As a former McKinsey resume screener, I’ve read a lot of consulting cover letters for consulting roles of all types.
Most applicants severely under-estimate the importance of the cover letter and end up paying more attention to the consulting resume/CV than they do the cover letter. I would argue the effort allocation should be reversed — much more time put into the cover letter than the resume or CV.
Here’s why.
Without a good cover letter it is 1) hard to stand out, and 2) easy to get overlooked by accident.
When someone like me screens cover letters and resumes, we usually do so in batches — dozens if not hundreds of applicants at the same time. When I was on the McKinsey Stanford recruiting team, I had to go through a stack of 400 resumes and consulting cover letters in a few hours.
Keep in mind these were 400 applicants ALL of whom were in the process of graduating from Stanford. So the applicant pool was already pretty strong.
From an resume screener’s point of view, reviewing that many cover letters is a very painful experience. All the cover letters look and sound the same.
It is VERY obvious that most of them are mail merge letters that look like this:
—
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am writing to apply for the with .
My background as a XYZ Position, I feel I would be a good fit for the position.
Blah, blah, blah… BORING.
—-
The reason boring is a problem is because it shows the reader that YOU DO NOT CARE about this role. It doesn’t show that you’ve done any homework about this company or role.
In other words, from an interest standpoint you have not distinguished yourself in the slightest.
This is both a problem and an opportunity. No matter how qualified you may or may not be (which is too late to change at this point), you CAN control how much interest you show to the resume / cover letter reader.
In addition, a good cover letter should pinpoint the SPECIFIC items on the resume or CV that DIRECTLY RELATES to what the employer is looking for in that role.
As a resume screener, I did not READ every resume submitted. I SCAN them looking for recognizable keywords. These keywords are basically brand names (universities and employers), Test Scores, GPAs.
The problem for you is that when a resume screener (note: I didn’t say resume “reader”) scans your resume he/she is prone to overlooking things you might want to emphasize. This is especially the case if what you have done is impressive, but not encapsulated in a brand name that is easily recognizable.
For example, lets say you started a company and sold it for $50 million… BUT your company’s name is not well known. If you simply put that on a resume, there’s a reasonable chance this accomplishment will be overlooked in a quick resume scan. BUT, if you EXPLAIN your accomplishment in a cover letter, it definitely will not.
When I screened applicants, even those just applying for a McKinsey internship, I ALWAYS read the first few paragraphs of EVERY cover letter. I usually did not read the whole cover letter, unless I read something intriguing in the first few paragraphs.
If the cover letter was mediocre, I would typically just scan the resume really quickly just to confirm my inclination to put the application in the reject pile.
If the cover letter was either impressive or interesting, I would definitely read the entire cover letter and read the entire resume very carefully.
In other words, the cover letter is the FIRST thing the employer sees and determines whether or not they will bother to learn more about you.
So what’s the big lesson here?
The perfect cover letter for a consulting job (or any job for that matter) is NOT A FORM LETTER!
Trust me on this one.
Every cover letter for each firm should be unique and different than the letters you write to other firms.
I’ve read thousands of cover letters in my career. It is torture to read them.
You must stand out.
There are a few things you can do to stand out, listed in no particular order:
1) Get your brand names into the first sentence or paragraph (You know… Harvard, your Olympic Medals, etc…:)
2) Show you did your homework about the firm (very important). Why do you want to work for that particular firm? What’s your unique reason? How sure are you of your preferences? Why?
3) Talk to people at the firm (google: informational interviews) to see what the firm is about. Do your homework. Then in the cover letter, name names… mention the names of people in the firm you’ve spoken to, what they said about the firm, and why what they said got you interested in the firm.
4) Explain why you’d bit a good fit for the firm. It’s not good enough to be qualified. There are lots of qualified people out there. Consulting firms and employers in general like to hire people who are both qualified and motivated by legitimate and sincere reasons.
A good phrase to use in your cover letter is something like this.
“Unlike other candidates you’re seeing that probably have XYZ trait, I have ABC trait because of my experience at XYZ company.”
Example:
Unlike other candidates you’re seeing who probably seem enthusiastic about consulting, I am certain of my interest in consulting because of my recent internship at ABC consulting firm.
The purpose of this kind of language is to make it EASY for the resume screener to figure out HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT than the other applicants.
Don’t assume the person will figure it out by reading your resume. POINT OUT the difference and make it EASY for the person to tell.
This is especially true if you come from a non-traditional or non-business background. If going to consulting would be a big career shift for you, you’d better do a darn good job explaining why the shift makes sense.
Otherwise the assumption is a little bit, “he/she’s applying just for the heck of it.” And if your background is amazing, it’s possible you’ll get an interview with a lousy cover letter.
Personally, I had networked like crazy to meet people in consulting before I ever applied for real. I knew them. They knew me. I knew I wanted to do consulting… and I think it came across.
My resume wasn’t amazing. It was a B+.
Every cover letter I wrote was different from the other ones I wrote. I regularly quoted memorable things from specific people I spoke to from those firms and explained why I was impressed by them.
Even to this day, I still remember what impressed me about certain people at each firm… and what I thought it showed about the firm.
In short, I most definitely had my reasons for why I was applying and I was very deliberate in sharing those reasons. And, most importantly, my cover letters didn’t look like any of the other ones.
After consulting, for every job I got after consulting, I probably averaged applying to only two or three companies for each job offer I received. I was very selective in who I wanted to work for. I did my homework. I explained my reasons in a good cover letter and more often than not got a meeting with the CEO.
Is this a lot of work?
YES!
Do most people take this much effort?
Heck no!
Why does it work?
Precisely because most people aren’t willing to do the extra work to stand out.
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Membership is free and registered members get access to a 6 hour video workshop I gave to Harvard Business School students on how to pass the case interview — unique interview format that you will encounter after your cover letter and resume is accepted by the prospective employer.
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Since the consulting field is so competitive, many of the applicants who end up being most successful end up preparing for the case interview MONTHS in advance of their actual interview with an employer.
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{ 110 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey,
Great help!! I was about to submit an application for a consulting firm that I would love to join and your text make me think and review my cover letter.
Thanksss
Maria
Great advise! I’m in the process of trying to make a return to consulting and feel that the cover letter can be used as an asset (like you’ve described above), or can hurt you if its a generic form letter. This will definately make me rethink this part of the application!
great advice on reversing the weightage that a candidate gives to cv and that to a cover note.
Very nice ! Thanks a lot !!!
It is very nice and very helpful since I am teaching (for free) soft skills including Presentaion Skills, Communication Skills, Body Language, Professional C.V. writing, and Interview Skills. I am Profesor in Geology, but I do like these soft skills and I certainly beleive they are more important for every graduate student. I really like and appreciate these informative materials.
Really these are nice hints about the cover letter, Let me to thank you very so much
This was very helpful. My resume was so-so, and my improved cover letter definitely landed me my interviews.
Very helpful advice. I’m in the process of writing my cover letters and found the 4 items listed in the author’s post very helpful.
