Reapplying after 1st round of MBB interviews

Hi there,

of course your suitable entry level at a consulting firm will be dependent on your prior experience. With close to 4 years of industry experience, you would no longer be considered for an entry-level consultant position but one or two steps higher (depending on the firm's specific role distribution). 

Your main selling point will then be relevant industry experience that you bring to the table and can use in your consulting job from Day 1. The higher the degree of relevance, the more comfortable the consulting firm will be to slot you in at a more senior level. 

In your case, joining the Financial Services practice at a consulting firm, for example, would probably be a scenario in which you could leverage your work experience quite a lot, especially when you have 4 years of that under your belt. 

So make sure you identify of the areas of the greatest fit when you apply in the future to make a compelling case as to why they should have you on their team.

Best of luck

Hi,

Sharing a POV based on my time at BCG. For reference, here is the role progression and ‘normal’ tenure per role:

Associate (2 yrs, fresh graduate role) → Senior Associate (1 yr, not all geographies have this) → Consultant (2 yrs, post-MBA role) → Project Leader

Rule of thumb is <5 years working experience without an MBA you would come in maximum Senior Associate. Joining MBB as a lateral Project Leader/Manager is very rare for various reasons. In my region, I have seen people with ~8-10 years of working experience in industry join as a Consultant, maybe maximum Consultant2.

Hope this helps to clarify!

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejections in the past!

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

• First of all, it’s great to see your perseverance and commitment to working in the consulting industry.
• Moreover, I would advise you not to ponder about the correct position too much as the recruiter will typically reallocate you if they think differently.
• Lastly, given your 4 years of work experience, I would generally advise you to apply for a Consultant (BCG and Bain)/ Associate (McKinsey) position. However, if you want to know for certain, feel free to reach out to the recruiting teams before applying.

You can find more on this topic here: Salaries in the consulting industry.

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

Hi!

Theoretically, you need 5y of work experience OR an MBA or a PhD to go straight for Associate (using the McK terminology here, where Business Analyst is entry-level and Associate is post-MBA). 

So, with 4y work experience, it's a borderline situation. Some offices also offer ‘in-between’ roles such as ‘Junior Associate’. It's best to discuss it directly with HR from your target office. They should give you an indication of what's best. 

Good luck!
Cristian

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Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejections. In terms of your question:

Q: If I would reapply after 12-24 months, I would already be working full-time close to 4 years. Would there be any possibilities to apply as a senior associate/consultant or would I need to have an MBA for these types of roles?

With less than 4 years of full-time experience, you should be able to apply for a Senior Analyst/Junior Associate (McKinsey) or a Senior Associate (BCG/Bain) role.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

MBB typically open Associate or Junior Associate positions (or equivalents) once you have 4-5 years of experience, regardless you have or not an MBA.

Double check with a recruiter or referral of your target office since this might change across geographies.

Best,

Alberto

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Hi there,

Honestly, I would just ask them. The same people we spoke with and who told you to re-apply are the same ones you could reach out to.

Give what you're said you probably could swing a regular consultant role, but you may have to be a JC/SA rather than a full consultant.

Hi,

Indeed you could apply for a senior associate role, nevertheless is it the best strategy ? No sure of that. The most important is to be successful… for that it could be better to enter at a junior role to be evaluated as a junior, then if you re really good you will be fast tracked.

Cheers,

Alexandre

You will probably be considered an experienced (2nd year) associate when you apply again.

Yes you can apply as senior associate with 4 years without MBA. Warm regards, Freddy