Hi Heinrich, thank you for your awesome application preparation videos! I managed to get an Associate Consultant Internship at Simon-Kucher, a German, but internationally active firm, by following your instructions on the CV and the Cover Letter, and now here I am again, creating actual MBB applications. Thanks for the opportunity to gain insights regarding the application process! Best, Darius
Hi Darius, super happy to hear that you are doing so well, and that the videos helped. Always a pleasure to write on IG. Cheering for you that your applications will be successful. Thank you also continuing to support the channel! :) Best! Heinrich
It may be due to your career step at this point in time, but I think this is not a strong cover letter at all - even though it worked for you. I always prefer a cover letter in which the applicant clearly states: - what are his/hers specific experiences, capabilities and what kind of knowledge he/her brings, - and how these features are helping my company to succeed (in which way or in what area) - why he/her wants to join us, our industry, our market niche or our particular company - why should we choose you (maybe in the penultimate sentence), in short form or catch phrase - maybe to add the expected compensation and when could the applicant actually start to work, or what is their current notice period A clear motivation + the expected benefits for my company (maybe in combination with the track record in the CV) are important to me - and one sentence about their personality (hobbies etc.) is fine too. "This is a person, that I want to meet." should be the result, even if they do not hiring you later What do you think?
Hi Manfred, thanks for sharing! Yes, agree that the points you mentioned are well suited to be included in a cover letter. Agree that my cover letter was not perfect in conveying these points, as also stated in the video. Though of course your position on your career timeline will have an impact as well. An experienced hire will be much more suited to address many of the points you mention than a university student, who will need to talk more about his/her studies. Best! Heinrich
Yes, directly getting in contact with the LOB manager will usually be helpful to avoid getting lost in the HR processes :) Would be careful to not alienate the HR professionals though. What often works is to apply via the official HR channel, but forward the application to the LOB manager as well. Best! Heinrich
I used to send the recruiter only my resume but no cover letter before today. Now I figure out why so many of my applications went away silently without any response. Thank you Heinrich for this great video!
Hi Xiaochuan, thanks for your comment and sharing your story! Yes, agree that sending a cover letter is important. Lots of success to you in the future! Best, Heinrich
Actually I have some points here: The first sentence is just for McKinsey!! Usually within all German industry firms like eg. the automotive brands, the recruiters precisely know, for which position you are applying. Duration and start date are usually in the job description. Introducing your application whith such a sentence is redundand and in my opition is a strict NO GO. I talked to a lot of recruiters for eg. Graduate programmes in my life and all of them say, that they have approx. 2mins per application and they only will read cover letters when your CV is convincing. You HAVE TO catch their attention in the first sentence, else you are just one other of hundreds of applications. So this is my take: 1. Start your application by telling them what drives you, why you are applying to that specific position and what you expect from it for your career/interests/motivation/... 2. Follow by telling them what you have achieved academically and practically in your life so far. Be proud of yourself! The recruiter will feel that. Heinrich does that pretty good with one remark from me: I dont know about 2011 but in 2020 the Technology Management program at TUM and LMU is by FAR NO ELITE PROGRAM. This is in my opinion clearly overconfidence and will make the recruiter think you are arrogant. 3. Conclude by summarizing why you are -based on what you have told them before- are the perfect fit for the specific position. Tell them why this specific position will be the next step for reaching your career goal. This will already make your application stand out compared to 97% of all. It has a personal component which recruiters like, since in the end they will hire a human with his feelings, teamspirit, and ability to motivate others and no machine. Some general tips: 1) Dont be redundant. 2) Always use one word over 2 (be on point, dont write romans like I do right here :D) 3) Customize your application towards the position! A long term recruiter will see a mass application within the first 2 sentences. 4) Be realistic: Dont be mad when you are not getting invited to a position you know you're not eligible (trust me: you will know) 5) Dont get scared by reading the skill set: Usually firms ask for more than they can expect (especially with graduate positions)
Thanks for sharing - interesting perspective and many great points! Regarding the first paragraph, have in mind that maybe the documents get printed out and sent to other consultants to review before interview, maybe other information that you entered into online forms are not included in there. Also some applications are not handed in via online forms at all, but the cover letter and the CV are pretty much the only information that the recruiters have. Best, Heinrich
And regarding the CDTM - the study program is part of the "Elitenetzwerk Bayern" and the "Technology Management" degree is labeled as "Elitestudiengang" by the State of Bavaria. I did not come up with that name. Agree that in general you should not just randomly call your degree an elite study program ;) de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elitenetzwerk_Bayern#Elitestudieng%C3%A4nge_und_Doktorandenkollegs
I promise you the majority of recruiters in tech don't even bother reading cover letters. I'm currently working as a machine learning engineer for a large defense contractor in DC btw.