Thanks for posting this. In the past I’ve put forth a lot of effort in my cover letters, however, I was wondering if you could comment on the importance of length vs content. For many firms, I’ve had quotable things from many of their representatives, and their are many things about their firms that I could write about that attract me. In the past, I’ve had 5 paragraphs – an opener with the basics+ someone I’ve talked to and what they said, 2 paragraphs detailing an experience and how that relates to what they’re looking for, 1 paragraph with three things about the firm I like, and then a sign off. Typically, I have to shrink the font to 11 to fit it on the page, but I’m worried that this is looked down upon/people won’t read something that long.
Is it better to keep it shorter and risk that they think it’s a form letter? Is the paragraph on why that particular firm too much, or is that a good thing? What do you suggest in general on balancing length and content?
Ben,
The “secret” is to make your cover letter unique, highly differentiated, and interesting. Length is secondary.
It is also VERY important to be concise. Do not use two words, when one will do. There’s no need to tell your life story, just focus on that which sets you apart.
However, I have seen hundreds of long and UNdifferentiate cover letters. This is the worst of all worlds.
-Victor
Victor,
How ‘unique’ is your cover letter allowed to be? I was also wondering how best to introduce the brands I have worked for in the first few sentences. Is it worth mentioning my high school job at McDonalds or is it best to leave that out? I was also wondering whether it’s vital to have a business background?
-Anna
There should be a nobler cause why do you want do consulting. There should be a bigger picture which needs to be mentioned in your cover letter. “I knew I want to do consulting”……….the reason should be mentioned. Mere form letter just wont do !
Thank you Victor for the tips. They would of surely help to me since I am intending to apply to some companies now.
Hi! This resource was very helpful and enlightening….BTW, is it possible for you to provide for a sample cover letter for say, BAIN??
I shall be extremely grateful to you!!
Regards
Divya
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very useful information specifically the last part
I care for such info a lot. I was looking for this particular info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.
Thanks for your great post. I feel like you just opened my eyes on how to actually write a good CV. Definitely something to keep in mind that we all should do our researches and homework on why we want to work at the specific firms that we are applying for.
Thanks for the great post and I will look forward to other great eye-opening posts!
Thank you for the amazing advice. I was actually thinking to start applying for consulting firms. However, I find my self midst of disqualifications. I got my degree from UW-Platteville in BSME and I didn’t even know of existence of consulting firms till few weeks ago after many failed attempts to find a job in my own field of study. Many job offers I got were in small manufacturing facilites and mostly hands on/get dirty type of jobs. When I learned about consulting firms where I can start work with the management, deal with international affairs, plus extensive international travel seemed like what I wanted all along. However, looking through many top consulting firm sites, they mainly hire honored Ivy League students with outstanding resumes. Even though I have highly developed analytical skills, as well as high passion in rapid growing global trade and economy, I found my self well under their cut off line. Should I even bother to apply for these companies?
Don’t bother.@kim:
Don’t listen to sad john, if you can network your way in, anything is possible. Find someone at the firm who you can connect with and let THEM say if you can or cannot do it, not some internet random.
Kim, don’t bother. You have zero chance.
Kim,
I work at a top consulting firm–listen to Dustin. Don’t get me wrong, it will not be easy, but if you network or go down the MBA route (get a high GMAT score) and go to a top 10 MBA, you can open many doors.
Good Luck.
@kim: I would say you dont know until you try! Find a company that is suitable with your background and go for it. After all if you shoot for the moon you mite end up among the stars. good luck
sir, i like your unique approach of making cover letter. sir i am in 3rd year of engineering and i tried my best to get even unpaid internships in mc kinsey and other prestigious company but i dint succed. sir please if you could reply suggest me what should i do in my summer which would be fruitful to me to get in any of the prestigious and world’s best consultancy.!!
Well , I really enjoyed reading your thoughts , but I think you should use figures from the site.
There are always a lot of information.
Froogle
Victor, I have read many book on “how to write cover letter,” but none touch on these important points like you do. Thank you so much for all of your generous help and advice.
Hello
Excellent information given.Could you pl send me some model cover letter for academic position like business managment professor. and few impressive sample CVs.
Graeful to you
Regards
Raghu
Hi Victor,
I have been reading your posts, case interview tips, etc since long and it’s definitely a good read. It’s an eye opener and help us make an informed choice for every organization we are applying and the way we are applying/appearing for the interviews. Appreciation and thankfulness for sharing all your insights, success stories.
Regards,
Mansi
Hey Victor,
For some reason I cannot access the videos in the back end.
Any tips?
Thanks!
John
Sorry about that. Our membership system is having technical problems. We have an engineering working on fixing it. Nothing to do on your end other than try again tomorrow.
Victor
John – Videos are scheduled to be back on line end of day July 10.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I have been a investment banking analyst at Citi for past 2 years and would like to shift to consulting. Job at Citi has helped me a lot in number crunching and analytical skills. I am planning to apply at LEK for 2013 intake as I am very much interested in their airline & aerospace consulting. I will be starting my preparations in few days, can you suggest a good starting point as after going through web I found that consulting interviews are way different than IB ones
Sumedh,
You’re correct that IB interviews are very different than the consulting “case” interview. There are two good places to start.
The first are the 6 hour video tutorials available for website members (membership is free). If you are already a member, just go to http://www.caseinteriew.com/login if you are not yet member, you can become one for free by visiting the home page at http://www.caseinterview.com
The second is my book Case Interview Secrets which is a little more current than the videos.
Good luck!
Victor
Victor,
Thanks…yeah I have just registered to become a member. Would want to know when does the recruitment season starts and is it only campus recruitment or people like me who have some experience can also apply and if I can apply then when would be right & best time to apply
Sumedh,
For most firms, there is a definite season for on campus recruiting. It will vary by type of school (e.g., undergrad vs MBA) and full time vs summer internship.
For experienced hires, the process is usually rolling – apply whenever you want. There is no universally best time to apply for experienced hires. However, for start dates big firms may ask you to start when campus hires start – usually summer to early fall (mirroring the start of an academic year). So they might interview you in February, but ask you to start in August — as many internal training programs are organized based on this cycle.
For smaller firms that don’t have a large training instructure and they’ll use experienced hires to recruit for roles where they want someone to start right away.
Victor
Victor,
Thank you so much, you have been very helpful. I have started my preparations and will apply by Mid-Nov. Except from Vault top 50 rankings, is there any other rankings available for consulting firms
Regards,
Sumedh
I’ve seen other ranking lists online before, but don’t recall their names or website address. They definitely exist.
Victor
Hi Victor,
I am coming from a trader support function at a major bank in Canada. It is much less prestigious than IB. I don’t think I would have a chance at MBB, so I am aiming for the second tiers.
Aside from networking (which I know is probably my best bet), how can I differentiate myself from my competitors through my cover letter to get that interview. I’ve got the brand name of a target school but only 3.3 gpa – I’m also applying as an experienced hire (should I not include GPA since it’s kind of low)
Thanks,
Trevor
Trevor,
For a 2nd tier firm, you might be able to get away with excluding the gpa as an experienced hire provided:
1) you’ve had 5+ years of experience… if it’s 2 years, its a little close to graduation, most firms will want to see it.
