Seeking Advice on Preparing for a Consulting Internship in a Big 4 Firm

Question

Hello,

I am a third-year BBA student looking for an internship in consulting with a Big 4 firm starting in January. It is currently July, and I have noticed that there are no internship listings available on the Big 4 websites yet. When should I start applying?

I have just discovered the consulting field and the concept of case interviews. I am quite overwhelmed with all the information available. I purchased Victor Cheng's "Case Interview Secrets," but I wonder if, as an undergraduate student, I need to master the difficult level cases as well. Is there a difference in the difficulty of cases for undergraduate students compared to MBA students or graduates applying for full-time positions?

Additionally, I have never practiced case interviews and have no one to practice with. How can I learn effectively and practice on my own? Any help or resources would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Best regards,
Queen

Answer 1

Hi there,

1. When to apply

Depends on the region. In some regions, the internship applications are rolling, in others there is a fixed application slot. It might even be that the application deadline for Jan 25 has already passed.

Best bet is to reach out to HR and ask them directly.

2. How to prepare

You need a strong foundation in problem-solving, analytics, and communication
For that matter, VC's book is a bit outdated (the guy worked in McK before the turn of the century) and cases have become much more creative these days → check out my book The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview for a modern approach to case interviews
I am also starting a free case interview foundations academy. Let me know if you would want to be one of the beta testers via DM
As for the prep, you need the right approach (see above) and a preparation plan that you can execute based on your strengths and weaknesses (think about getting a coach for one session to point that out and create it for you).
Work with high-quality case partners on peer practice and with high-quality drill cases for your individual practice to lift weaknesses to a robust level, while also making sure you create performance spikes in other areas.

Let me know if you have more tailored questions.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 2

1. You can use preplounge to practice cases with peers

2. Victor Cheng gets some things right, but some other wrong. It's not terrible, but may not be exactly what you need. Major flaw is that instead of explaining you how to solve cases and develop adequate approaches, it tries to teach you shortcuts that will allow you to pretend you know how to solve cases (tip: doesn't work).

3. Big 4 will require a good mix between fit interview and case interview (also check if the consulting company uses case interviews… it's not the case for all of them, nor for all the roles…);

4. If they require a case, I am sorry to be “salesy”, but I suggest you book a session with a good coach that is willing to have a session to explain you how to solve all the key parts of the case (don't go for those that just do mock interviews or send videos…)

Good luck in your preparation and feel free to reach out.

Answer 3

Hey, You should check this link for more info: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Interview/Bain-and-Company-Munich-Inte... (read entire answer)

Hey, You should check this link for more info: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Interview/Bain-and-Company-Munich-Interview-Questions-EI_IE3752.0,16_IL.17,23_IC4990924.htm

Answer 4

Each consultancy has people specialise at its own level and within a company some offices are different and individua... (read entire answer)

Each consultancy has people specialise at its own level and within a company some offices are different and individuals are different. Generally though for MBB you're looking at... (read entire answer)

Answer 5

Based on my experience, that is no issue at all. If you reject an offer (either for an internship or for a full time... (read entire answer)

Based on my experience, that is no issue at all. If you reject an offer (either for an internship or for a full time position), there are typically no grudges whatsoever for the... (read entire answer)