Is my plan to glow up my CV enough to break into MBB or Big 4/T2 consulting?

Hi Nicholas!

That may be a path, I’m not familiar with the ranking of the MBA you mentioned, is this a target school in AUS? I’m asking because according to your plan, you would apply to MBB after it.

I’ll give you a generic opinion, but take it with a grain of salt, since I don’t know your entire context. 
An alternative possibility besides your 4 year plan would be to perform well at your current job + get involved with volunteering (to sum achievements in two places simultaneously) and transition to a smaller consulting firm before applying for MBB. The important thing here is to have highlights to show what a strong professional you are. You may not even need the MBA in this case (specially if it’s not a target school). Also, MBB environment is highly competitive and fast paced, having a previous experience in a more manageable environment would be great thinking in your future performance as a consultant.

Feel free to DM me in case you have further questions!

Best,

Mari

Let me adjust a few things.

1) AGSM or USYD part-time MBA. The schools are good, so that is not the issue. But if you are looking to get a degree to help you get into consulting, it usually has to be a full time MBA. I am not saying this will not work - I am suggesting that you do some research using linkedin to check whether or not other people with a AGSM / USYD part-time MBA were successful in entering strategy consulting. 

2) What is paramount is that you show a very strong career progression. I wonder if you are able to do that while doing an MBA at the same time.

3) Polish your resume and apply anyway to those firms you target. With luck you'll get invited to do their online tests, and you would be able to skip 90% of the work you were planning to have.

4) This is a very long plan. Most people stay only a couple of years in consulting. Make sure that this is really worth the effort.

Hi there, 

very diligent plan, you seem committed, which is great! 

My considerations: 

1. Not sure if the part-time MBA will cut it (especially for MBB). Plus, you run into the risk of not excelling at your MBA and neither your work because of too much workload. I would do a full-time MBA if you can

2. Consider switching from your current role to something that is close to Consulting. You could for example try to apply to the Big4 now, work there for some time and then try for MBB. If you do so, apply to 2 of the 4 and not all 4 at once. That will prevent "burning" them all now in case the CV is currently not strong enough. 

Average time spent at MBB is usually 2-3 years. If you break into it at 30, you might be on the older side already for entry level positions. Nothing that is unheard of but just consider for yourself if you want that. 

Best, 
Sebastian

Hi there, 

Both USYD and UNSW are good schools in Australia. So as long as you plan to continue to live there, the schools are good enough. 

Besides considering full-time MBA as other coaches suggested, if in the case that you do prefer a part-time MBA, my suggestion would be to try to also show progression on your work. You've already done 2 years analyst role before, if you continue to do analyst role until Year 3 or before you apply, it might look as if you have not made good progression and might raise questions. Is it possible to get a higher level role or at least a role with better title? 

Best,

Emily

Hi Nicholas,

First of all, well done on thinking long-term, a 4-year plan is quite remarkable.

I would actually recommend switching to consulting as soon as possible, and if it doesn’t work, apply again after a top MBA (full-time). Specifically, I would recommend the following:

• Prepare a CV/Cover in line with the consulting format. You can find more on that in points #1 and #2 below
• Find referrals from alumni of your school. You can find more on referrals in point #3 below
• Apply to a wide range of consulting firms, including Tier 3/Boutique
• If it doesn’t work, target a strategy role and apply again in 2 years/after the ban to the consulting firms
• If that also doesn’t work, you can work for 2-3 years and then target a top MBA (eg INSEAD) and apply again after that

In terms of the application, I would recommend working on 3 main things to increase your chances of an invitation. I listed them below.

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1) CV

The key elements they will look for are:

• University brand
• Major
• GPA
• Work experience
• Experience abroad
• Extracurriculars and volunteer experience

Red flags include:

• Low GPA
• Lack of any kind of work experience
• Bad formatting / typos
• 3-4 pages length
• Lack of clear action --> results structure for the bullets of the experiences
• Long paragraphs (3-4 lines) for the bullets of the experiences with irrelevant details
• Long time gaps without any explanation

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2) COVER LETTER

You can structure a cover in 4 parts:

1. Introduction, mentioning the position you are interested in and a specific element you find attractive for that company
2. Why you are qualified for the job, where you can report 3 skills/stories from your CV, ideally related to leadership, impact, drive and teamwork
3. Why you are interested in that particular firm, with additional 1-2 specific reasons
4. Final remarks, mentioning again your interest and contacts

In part 2 you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others.

It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.

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3) REFERRALS

To find a referral, you should follow three steps:

1. Identify the people who can help you
2. Write to them a customized email
3. Have a call and indirectly ask for a referral

You can find more information on networking and referrals here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation 

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BONUS: INTERVIEW PREPARATION

After receiving an invitation, you need to find out how to pass the interview. You can find more information at the link below.

▶ How to Prepare for an MBB Interview

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi Nicholas,

First of all, congratulations on the clear goal you have set for yourself and the progress you have already made!

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

• First of all, I wonder if you ever applied to consulting firms and what the outcome was. Maybe it is not necessary to wait four long years to enter the consulting industry. What is the situation regarding this aspect?
• Moreover, I would advise you to stay on track with your plan to deliver strong results in your current role and aim for a top performance rating.
• Lastly, I would advise you to aim for a top-tier MBA if possible, even outside Australia, as this will significantly increase your chances for at least McKinsey, BCG, and Bain; however, if a part-time MBA is the most practical option for you, it can still help bridge the gap.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Some relevant answers here already.

I want to add one thing: Have you considered the impact of AI on the operating model of consulting firms and the implications it will have on hiring demand? It could very well be that the position you are aiming for at MBB will no longer exist in 4 years.

Food for thought!

Cheers,

Florian

Hey there 😊,

First off, I love how self-aware and focused your plan is—you’ve clearly done the work to reflect, reset, and aim high. And the great news is: this is absolutely realistic if you stay intentional and consistent over the next few years.

Here’s a quick take on your roadmap, with a few key thoughts:

✅ What’s already working for you

– Clear upward momentum in your career—moving from BA to account manager and aiming for commercial roles
– Leadership through AIESEC—always respected in consulting, especially if you highlight measurable impact
– A genuine narrative of personal growth, which can be powerful in interviews

💡 Your 4-Year Plan: On Track but Can Be Sharpened

– MBA choice: AGSM or USYD can work, especially if you do well and combine with strong work experience and clear goals—but if you can stretch for INSEAD / LBS / top US programs, that would massively increase MBB access
– Role choice: If your end goal is MBB, a Commercial/Strategy Analyst role is stronger than internal sales mgmt—look for roles with ownership of P&L, pricing, forecasting, strategic planning, or transformation work
– Brand names help: Try to land 1 big-name company on your CV over the next few years—it helps with screening at top firms

✨ Bottom Line

Your current plan is not a pipe dream at all—it’s solid and realistic, especially if you’re open to Big 4 / T2 as well as MBB. You’re already playing the long game, and I’ve seen candidates with similar starting points succeed.

If you'd like help refining your story, application timeline, or MBA/role strategy as you go—I’d be super happy to support you along the way 😊

Best,
Alessa 😇