2) you have say a GRE or GMAT score that is pretty high… you MIGHT get the benefit of the doubt initially… so target school + 800 GMAT + no gpa on resume + good work experience, might be enough to get a first round or to get a courtesy call from a recruiting coordinator to ask for the GPA.
The key is to use test score and work place accomplishment to compensate for missing gpa or low gpa.
I have a video on top 5 resume writing mistakes, located at: http://www.caseinterview.com/consulting-resume , where one of the common mistakes is failing to compensate for weaknesses. The combination of your test scores and work accomplishments needs to be as good as it can possibly be.
Also, in my consulting resume writing toolkit, I have several hours of videos showing me rewriting other people’s resumes. If you happen to have the toolkit, you’ll want to look at those videos carefully and specifically apply the technique I use for writing resume bullets to writing descriptions of your work place accomplishments in your cover letter.
In other words, resume bullet on work experience = cover letter description of work experience.
Toolkit info appears at the bottom of this page:
http://www.caseinterview.com/consulting-resume-video2
-Victor
I’ve been working for 3 years and it seems like they will want to know my GPA either way so I might as well put it on.
I read a piece of advice about cover letters and was wondering what your thoughts were regarding: “NEVER open your letter with Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom It May Concern”. Being specific is ideal, but in large consulting firms, the readers (scanners) of cover letters/resumes could be any of a large number of consultants. Who would you address a cover letter to?
Thanks for all your advice!
-Trevor
Trevor,
If you have a specific contact at the firm, you should address the cover letter to that specific person. If you’re applying more generally, then a dear sir/madam, to whom it may concern is fine.
Unless the salutation is offensive (eg. Dear Sir — there by assuming the decision maker couldn’t possibly be a woman), the salutation is largely ignored. The reader focuses on the first paragraph to see if anything catches his or her eye. If yes, he or she will read the whole letter and resume carefully. If not, he or she will skim the rest of the cover letter and look to the resume.
If the top 20% of the resume looks interesting, the reader will read the whole resume carefully. If the top 20% is not interesting, he or she will skim the rest basically looking for keywords that stand out as interesting.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I am trying to access the case interview preparation videos and
1. I am not able to login to the website
2. The link http://www.caseinteriew.com/login does not work
3. The link https://caseinterview.customerhub.net/session does not log us in but rather keeps looping us in without any effect!
Is there an alternate resource where i can access you videos.
Since our Summer Placements are just a month apart and the Consulting firms would be visiting us the first day, it would really help if i can access the resource.
Thanks in advance,
Mohit
Mohit,
We have just checked and currently the login site is working so you may want to try emptying your cache and then try to log back into http://www.caseinterview.com/login or https://caseinterview.customerhub.net.
Hi Victor,
I have recently completed my Master’s degree in economics, and I would like to enter the world of consulting (Mckinsey, Bcg, etc.). I have no experience in consulting (no work experience).
What should I write in my cover letter to catch the attention of recruiter’s eye?
Thanks a lot.
Alessandro,
If the goal is a top 3 firm and you have no work experience, realistically the GRE, GPA and academic institution need to be extremely good. Assuming you have this, you’d want to lead your cover letter with your “stats” and school name.
-Victor
Thanks Victor. This put a few things in perspective for me now.
Hi Victor,
I am trying to get into consulting without any prior related experience. I have a high GPA from a non-target but recently separated from the military where I was a Chinese translator and just wrapped up an internship at Goldman. Would these items be enough to make me stand out in a cover letter/resume, or are they still too irrelevant to consulting?
Thanks for your help,
Amarezza
Amarezza,
Emphasize the internship at Goldman. The Goldman name opens doors. Not a guarantee, but with Goldman I’m fairly certain they will read your resume very carefully (as opposed to just skim and toss it).
The high GPA is useful, but its non-target so it is hard to gauge whether a high GPA at a non-target is better, same or worse, than say a 3.5 at Harvard. If you have high standardized test scores, especially in math, DEFINITELY include those. High math + Goldman will definitely be considered.
-Victor
Dear Victor,
Thank you for this amazing resource. I have just read the tips on writing a winning cover letter for consulting jobs. Very informative.
I have recently completed my PhD and also have two masters. I am drawn to work in consultancy. Without much work experience, do you think my educational qualifications give me any advantage?
Emeka
Emeka,
I think the PhD is neutral in terms of qualification. In general, the firms are looking for the best at each level of education. So they’re looking for the top X% of the MBA’s, the top X% of the PhD’s, etc…
Of all the firms, McKinsey probably values PhD’s the most, followed by BCG. McKinsey in particular stared hiring PhD’s first and have a fairly large training infrastructure to train new PhD’s and postdocs in business.
The smaller firms tend not to prefer MBA’s unless its say a life sciences consulting firm where the PhD knowledge IS the main expertise being consulted on. If it’s a more general business strategy firm, the smaller firms often are setup to train someone with great raw talent but no actual business experience.
Amongst the PhD’s what the firms will look at are the selectivity of your schools (include masters and undergrad), the prestige level of the specific program you’re in, your GRE scores, and work history / publishing history.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Thanks for your feedback. Certainly informative.
Emeka
Victor,
Thanks for the great first-hand experience.
I have a question regarding my own situation:
I entered consulting early building an own small consulting business selling my own knowledge and skills during my Bachelor and Master studies. Even though these were not large scale strategy projects with multi-million budgets, of course, I managed projects of increasing scale and complexity, including a project abroad in Asia, and the latest one at a MNC being part of a project directly under the group’s board and realizing a multi-million budget for execution of the strategy and roadmap we developed. At that time, I had just finished my Master’s.
While my career plan was to enter a consulting firm, I was offered the opportunity to build a new country from scratch for a well-known MNC. Within a couple of months I took the company to #2 in that market, before making the decision that I want to get back into consulting and build my career there.
While I believe that my professional experience qualifies me well for top-tier consulting firms, my weak points are my academic records. Even though I graduated from one of the top-tier universities in my country, my MSc GPA is just 3.6, and my BSc GPA is even lower, and having some ugly Fs in a few courses.
Is my professional experience enough to compensate for my weak academic results? Do you think it makes sense to study for a MBA first to get a better GPA and the degree on my resume before getting back into consulting?
Philip,
Your experience sounds very strong. It’s a definite plus. The MsC GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0 is actually considered pretty good if it’s a target school in a quantitatively oriented program.
The F’s are a big problem. If they undergrad is substantially below a 3.5, you’ll need to include a an explanation of why they are so low. In addition, high standardized test scores like a GMAT would help paint the picture that your undergrad grades were due to a lack of focus as opposed to a lack of ability.
The more you work, the more degrees you get, the more the undergrad grades fall off in terms of relevance.
I wouldn’t recommend getting a MBA solely to apply for consulting jobs. But, if the MBA is in your plan regardless and you did well, it provides more data that undergrad grades were a lack of effort issue as opposed to lack of ability. Again, you’ll need to explain WHY you didn’t put much effort into undegrad studies.
