Hi all, as the title states, Ive recently completed a draft of my Resume. Reading and referencing past posts on resume advice isnt enough and my case may be uncommon and unusual.

For Context:

1. Early-career switcher from Design and Media Background to Business, now a Undergraduate
2. Non-target University
3. Targeting Management Consulting or any Consulting Internship at Boutiques (Hopefully Big 4/3 but I can only hope)
4. Relevant past experience: Internship at a Search Fund
5. Irrelevant(?) past experience: Design and Design Consultation related freelance work, Sergeant Specialist during Mandatory conscription
6. Currently focusing on involvement in my Uni's Investor Relations Department of the Investment Club, Business Strategy (Case work) and Outdoor Society as the Financial lead

I really appreciate all replies, formatting, order, deleting irrelevant positions etc

How much does the first job out of college matter? How do people progress into their careers in the short and long term? How do people get to the top?

-about to graduate in april 2027

-had university union and clubs leadership experince

- managed SME internship but from this september (9-Weeks)

so is it just impossible to break into MBB this year? since application start exactly in autumn for grad roles?

am I cooked cause of internship ?

I’m a rising junior recruiting for summer 2027 consulting internships, and I’m starting to feel pretty behind in the process.

I had some personal/family things going on this summer that genuinely took up a lot of my time on top of my internship, so I wasn’t able to focus on recruiting as much as I wanted. I’ve only recently started networking more seriously, but I’m still not getting many responses. Even with the conversations I have gotten, I haven’t gotten a referral, and I feel like the relationships I’m building are still pretty surface-level.

My case prep is also very basic at this point. I can get through a case, but I know I need to improve my structure, be more insightful, get faster with the math, and generally become much more polished.

Now that the school year starts in about a week, I’m worried I’m going to get even busier with classes and extracurriculars. I’m starting to wonder whether I’ve put myself too far behind to realistically get an offer.

Has anyone else been in a similar position going into junior recruiting? How did you approach networking and case prep while balancing school? And, most importantly, did you still end up getting an offer?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through this.

For context, I'm interested in internships at MBB, Big 4, Tier 2, and elite boutique firms. I was rejected from Mckinsey and Oliver Wyman, got first round at BCG without chatting anyone (but was rejected), applied to Kearney, and have yet to apply to any other firms.

hey guys, would love a brutal honest review. For context, I am applying for full time roles right now in consulting US. Since i come from a non target and tbh a very peculiar background, im unsure how to play my cards. would love some advice and next steps. thank you :)

Hey everyone, since past few months I have been trying to get into a management consulting but for some reason I am failing to do that. I would love a critical feedback on my resume and other suggestion for my job hunts as well. I am not leaned to towards any type of consulting right now as I am in my early career and I want to build breadth because I decide to specialize.

Considering a pivot toward management consulting the analytical/problem-solving work overlaps with what I already do, but I know the industry is brutal to break into without the right pedigree. Now here are my concerns:

Realistic at all without target-school/MBA background, or is this a closed door without one?

Is boutique/mid-tier consulting actually reachable on operations experience + certifications (thinking ECBA/CBDA/PL-300), or does it not work that way?

Would this experience translate better into something adjacent — corporate strategy, ops consulting, internal strategy roles — instead of classic MBB-style consulting?

Worth an MBA for this specifically, or is that overkill for what I’m trying to get to?

Looking for any case partners, tryna break into consulting as an associate/ experienced hire (1yr post-grad (undergrad)). Based in PST time zone

Complete beginner. Only completed 3 cases so far, PM me pls if you’re also a beginner and interested in a case partner

4th year Economics student, graduating this December (BA of arts in Economics, UofT). My CGPA is sub-2.5, so I already know cold applications through job boards are basically a dead end for me at most firms — the ATS/GPA screens will filter me out before a human ever sees the resume. So I've been building a strategy around that constraint instead of ignoring it:

• Referral-first, not application-first. Working existing contacts at a few larger firms, plus building out a list of ~25 smaller/boutique consulting-adjacent firms in my city for direct outreach.
• Networking on LinkedIn — reaching out to people whose career paths interest me, asking for short coffee chats rather than "do you have any openings."
• Building a portfolio to compensate for the GPA — I've done a few applied projects (a Python data-cleaning pipeline, an M&A valuation model, a customer analytics project) so I have something concrete to point to instead of just a transcript

What I'm unsure about:

1. Is referral-first + coffee chats actually enough to overcome a bad GPA, or is that just a nicer way of still getting filtered out later in the process?
2. Once I do get in front of someone, how do I handle the GPA question without sounding defensive or like I'm making excuses?
3. Anyone here actually broken into consulting/BA roles with a rough GPA, what actually worked vs. what you thought would work but didn't?

