Pros and Cons of getting into consulting via Internship vs Entry-Level role

Question

I am currently in an engineering role in the energy sector and I wish to transition into consulting (I recently left university with a Masters in engineering). Would it be better to get internships first at consulting firms (or other name brand companies) or apply for associate/entry-level consulting roles. Please let me know your pros and cons or which is the most recommended route for someone in my position. I do not have any consulting experience but have skills energy management and strategy, data analysis and optimisation.

Thanks In Advance

Answer 1

Internships are the way to go. Once you are inside it’s your “job to lose” Entry level roles vs internships are not a like for like comparison category.

Answer 2

Hi there,

Both routes have advantages and drawbacks but I always advice clients to do an internship first if time permits and they are earlier in there career.

Why?

More application chances. If you fail the application or interviews you can reapply for full-time again with a shorter application ban
If you pass, you can see how you like the job. MBB employ interns in the same way as FT new hires so it's a like-for-like comparison
Preparation for interviews is the same, evaluation is almost the same, interns receive just fewer interviews
Around 80ish % of interns receive the return offer. Even if you fail to receive it, you could still apply for FT later on
MBB looks great on your resume, even if you decide to do something else after the internship

I have written a detailed guide on this. If you want, reach out!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 3

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

First of all, and contrary to what other coaches have said, there is no better way.
Moreover, depending on the country, you may not be eligible to apply for an internship either way, as they are designed for current students.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 4

Hi there,

it sounds like you have already graduated with a master's degree and are not a student anymore. So you applying for internships at this point does not make sense anymore (and you might not even be eligible for most intern programs). If you don't apply for full-time positions, it might come across as if you are not sure what you actually want or that you don't trust your own skills to succeed in an FT role. So in either case, the time for internships would have been during your studies.

I also applied for a full-time consulting position right after grad school and without prior consulting internship experience. It is not a requirement to have interned before, although that would have provided certain advantages, such as

having a better idea of the day-to-day consulting job to decide if you even like it
chance to receive a full-time return offer after the internship

However, since you cannot change what already happened (or didn't happen), your best course of action would be to apply for full-time positions at consulting firms, that have practices in the areas of energy for example. Also reach out to consultants or ex-consultants if you need additional information on what the job is actually like and what it all entails.

Best of luck

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