Personally, I would try applying now and seeing what happens. Test the “market” and see what you’re up against. Applying as an experienced hire, they will look more at your professional accomplishments than the academic (relatively speaking), so you might have enough to get considered.
-Victor
It is just so frustrating sometimes to write cover letters because everything you want to say has been said on the companies website! I genuinely want to join a management consulting firm due to my love for problem solving and also due to the fact that I have to opportunity to collaborate with other brilliant people but I was told that these reasons were bland if I were to put them in my cover letter.
Joe,
Then say that, and then acknowledge you know they’ve probably heard it before, but its definitely why you’re interested. If you can include references to any people at the firm you know or have met or reference any prior work they’ve done or what you’ve read about the firm, those are worth doing to demonstrate serious thoughtful interest.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I’m a recent graduate from the University of Virginia and I recently realized that I might actually like consulting. I have a non-business undergrad degree but I got graduated with Honors in an Honors Program, I have a close to perfect math SAT score and A’s in the two calculus classes I took in college.
Is it too late to for me to apply in November of the fall recruitment cycle? Should I wait for next year instead? I want to get into a top consulting firm but I don’t want to risk jeopardizing my chances of getting in just because I applied off-cycle (in combination with applying out of campus and having a non-business background). If I get rejected by a firm once, does that hurt my chances when I apply for the next cycle? Also, how do I balance taking the time to network (and hence write a good cover letter) with trying to apply as soon as possible? I don’t want to keep putting off applying though because I still want to do either a JD or MBA degree after a 2-3 year stint at consulting.
Thanks!
Claire,
If you’ve already graduated, you’ll most likely need to apply as an experienced hire (different recruiting team internally, different calendar — more rolling, not tied to campus generally). If in doubt, just call the firm in question and ask what the best way to apply is. They are a little busy this time of year, so try calling before 9am or after 5pm to catch someone live.
Applying off cycle is rarely a negative. At worst, they say we’re putting your resume in the pile for next cycle. With the exception of McKinsey, if you don’t get an offer it doesn’t negatively impact you in you apply again. At McKinsey, if you take the PST and/or get through one or more rounds, they ask you to wait 18 – 24 months before applying again.
Now if you don’t get selected for the PST or the interview, it doesn’t hurt to reapply again. This is more of a “you got lost in the shuffle” issue (happens all the time) as opposed to the firm evaluated you in person, didn’t think you were ready yet, and then rejected you (which is different).
You seemed very concerned about this issue, and in my opinion sure it’s an issue, but it’s a relatively minor, somewhat logistical, concern.
Since you’re most likely applying non-campus, take the time to network and find yourself an “in” at each firm you’re looking to reach.
If you apply online, that generally only works if your resume is awesome — target school, big name employers, high GPA and/or high test scores. You can do both. They are not mutually exclusive.
Online applications, where you are lumped in with the masses (e.g., the many unemployed people who apply to 10,000 firms in 30 days by blasting their resume indiscriminately everywhere), the initial screen is more or less a keyword search filter. It’s done by either an administrative type person or increasingly by a computer.
Harvard resumes get kicked out to a human reviewer. Local community college resumes don’t.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
first of all THANK YOU for this article… currently one of the most interesting on internet.
I’m 23 from Italy with a bachelor and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (101/110 and 109/110 respectively) with a M.B.M. obtained in 2011. Moreover I have been working in one of the biggest firm about thermic comfort in the world since 2011 (March) and my role is Technology Analyst in Strategic Marketing Department.
I focused all my education course to become a McKinsey consultant, so:
1) how do you think I can emphasize my course through letter? (in particular my age… I did a lot of things at the same time to have my master’s degree 10 days ago!)
2) During my work I often ran into McKinsey’s reports, do you think this could be useful in order to emphasize my work experience?
3) I met a person who currently is a Business Analyst in McKinsey. You wrote this is a plus and I should report this info in my letter but do you think I should have his approval?
Ops, I wrote really much… sorry!
Thank you again!
-Massi
Massi,
For #1: write down all the things that make you different than your peers. Sort them from most unique to least, and then emphasize the first 1 – 3 items in your cover letter. You want to be both a) qualified and b) unique.
For #2 – it is fine to mention you ran into McKinsey reports in your work. It probably helps a little, but not enormously so
For #3 – it is not necessary to ask permission from the McKinsey BA you met to mention him or her in a cover letter provided your focus your comments on YOUR reactions to meeting this person. It is not a bad idea to ask for permission, but mostly to signal to this BA that you are applying. You might send your cover letter (when it is 110% ready to go) and resume to the BA for his or her “approval” on the off chance he or she might be impressed by it, and turn it into the recruiting department on your behalf with an explicit or implied endorsement.
Only do this if you felt you made a strong impression on this BA and that he or she remembers you. If it was just a passing interaction, then you probably want to avoid this and just mention your reaction to meeting him or her.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Reading some of the previous comments here has been very educating. I have a background in geology, a postgraduate degree in geosciences and an MBA(Oil & Gas management) from a non-target school. However i’d like your views on some concerns.
1. my undergrad gpa is not very impressive (2.2)
2. during my MBA and post-graduate geoscience my grades changed significantly (on a scale of 5.0 i scored 3.9, this corresponds to a Postgraduate merit in UK system)
3. I also did take the GRE test and scored a 690 out of 800 (quantitative score) with an overall score of 1290.
4. I have 3+ years of work experience having brand names clients in Oil and gas industry.
i just finished my MBA and looking to go into consulting, what are your thoughts.
Regards
Hi Ay,
The undergrad GPA is pretty low by consulting standards. You might be able to get away with omitting it on your resume if you have enough work experience. If you get asked about it, you do have to disclose it and you should have a good explanation ready for why it was so low.
Your MBA and GRE scores puts you in the top 8 – 25+ firms. Your numbers are probably not strong enough for the top 7. This could be offset by having contacts in your target firm or if the caliber of your previous employers and the b-school is very strong.
It doesn’t hurt to apply, but definitely don’t only apply to the top 7.
-Victor
Hello Victor,
Many thanks for your reply and really appreciate the effort you have taken to respond. As you rightly stated, it doesn’t hurt applying to the top 7 alongside the other consulting firms.
I have consulted for the some of the major oil n gas companies (Shell & Chevron) in my previous jobs. How does the consulting industry perceive the companies?
Ay,
Shell and Chevron are well known F500 companies. As employer or client names, they are well respected. The more important factor will be looking at what kind of work you did for them and assessing the results of that work.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Reading your post was a great insight. I am recent college graduate with a degree in Global public health from a small liberal arts school (under grad gpa +3.3). I have great work experience in the non profit and sound thesis research experience. I have plenty of extra curricular showing leadership, public speaking and I have a small independent entrepreneurship project on the side.
I am looking to join Mckinsey because I seek the extensive analytical and disciplined training.
I can probably even get some contacts.
