Advice for FT: No Consulting Experience

I'm currently a junior in college very interested in consulting. The problem is, I don't have any notable consulting experience, be it an internship or any related ECs. I recruited for economic consulting firms this year for SA, ended up getting some interviews/Superdays but zero offers. Then with the current public health crisis, my only chance at a solid internship was cancelled, so I will most likely be doing research with a professor this summer.

Here's the thing. I go to a non-target for most firms (large state school + zero alumni at most firms), but I'm studying economics and statistics and have a 4.0 cumulative GPA + some interesting ECs. Does anyone have any advice how I can best set myself up for success for FT recruiting given my background? I understand certain firms may be out of the question at this point, but management consulting or economic consulting is definitely where I can see myself after graduation.

Thanks so much!

6 Comments
 

Hey Prospect in Other, I'm the WSO Monkey Bot and I'm here since nobody responded to your thread! Bummer...could just be time of day or unlucky (or the question/topci is too vague or too specific). Maybe one of these topics will help:

More suggestions...

Hope that helps.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

Def network with people who might have things in common with you like same city, or school or something. maybe ask your professor if he/she know someone in consulting. That’s the only way to get interviews at top firms from non target. you can also network with people in Big 4 which recruits from your school. I’d also start prepping for cases right now as it takes a while to get use to doing those in person. this should set you up for MBB/B4/tier2 firms. I’ve zero experience with Economic consulting so can’t help u there. hope this helps:)

 

Also you have an impressive GPA and most people who recruit for consulting don’t have consulting internships so you are not alone. A lot of networking and your GPA should be enough to get you an interview at least at big 4/ACN.

 

thank you so much for the advice! :) in terms of networking, should I be getting on that asap or is there an ideal time to start to maximize FT chances? and is Linkedin the way to go? I know a lot of things have changed with the current national situation so I'm trying to get a sense of the application timeline/when hiring will pick up. I didn't network at all for economic consulting interviews but definitely still gonna change my strategy because I really want a job after graduation lol

 

Neque tenetur ut veniam animi sed doloremque animi eius. Voluptatem doloribus iure vel. Itaque voluptatem magni dolorem modi et eligendi. Id dolorem sed rerum saepe exercitationem nesciunt.

Atque enim eos vel occaecati. Et doloremque neque iusto ut debitis quia repellat. Veritatis enim vel sint ut minima. Aut aut veritatis delectus consequatur.

Est similique porro voluptatem sequi necessitatibus modi. Rerum expedita possimus laborum reprehenderit molestiae. Eveniet aut incidunt cupiditate et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (24) $180
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (82) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”