strategy at a top tech firm experience on my resume. Also a good GPA. thanks so much.

12 Comments
 

It shows initiative but at this point (since you already have work experience) it probably won't help a whole lot. The reason I say this is because it will take months to get something off the ground that's even worth sharing. If they're interested in that aspect of your application they're going to ask what you took away from it, challenges you faced, etc.

However, if you have a specific idea in mind that you're truly interested in, it's definitely worth pursuing in your free time. If you're trying to start an e-commerce business just to start one then I'd say it's not a good idea.

 

Take on leadership positions at your business school. The biggest thing in your situation is going to be networking so reach out to people on LinkedIn from your school or attend some networking events in your area.

By all means, if you have a unique idea for an online business then go for it but you should have a unique message. Don't sell t-shirts or dropship.

 

It's interesting. Someone I know started about 2-3 startups whilst still being an undergrad, he was already an excellent student both academically and experience wise. His ideas were also pretty damn solid, nothing spectacular, but you knew he wasn't doing it simply for the sake of doing it. Anyway it rounded him as an applicant, as in his case it confirmed that he was a monster when it came to time management skills. He ended up landing offers at MBB, which he declined.

 

The beauty of attending a target is that you're surrounded by equally if not more talented people. He simply shared the workload across a few individuals. Also, he was on an accounting/finance degree so although challenging, it didn't have the same workload as a hard science programme like say physics, and so he ended up having a bit more free time than someone like me. But make no mistakes, he worked his butt off.

 
Best Response

Fuga veritatis esse et. Qui aut delectus placeat repellendus excepturi. Numquam possimus dicta veritatis aut ut illo sunt. Quia et molestiae nesciunt saepe laudantium. Ut et laudantium ullam ipsam sit perferendis veniam. Fugiat eius sint doloremque recusandae aliquid.

Minima omnis quia fuga in et et ipsum. Vel odit inventore itaque illo et porro enim.

Quae omnis consectetur dolorem nulla. Porro illum et autem recusandae voluptate. Assumenda perferendis explicabo commodi pariatur accusamus. Ut ut consequatur tempore reiciendis qui.

Commodi necessitatibus atque eius nam natus ut. Ut et voluptatibus fugiat laudantium et occaecati qui. Neque ipsam adipisci porro et ipsum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (391) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (634) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”