Can you advise me on the best way to stand out and apply?
also, what if I got an email address for a former high level mckinsey consultant and sent him an email reinforcing my dedication and drive to get in? Would you advise that?
thanks
Farah,
Your background would be considered at the very low end amongst consultants working at McKinsey. The GPA is low (especially for a non target school, if you had a 3.8+ at a non target school that would a different all together, the prestige factor of your school probably isn’t on the target school list, and your experience isn’t one normally seems as compensating for the other areas of your background (for example if you had the above and was currently working at Goldman, that would give the recruiter pause and prompt him or her to say maybe we should take a closer look).
So as starting point, this would be a long shot (but not impossible) situation. Here are a list of offsetting factors:
1) 95% tile or higher on a GRE or GMAT or SAT especially in math
2) knowing someone who has had a chance to evaluate your analytical skills via a case and is willing to endorse you
3) truly exceptional case interview performance. Given your background, merely good performance isn’t sufficient. You need to do it measurable better than the Harvard grads.
In terms of your contact, emphasizing your drive and determination will have very little impact. Instead, you need to explain how strong a candidate you are even though your resume doesn’t convey this (at least by the very high McKinsey standards).
You will need to realistically do a LOT of networking and expect to face skepticism at every turn. Expect an informal case, mainly so the (being honest here) the other person can confirm your skills aren’t strong enough and discourage you from applying.
BUT, if you blow them away on the case, THAT will get noticed. Keep in mind this is not the case interview, this is the case they give you in the middle of lunch or during a networking phone call that determines where they will endorse your resume and request to get a real case interview.
I received a note from a FFY with a very similar background as yours who got offers at Bain, BCG, and McKinsey. He did 400 practice cases and tried calling close to 2,000 people (i think that was the number) working at MBB to get considered.
The process evolved as I describe above. BCG and McK refused to interview him, but BCG changed their minds once he showed them the Bain offer. And McKinsey changed their mind once he showed them both the Bain and BCG offers. All in, I would estimate it took him 600 – 1,000 hours to get it all done. Clearly he was VERY determined to both get considered and be good enough to be worth considering.
Victor
Dear Victor,
I would appreciate if you didn’t publish my website (I included it in my previous comment).
Thanks
Hi Victor,
I am reading your book on case-interviews and the information on your website, and find it very helpful, motivating, and inspiring!
I have a phd in one of the social sciences disciplines from NYU (my department and subfield are ranked top 10 in my field). My undergraduate GPA is 4 and my graduate GPA is 3.87. I have a publication in one of the leading journals in my field, and some papers under review. I have extensive training in quantitative data analysis, experience with several statistical software packages, and some knowledge of programming for data analysis. I also have training and work experience in applied game theory. In addition, prior to grad school I gained professional experience in public sector. Non-academic jobs, and especially consulting, are appealing to me for two main reasons: 1) opportunity to work on real-world problems, and see the impact of my work; 2) team work, or at least frequent interaction with other people. I also know 3 foreign languages, in addition to English.
Given my background, do you think I have a high chance of getting an interview if I apply online? How would you suggest that I maximize my chances of being interviewed? Do you think there are any weak spots or questions that application readers might have, and that I should address in my cover-letter?
Thanks a lot,
Anna
Anna,
Your background is pretty good, but the perception of yur background will be negatively biased based on prestige of undergrad and grad institutions. You could very much fit in at a top firm – certainly top 10 if not top 3, but you’re going to need to get the attention of somebody inside the firm to more closely evaluate your background.
I think the odds of getting an interview via online application (given your background) will be substantially lower than if you apply via networking. The online application favors the qualified a candidate hitting the target criteria exactly – Ivy, 3.5+ GPA, big firm internship, test scores in 95%+.
There are many, many exceptions to the target critters, but they usually have a hard time getting noticed via online applications.
See my articles on networking and email my assistant Kirsten (at) caseinterview.com for details on a new program on this topic I’m pilot testing next week.
Victor
Hi Victor,
Thank you for the article and website!
Actually I have a question about you: How can you be so energetic and productive (as far as I know, you run two websites, wrote many books and articles, and had TV interviews).
I will be a FFY next year and I heard the consulting life is tough. So I want to keep energetic as well, like you.
Could you share some secrets about how to do that, if any? Thank you!
Rgs
Martin
Martin,
I’m not sure I’m all that energetic, though I do get a fair amount done with whatever energy that I do have.
In terms of what I do that is transferable to consulting, there are two things:
1) For the long-term important stuff, carve out X minutes per day to focus on that. Time goes by and if you’re making daily progress, you eventually get better.
2) Delegate to others whenever possible (your assistant, the graphic design person, your client team members) and focus on the activities where you add the most value per hour spent.
-Victor
For example, on this website, I’ve written 425 articles. When I actually count, I’m amazed by how many articles there are — all of you have a lot of questions!
BUT, when I break it down to a daily level — say spending 1 hour per day writing which for me is about one article. The micro level time investment is imminently achievable by anyone.
When I write articles, I imagine writing an email to a friend. So the question is could you spend an hour a day writing one really good email to a friend? I’m sure you already come pretty close to that (though it’s probably an hour on several smaller emails).
The only difference between what you already are able to do on an hourly basis and what I’ve done on this website, is I just did it every weekday for two years or so.
In short, the little daily things really add up over time.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Thanks for the wonderful tips on website and in the newsletter.
I am from India and have around 9 years of IT-consulting experience (6 years for a top-tier IB of which 3 years in London). I’m about to finish my 1 yr MBA from a top-2 school in India and currently my GPA is 2.5/4. My GMAT was 730 (Q48,V37) and I finished my Comp. Sci. undergrad with Honors from a well-known engineering school (non-IIT).
I’m interested in BTO Consulting roles and need your help regarding :
a. I just turned 30. Does that or my 9 yrs of experience count against me ?
b. Is my low GPA a big problem for MBB ? Or should I give it a shot ?
c. Which consulting companies should I realistically target ?
Thanks for your time !
Best,
Raver
Raver,
a) Age and experience isn’t a major issue.
b) The GPA is an issue. It doesn’t hurt to try, but that GPA relatively to everything else in your “package” sticks out. I don’t know BTO that well — so it is possible your work experience will compensate for the GPA, but I somewhat doubt it will be enough to help.
I wouldn’t only rely on BTO and would suggest going after other firms as well. In terms of competitiveness in the IT consulting market, I don’t know it well enough to suggest specific firms to target.
-Victor
Hello Victor!
The resources in your site and the ideas it pools really are very enlightening. It really gives an insight as to the nature of the industry .
I’m a recent graduate (chemical technology and Biotechnology) from a non-brand university in Moscow. My GPA is low by consulting standards, 3.45 and 3.9 out of 5 for my BEng and MEng respectively (though there is a reason). I didn’t undergo any internship because up until about a few months ago, students were not allowed to work here. The only work experience I have is that of teaching business and financial English to members of staff (including managerial) working for international companies here. Of course I have acquired a lot of transferable skills and a general knowledge of the business and financial sectors. Considering the aforementioned, do I stand a chance with any of the consulting firms and would taking any of the specialized tests (GRE, SAT, GMAT) enhance my chances. I contacted the office here and was told resumes are to be sent only through the global site.
