Why not Me at BCG?

Dive into Methuna's application process for Boston Consulting Group! She shares tips for preparing, why the consulting industry, and how to not give into mass-applying!

Meet Methuna!

Incoming Summer Associate at BCG

University: Imperial College London, in the United Kingdom

Class: 2022, 3rd year undergraduate student

Area of Study: Physics, pursuing Master's in Science

In Fall 2020, Methuna joined Kickstart Students Consulting and we wanted to share a member spotlight on her accomplishment! Her favorite part about working with us is being able to help others with CVs, and working with a passionate team!

How many internship offers did you receive?

I received 3 offers in total along with 40 rejections. Sometimes when people get accepted into large companies, we forget the process there isn't always linear and perfect. In fact, I mass-applied to a lot of companies that truthfully I didn't want or didn't know about but I felt I needed to increase my chances by applying to more. Since I applied to so many companies though, I received more rejections. Even though they weren't places I wanted to work for, the rejections made me feel worse during my internship search and that I had wasted so much time mass applying.

Lesson Learned: Focus on a smaller pool of companies that you truly want so you can put more time and attention to ones you care about. Meeting with 2-3 people in a company each week is worth more than mass applying to 2-3 companies with 1-click applications.

But How?

Be intentional in your internship search by

• reaching out to alumni, students, friends that worked at the company/industry

• ask to chat, then if they have recommendations of who to reach out to next!

• follow up to thank them for their time and keep them updated

When did you realize you wanted to apply?

As a freshman, I found a simple work-shadow opportunity that was a week long in a small consulting firm! I loved the work so during the week, I actively asked for more responsibility and how I could help and they let me! Because of that, I actually ended up having a bigger role that made a real impact and they even extended my time there, later offering a position to return. After that, I knew I wanted to pursue BCG but knew they usually take juniors and 3rd years for conversion internships (a summer internship then opportunity for a full-time offer following senior year).

Lesson Learned: Even work-shadow opportunities from your university can turn into more! I never dreamed my week-long opportunity would turn into 2 weeks and an offer to be paid. It's okay to ask for more responsibility than your current temporary role/position, it can open doors to a full internship!

How did you prepare for BCG's application process?

In a nutshell, I'll explain in 3 stages.

1. Learn about the Industry & The Firm

This can be accomplished by

• networking or reaching out to employees

• read books about the industry

• stay on top of the news, like MorningBrew for example

• join consulting clubs or organizations in school for experience

• create your own consulting experience

2. Update your CV/Resume & Cover letter

Highlight what you’ve done with numbers to show impact of your work

• "Increased club membership by 15% in 5 weeks through online outreach."

Use strong verbs to begin each bullet point accomplishment

• “Strong resume verbs to use for ___ industry/role”

Make your cover letter specific to you

• Go in-depth and answer your “why," that's what will always be unique to you

• Like why you're interested in consulting? What was your story to get there?

3. Preparing for Interviews

Start ASAP

• As soon as possible, start practicing case studies often, do not wait last minute!

• Start doing practice tests for their numerical tests to become familiar with it

Why are you pursuing the Consulting Industry?

I have always loved problem solving from studying physics during my time in University. Since this aspect is the core of consulting, along with the collaborative people aspect, I'm really drawn to the industry. I love being able to make an impact on the client with the role that I play, it helps me see the tangible results of my work when they're successful. People don't always think of physics leading to consulting but both are centered around problem solving, which I love! Plus, consulting gives me more avenues for my career than being limited to traditional physics paths.

Advice for Internship Seekers?

Honestly, when I heard back from BCG, I was surprised. I hadn't thought I would make it through the first round, and with that I have 3 takeaways.

• This whole process can get so draining

We can get stuck in a "grind" cycle but remember to take care of yourself! Even if it's

15 minutes of a nice dinner, tv show, or a walk, give yourself a break. This is tough.

• Why not You?

Apply to the company you want/dream of! I had never dreamed BCG would happen

and it did! If you don’t apply you obviously won’t get in, so try anyway!

• You are there for a Reason.

When you make it past rounds and *especially* to the interview stage, know this:

Imposter syndrome is real, BUT realize they aren’t making mistakes choosing you.

You don’t know what they’re looking for and need to believe in yourself.

Worrying about or thinking someone else deserved it more isn’t helping and won’t

change anything so give it your all.