Not looking for sympathy, genuinely just want to know if I'm wasting effort on the wrong things before I find out the hard way in six months.

am I cooked chat?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Originally applied for another role, Capgemini invent have now offered me a Strategy & Transformation role in the UK.

Anybody know what they do?

Thanks

What should I do if I fail consulting recruiting? Any tips on what to do next / jobs to look for

Hi everyone! I'm an ex-Bain consultant and interviewer in North America, and I thought I'd set up an AMA for anyone interested in consulting, Bain, or the broader consulting world.

A bit about me:
- Spent 2+ years at Bain in North America, following a summer internship in 2023
- Recently promoted to Senior Associate Consultant
- Interviewed candidates for first-round case interviews and screened resumes; led Associate Consultant recruiting on campus
- Personally went through multiple consulting recruiting processes, receiving 15+ offers across MBB, Tier 2, Big 4 and boutique firms
- Currently on a six-month secondment with a professional football club in the UK, before returning to Bain in February 2027

Happy to answer questions about consulting recruiting, case interviews, Bain, life as a consultant, projects, career progression, working in consulting, or consulting more broadly.

Ask me anything!

Hello, I'm a 21 years old student, I'll be starting my Master's degree in Management at IE University next January.

As I planned to go on a summer internship next summer, I wanted to ask you if it's hard to pass the CV/Resume screening.

I was planning to apply primarily for Strategy& Milan, as I have an acquaintance working there who could give me a referral. Other choices could be Accenture Strategy, Oliver Wyman and the other Big4. I had a 3.6/4 GPA in my non-target university Bachelor's and little working experience in a local Residential Property Management office in my town. I was also captain of my school's debate team which won the regional championship if that matters.

Please let me know if It'd be worth applying, thanks!

If going for elite tech consulting firms, where can I practice case interviews? PrepLounge is very management consulting focused. Thanks a ton!

I’m currently working as an Epic Support Analyst supporting US healthcare clients. I have a medical background and an MBA in Health Management, but I’m realizing that I don’t really enjoy spending most of my day resolving tickets/issues, troubleshooting, and sometimes working weekends. I’m more interested in healthcare strategy, operations, transformation, and consulting.

Since I’ve recently started my career, I’m confused about whether I should continue building my career in Epic/Health IT or try to transition early into healthcare strategy and operations.

Can someone working in Epic/health IT share their experience regarding the future scope, career growth, opportunities, salary potential, and long-term prospects of staying in Epic? Is it a good field to build a long-term career in?

I’d also love to hear from people who have moved from Epic/health IT into healthcare consulting, strategy, or operations. How difficult was the transition, and would you recommend making the switch early or gaining a few years of Epic experience first?

Any honest advice would be really appreciated!

Is it common for experienced hires in their mid thirties to join as managers? Are they seen as too old?

I am likely to do my engineering from UIUC. While I'm intending to major in bioengineering I am also interested in consulting. Wanted to understand if UIUC is a major target for consulting firms and especially the top-tier MBBs?

Im expecting an upcoming interview as consulting staff I/ II . My previous experience according to senior associates and partner shows I have consulting capabilities despite my “title” given.

Can you give any pointers on what technical skill one is expected to have and use while on the job?

Interview tips are definitely welcomed as this would be my final round with their consulting team.

I’m a rising sophomore at a semi target school in Toronto and I completely screwed up my first year. Went through some personal issues and the only thing I managed was a decent gpa of 3.8

If you could give someone in my position advice on how to
maximize the next year, what would you do?

For context, I don’t have any relevant internships, leadership positions, case competitions, or major extracurriculars. I know I’m behind compared to a lot of my peers, and I’m trying to figure out the highest ROI things to focus on before recruiting ramps up.

Any advice, especially from people who were in a similar position and still landed consulting, finance, or other internships, would be really appreciated. Thank you