Thanks for your time.
Best regards,
Victor.
Victor,
A consulting firm might be interested in your background, but most likely not a top firm – perhaps a smaller boutique. A GMAT or GRE score that’s higher than your GPA would normally suggest would help. It might also take working in industry for a few years and getting an MBA to pull it off.
The problem is between the non-brand university, lower gpa, and limited work experience, any one of those three areas can be compensated for, but generally not all three at the same time.
It’s possible to compensate for one of the three and maybe if you’re lucky, 2 out of 3. But 3 of 3 its very difficult, so getting to consulting might be limited to smaller firms or might necessitate an intermediate step (in work experience or going to a brand mba program usually by working in industry first) to get to your goal.
Best wishes,
-Victor
Hello Victor,
I know you have emphasized in the above posts the significance of GMAT, GPA and the stellar work exp. Even then, I would like to once confirm with you about my candidature for consulting career.
- I have an MBA from a target B school (ranked well globally – below 20) however with a low GPA – 2.84
- My GMAT is average – 680
- However I have about 7 years of work experience in the best Market Research firms and have proven my analytical skills. Through these firms I have been involved in consulting for major FMCG firms, involved in global launch of green products, managed groups of people and enormous projects all over the country.
I am very passionate about green consulting and would want to help solve business concerns in this field. Do you think I can aspire for say tier 2 consulting companies?
Hello Victor,
The article and your thoughtful comments are inspiring me to craft strong cover letters. I am applying for summer internships at MMB. I am third year undergrad at a target business school. I have a GPA of 3.84, but average math scores on the SAT of 680. I have interned for the Department of Commerce and have worked in retail. I also hold a number of executive roles in school organizations (many business related clubs). I have asked several consultants in MMB questions and I hope to include my reaction to some of their responses as well.
Are there any suggested differences in crafting a cover letter for internship opportunities? At this level, how critical is past work experiences versus grades?
Thank you!
-Carrie
Hi Victor,
I am an undergraduate from a target school looking to get into the top consulting firms. I was wondering that to better position myself for a full-time consulting job, is it more helpful to do a banking internship (I had an offer from Morgan Stanley) or a second tier consulting internship? I know that it is a trade off between big names and relevant experience, and I have been struggling to make a decision.
Thank you very much!
Alice
Alice,
Both are very good – with a slight edge to Morgan Stanley.
Victor
Hello Victor,
I am an undergraduate student at UCLA with a GPA of 3.7 and SAT scores of 2200. My resume highlights are that I have over 15 weeks worth of experience working in a small consulting firm in the Los Angeles area, two other small internships that involved computer science and accounting. I also hold a couple officer positions for medium size clubs.
Because I feel that my resume doesn’t set me apart as the best of the best (which I am!), I wanted my cover letter to accomplish that. Would you say an unique cover letter can include a rather frank tone or a few jokes?
Thanks for ALL your information. It really has made a significant difference in my confidence for case interviews.
Sincerely,
Tony
Tony,
For cover letters, jokes are risky. The effectiveness totally depends on the person and you have absolutely no data on the person. In person, you can kind of tell if someone has a sense of humor or if they are ice cold. I’d stay away from jokes and simply logically argue your case and present your most relevant resume assets.
For UCLA, it would help if you knew or met someone in the firm that you can reference in your letter… Someone they know or can contact internally that can say, “Yeah, I met Tony in person. Seems like a personable guy. We can definitely put him in front of a client.”
Victor
Thank you Victor for the quick and informative reply.
Hi Victor,
I’m doing 1st year MBA from non target school with GMAT 670 and GPA 3.75. School is ranked in late 20′s. I’ve 8 years of work experience in IT consulting.
I’m an international student. With these credentials, Can I aspire to become an management/BT consultant in US?
Your response is greatly appreciated.
Hi Victor,
I have been your reader for a while, but only interested in consulting recently. I have a quick question for you. I noticed that firms really care about SAT scores since they ask to put that in the application. My SAT score is pretty low I guess (around 2000 with CR 580 and Math 770). Would I not be able to get interview (especially with MBB) just because of a low SAT score?
Thank you for your help and all the stuffs on this website.
Viet
Viet,
The short answer is yes, it is entirely possible to not get an interview (especially with MBB) due to a low SAT score.
They generally tend to care more about the math score than the rest, but they do consider it.
The reason is when the firms analyze the consultants they hire and then 2 years later promote (or fire), those that are promoted tend to have a SAT score (or other standardized test) in a particular range. Also, in the past, a percentage of the consultants that don’t get promoted, had scores below that range.
I know it seems very superficial — especially for experienced hires (and I know you’re probably a potential campus hire) who are asked about their SAT scores from 10 – 15 years ago.
However, I have seen in person that some people just do not have the logical thinking and critical reasoning power that’s needed to go head to head with a CEO client with 30 years industry experience (vs the consultant’s 1 year experience), and to diplomatically prove the client wrong.
THAT is not easy to do.
So a high math test score doesn’t guarantee success in consulting, but a low one does predict struggles (at least by MBB standards. The standards for the rest of the top 10 is lower, but they still look at the scores too).
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I recently completed my MEng in Mechanical engineering (4 year undergrad master’s program) in 2012 from the University of Bristol, UK. I got a first class degree, which places me in the top 10%-15% of the class (we don’t have a GPA system at our university).
After my degree, I took a few months off due to some personal commitments and am now looking for jobs, back in my home country of India. Through my interactions with quite a few consultants, I am quite certain that I want to pursue management consulting as a career. However, I do not have any prior work experience in consulting.
I have really enjoyed reading through your book and am trying to practice case interviews using your techniques.
I would be grateful if you could help me with the following areas:
1. How do I make sure that my cover letter stands out since I do not have any consulting experience?
2. I do not have a partner to practice. So, how do you think would be the best way to practice? I have been reading businessweek and trying to analyse cases on my own, but is this the best way to do it?
Thank you.
Regards,
Nav
Nav,
1) It’s not necessary to have consulting experience to get a consulting job. In fact, the majority of new hires do not have prior consulting experience.
In your cover letter, you want to emphasize the types of skills that consulting firms look for in candidates.
* Ability to do math / think logically (in any context — science, business, engineering, math, non-profits, medicine)
* Ability to work with very diverse people (in any setting — CEO’s, 6 year old children in grade school, men, women, blue collar workers, white collar professionals, multi-cultural groups, students, etc.. )
Basically the same skills you want to highlight in a resume, you want to highlight on your cover letter. For more info on resume skills to highlight, see below:
http://www.caseinterview.com/consulting-resume
For case partner practice, take a look at http://www.CaseInterviewPartner.com – this helps you find partners to practice with via Skype. Should be accessible in a few days.
-Victor
Hey Victor!
First off, thank you for all your hard work and educating me about all you know in consulting. I’ve been a long-time reader and have always wanted to break in, but haven’t had things go my way since I graduated in 2011.
A quick breakdown, non-target 3.3/4.0 gpa (which I know isn’t great), but I believe I have great work experience. Interned at start-up PE firm, temp-job at JPM, and have been working for a year at Morgan Stanley in a very analytical role. I have known since my Junior year in college that I wanted to get into consulting and want to get in even more now because I have been miserable in the industry work I cover.
I don’t have my eyes set on MBB as I really just want to get into consulting and enjoy the work. I’ve networked a bit and have a few close contacts at a few Big4 firms. What do you think my chances are to break into tier-2/tier-3 firms?
Thank you
Brian
Brian,
I think give your work experiences and notable employers, I think tier 2 or 3 is a distinct possibility. Morgan Stanley carries a lot of weight.
It will depend on
1) the prestige level of your non-target school. If it’s a 3.3 at a community college that’s one thing, if it’s at say UCLA that’s different.
2) test scores – if your test scores are much higher than your gpa would suggest, that suggests high ability but perhaps not applied while in school. This would be a favorable interpretation that you want to hope for.
If the non-target school were well known and the test scores were pretty good, combined with Morgan Stanley, I think at least some (but probably not all) of the firms would consider taking a look.
It will help a LOT if you have contacts in these firms. Relationships can overcome resume “deficits”.
Good luck,
-Victor
Think there is some trouble again to access the videos, am I correct?
Cheers
Jacob
Jacob,
The videos should all be working. However, they are often not viewable from China due to firewall issues.
-Victor
Thank you for this post. It has helped to change my semi-standard cv and covers,in something very tailored to my skills, experience, Today is Sunday but i have spent more than 3 hours to create a CV +Cover that replace myself for this Job that i love.
Luca,
Great. Good luck!
-Victor
Dear Victor,
I have bachelors and masters degrees in engineering (from 2 of the best University’s in the UK) and a year’s experience of working with the internal sustainability advisory of a large MNC. I am considering moving to a role in consulting. What should I highlight in my cover letter to consulting firms.
Degrees, university brand name, any kind of standard test score (especially one that’s good) + name of the large MNC (assuming its well known). But all the above in the first paragraph.
The general rule of thumb — the most impressive, most credible, most universally recognizable things FIRST to ensure nobody misses it.
Don’t assume the read the whole cover letter. Assume they SCAN the cover letter to see if any keywords jump out, and if they see something interesting they slow down to read the cover letter, and then the resume with much greater care.
-Victor
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I have recently completed my MBA and also hold an MS in Electrical Engineering. Having worked in engineering for about 15 years with really strong background in Operations, I want to get into Technology/Business Strategy consulting. How receptive you think consulting firms would be toward a profile like mine? Meaning, do they see having both Engineering and Business skills much differently then just Business?
Regards,
Raj
Raj,
It is very difficult to say given the limited information you provided. It depends on the caliber of the school where you got your MBA and MS, your grades, your test scores, what you specifically accomplished during the 15 years in engineering (e.g., were you an exceptional engineer or did you just show up everyday for 15 years — big difference).
Those factors aside I don’t see anything that would disqualify you from being considered. The operationally oriented consulting firms tend to value industry experience more than the strategy one. The strategy ones are biased a little more towards pedigree and achievement levels within industry (slightly less so on what you were successful at).
You might also take a look at my “Do I qualify?” self assessment matrix in my consulting resume toolkit. I think it’s as http://www.caseinterview.com/consulting-resume
Good luck,
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I have found your advice and materials provided on http://www.caseinterview to be very helpful in my job search. Recently, I purchased your series on consulting resumes and it has really opened my eyes to what recruiters are looking for in a resume. It also gave me an idea of whether I am even competitive in a candidate pool and where I would have more chances of getting an interview.
As a University of Michigan College of Engineering graduate, I am pursuing a career in consulting. After graduation in April 2012, I worked for Schlumberger (World’s largest oilfield service company) as a Field Engineer for 6 months. I have also been a very active member of Society of Women Engineers on collegiate and professional level. The problem is that I am no longer a ‘recent graduate’ and I am also switching careers at a very early stage in my career from engineering to consulting. What would you recommend would be key points to bring up in my resume?
Thank you,
Sarah
Sarah,
In your cover letter, you’re going to have to explain the “elephant in the room” question as to why you’re changing fields so early in your career. I’m going to assume what you’re doing now is not a good fit for you, but you will need to explain that in a little more detail… And explain why consulting doesn’t have any of these drawbacks.
Your employer is well known so that’s not a big issue. If your Michigan stats were pretty solid, you want to mention yor GPA and scores in your cover letter as well.
The tricky part will be your work experience, have you worked long enough to have accomplished anything meaningful? If yes, definitely include that. If not, that’s not a deal breaker. It just means there will be more weight placed on your Michigan experiences and any internships while you were there.
Good luck,
Victor
I meant to say, what would you recommend would be key points to bring up in my cover letter?
Hi Victor
Trust you are doing good. I am regular visitor at your website and have been reading your book. I am a second year analyst with a big 4 audit firm in their strategy consulting practice. Before I put across my query, I would sincerely like to acknowledge the fact that the insights you share in your book / emails are extremely relevant and helpful for a aspiring strategy consultant and I have greatly benefited from them.
I seek your advise to help me evaluate my profile for strategy consulting at MBB and the approach to target the same.
My post is a bit longer than the average post on the website. I apologise for the length /detail and appreciate all the assistance
My background
Positives
Strong undergraduate degree in finance with honours from a top commerce college in India ( equivalent to 3.7 GPA)
Two years of experience in strategy Consulting : 12+ assignments( market entry, feasibility study, commercial due diligence , business plan/business plan review, financial modelling, sales and pricing strategy) with exposure to sectors such as media, healthcare, logistics, automobile and hospitality
Well versed with strategy consulting frameworks : both corporate strategy and m&a and advised bulge bracket PE funds on deals that have gone live
I would be joining university of Cambridge (target school) for a post experience master degree in finance in september
Perceived negatives
No standardised test score ( admission to Cambridge was profile based)
Transition to MBB
Though my masters degree is a post experience degree in finance (technically an MBA equivalent) its not an MBA
Areas of concern
How I should structure my covering letter.How do I state the obvious shift from top 8 to top 3.
what position should I apply for ( associate/consultant level or junior associate/junior consultant)
Would my work experience make case interviews harder for me in terms of expectations of the interviewer since I have done something similar in past.
Once again I appreciate all the assistance that you have been providing
Many thanks in advance
Prateek
Prateek,
This is a tough one as you are right on the borderline for applying to the undergrad vs post MBA roles. You could really go either way. If it were me, I’d aim for the more junior role. The post MBA’s have more experience. Better to aim a little lower and get in the door somehow and work from there. If you opted to target the post MBA role, it’s definitely not a mistake and you would definitely have a shot at it.
Do you have college entrance exam scores? If so I Clyde those in lieu of GRE scores. An undergrad % rank would work as well.
The Cambridge experience is a very good transition opportunity. No need to explain the desire to move for big 4 to MBB. Nobody is going to think you are crazy or anything, the Cambridge name as a transition point is really ideal. It “upgrades” your status somewhat and improves your odds of being considered.
In your cover letter explain, you’ve had a good experience at your firm, you have been invited back (assuming that is true) and you’re looking at other options in a field you really like… Use the Cambridge experience as your excuse for taking a look at your options.
Cases are cases period. The standard is largely similar. They will however expect you to be able to know the projects listed on your resume forwards and backwards, so be sure you can explain what you did two years ago, key insights, the approach you took, why you did what you did, etc.. Sometimes the stuff from a few years ago is hard to explain if you haven’t had to do so in a while. If it is on the resume, be prepared to be grilled on it.
Good luck,
Victor
Hi Victor,
I have been reading your posts and case interview tips, and they are very helpful. I would really appreciate if you could help me with some questions regarding my profile.
I earned a law degree from a Brazilian University in 2005. In addition, I’ve completed a post-graduate Certificate in Business Administration with concentration in Finance and a post-graduate specialization course in Tax Law from two well known schools in Brazil. I worked for 3 years in PwC Brazil as a tax consultant. In 2011, I obtained an LL.M. degree in International Taxation at University of Florida (it is ranked top 3 in international taxation), where I graduated with a GPA of 3.80/4.00 (top 7%). For the last 1.5 years I have been working as an international tax consultant in the NY office of a Big4 audit firm. I am 33 years old and decided that I want to work with strategic consulting and build my career there.
Do you think my age and/or background can be viewed as a problem? Do you have any suggestions that could maximize my chances of being interviewed? Do you think there are any weak spots or issues that I should address in my cover-letter? What do you think my chances are to break into the top3 firms?
Thanks for your time.
Best regards,
Bastos
Bastos,
Your age is not a problem. The background however isn’t typical for top 3 firms. In the US, the university of florida will be seen as a negative (not selective enough) and tax work isn’t seen as highly prestigious or selective incomparison to investment banking.
If your Braziliian educational track record was exceptional, applying to a Brazil office might increase your chances. Your sweet spot will most likely be the top 25 firms, think the strategy groups of the big 4 firms.
The other issue is that tax people tend to get type cast as only able to do tax work. So you want to somehow convey that your perspective is much broader than just tax and ideally convincingly back up this assertion.
Good luck,
Victor
Hi Victor,
I found this article to be extremely informative. I will definitely take a hard and careful look at my cover letter from now on. I’m hoping you can give me some of your wisdom as I’m at a crossroads right now in my career. I’m currently in boutique consulting (pharma/life sciences) and feeling a little bit unchallenged as I’m wondering about what other industries/business problems could be out there. So I’d like to branch out and try my hand at general management consulting.
I started working July of last year after I graduated with my Master’s from University of Pennsylvania. So I’ve only worked in consulting for about 10 months as a Senior Analyst. My biggest concern is that I don’t have the experience to jump ship to the top general consulting firms. In addition, most of my work experiences are R&D internships/co-ops I’ve held in pharma companies (J&J and Pfizer). I’m afraid that with my heavy technical, scientific background (both my bachelor’s and master’s are in the sciences), I will not be able to be screened through. From your POV, would my background even be attractive to McKinsey or any of the top firms? Additionally, is jumping to another consulting firm this early on a bad idea?
Thanks in advance for your insight!
LC
Hi there Victor,
I’m currently working on wrapping up my PhD in neuroscience, and am planning to apply to MBB. Though my degrees are from target schools, and my GPAs fairly strong (over 3.7), I don’t have any standardized test scores. Admissions didn’t require that I write either the SAT or GRE, so I never did. You’ve mentioned on several occasions that the absence of standardized test scores on a resume is conspicuous; should I state that I never took any of these tests in my cover letter? Perhaps include a note on the resume itself? Or do I just say nothing?
Thanks in advance!
–Beth
Hi Victor,
I’m currently studying at Management Engineering in ITU, which is ranked in the top 250 universities in the field of engineering/technology and ranked 1st in nationwide , with a 3.4 GPA out of 4. Also, I’m working as a risk analysis intern at the Royal Bank of Scotland since Sep,2012. I don’t have any test scores yet but I want to get GMAT in a year before I finish the university. I’m planning to apply consulting firms like McKinsey,BCG,Kearney that located in Turkey. In addition to this, I participated in lots of EU Project, and also I managed 2 social projects in Turkey. My question is What should I do to get the job from McKinsey,BCG,Kearney ? because we don’t have a lot of consulting firms in Turkey, and it is really hard to get in these firms.
Sorry I forgot to say, thank you for your time
Best Regards
Aysal
Hi Victor,
Thank you for all your wonderful advice!
I am a recent graduate from a non-target but well recognized Business School (Top 30 nationally ranked Business School according to Bloomberg/Businessweek).
I have had internship experience at UBS as well as at a Big 4 firm within their Advisory service line.
I am currently employed with the Big 4 firm I interned with and have been fortunate enough to have gained project experience on some high profile Fortune 500 firms in my first year with the firm.
I have always been highly interested in MBB but understood there were barriers from attending a non-target school and graduating with only a mediocre GPA (3.55/4).
Although Big 4 Advisory services are certainly not as high level or well recognized as the MBB or other top tier consulting firms, do you believe my experience (along with networking) would be able to help me land an interview?
Regards,
Hi Victor,
Thank you for this article. I got a call from Bain and I know this article helped for sure, because a year before I had applied to Bain but the phone never rang.
I can say I am a year richer, experienec wise, however speaking to people, getting a feel of the company through these conversations, quoting them, etc., definitely works. I realized that after 2-3 months of networking I could actually write my cover letter with ease.
My initial problem was, I wanted to point out (in bold letters , sometimes literally) everything that I have done and said. So I ended up creating a 1 1/2 page long cover letter (which probably bored the resume scanner to death). After I met a few people from Bain, I could sit down and look at all my achievements and segregate them into those that ‘Bain has to know’, ‘would be good if they knew’ and ‘ that’s not getting mentioned’. Then I worked on just re-phrasing them so that there’s a story to it and its interesting (without sounding exaggerated) and at the same time I could point-out why (through quotes from the people I spoke to) would I be a good fit. Took me time (and lots of paper) until I arrived at a cover letter I was satisfied with.
And now I am happy I read this blog before I sent out my cover letter because, after all the case interveiw preperation, I just wasn’t ready for the ‘reject’ pile..
Firstly, great site with priceless advice. The book has also been a fantastic guide into the mind-set and process for interviews.
Though I do have one major concern. It has been 15 years since I left university and I am attempting to make a career change from IT service management into the world of strategic consulting. I am happy with the CV I have put together and I am up for the challenge of the interview process. The issue is getting there as I am not straight out of a top university and I have no formal experience with ‘consultancy’. Regardless I believe consultancy is the most natural career for me and I wish I had taken this path earlier.
Can you provide some advice and tips on how best to approach this path in a cover letter and also provide some views on how firms see people coming into the industry from other areas?
Many thanks in advance
Martin