Thank you so much Heinrich. I'll be applying for vacation work ( Winter internship) in South Africa, at one of the bigger banks in Africa which also has a presence in London and some parts of Europe. I will be using this structure, it is very helpful I will let you know how it goes. The content you produce has been very helpful in assisting one in gaining a competitive advantage.
Your explanation is very clear! Great video. I have a request, would you please make video to explain the speciality of each big consulting firms e.g: MBB vs Big four vs Tech consulting (Accenture, IBM)? Are there any overlapping services they have? What "A" consulting firm can offer, but "B" cannot... etc. It is also very great if you can explain according to your experience too, since you have done an internship at tech consulting firm. Looking forward for your next video!
I see two points missing from this cover letter. How you are a best fit for the specific position ? And why would you work for this company? Or am I doing it wrong the whole time ? I have not had any luck yet in germany.
Could you perhaps do a video for experienced hires who want to apply to MBB? It would be good to know how and when to apply, what kind of role you can realistically expect to get given no consulting experience and tips on what skills and experiences to develop in your current job to make yourself more attractive as a candidate.
@@FirmLearning Heinrich! I just found out that one of my best friends has watched all your videos and they've changed her life! I'll be sure to watch and like all your content! You're the best! Lots of love from down under!
Ciao Heinrich! I really enjoy your videos, contents are very helpful, especially for young professionals! I work as a controller in a large industrial multinational company in Italy. If you have desire/ time, could you consider making a video about: - role/ industries you wanted to apply as a graduate: if you would not have gotten a job in consulting, what would you have followed as career goal? what were the most attracting opportunities for you as business graduate? - did you have a learning method (ex. taking notes about all your heard, do researches in extra hour...) and also for organizing / prioritizing your activities and mail inbox? See you in next videos, best of luck for your channel and life!
Hi Michele, great th hear that the videos are helpful, thanks man! Also thank you for your video suggestions. Indeed interesting topics, might talk about that in future videos! Best, Heinrich
From my experience this is good for consulting and banking as well as any other German companies. If you go for an international tech career, this is still not bad, but a bit too stale
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment! Overall agree that this is the format that is most recommended for these more conservative business careers. For tech careers, other things such as project portfolios also become more important. Best! Heinrich
What if I cannot find a recruiter's name? Should I just leave it and just write the company's name and address? I know how to do a "Dear" (greetings) part.
If only this video had come out in 2017, my searching for graduate internship could have been easier. Thank you for this video, it's really helpful for me.
I think cover letters are very subjective. I remember writing a cover letter with a similar structure and an ex consultant just told me it was too common and proceeded to show me some other format. Ironically, another ex consultant once told that is a wrong format.
Hi, thanks for the comment! My take on this is that cover letters are "hygiene factors" as also discussed in the video. Rather go for a "boring" standard format than trying to do something out of the box which might not be appreciated. Best! Heinrich
I loved this video, just like all the others. Thank you very much for sharing so much valuable content, Heinrich. For me, as a student with mediocre grades at a target university, it is very helpful to see tips to at least make the MBB consider my application. Best regards! ☺️
When I was at Bürgeramt, the consultant told me to exclude "Ich" from the first sentence, as employers may think that you're egoistic. I have no idea whether it has a connection with the truth.
Do you think that the first line should still be written like that, because I’ve been told that it’s not up to date anymore and that you should not write sentences like that anymore? Or do you think that it is still okay to use that sentences when applying for consulting internships?
Hi Nick, interesting question. In my opinion this is valid, as it tells the reader in a concise way why you are writing to him / her and what this is all about. Trust that there are many people with many different opinions on topics like this though and of course there is no absolute truth on what works and what doesnt. Best! Heinrich
@@FirmLearning Alright, thank you very much. I’m currently applying for some consulting internships for this fall and I’m trying to regard as many tips of you as possible, so thank you for your awesome insights. Best regards, Nick
Hallo Camilo, innerhalb des Dokuments ja. Es muss aber nicht die gleiche Größe für beide Dokumente gewählt werden, das ist mE nicht notwendig. LG! Heinrich
Hallo! Ich bin gerade im Bewerbungsprozess und wollte fragen ob sie das Beispiel vom Cover letter auch in Deutsch haben? Wie wichtig ist Deutsch , kann man in München beim PwC z.b auch in Englisch schrieben ?
@@FirmLearning Hi Heinrich, I just realized I missed a word in my question: Is it recommended to write your cv and cover letter in English, when applying to German offices? Thanks for your answer anyway! (:
Hi, Heinrich. Can I ask you question? How possible is it possible to become management consultant after MS degree, but not MBA? If so, which MS can you recommend to pursue? Thank you for your answer
Hi! In general I would see every document as an opportunity to convice the HR professional why to hire you. Therefore in most cases I would recommend to hand one in, yes! However, this of course underlines my point that cover letters should not be overestimated and will not play a very significant role in the process. Best! Heinrich
Hi Heinrich, thank you for all your helpful materials that you create for us! I wanted to ask how to deal in the situation when I am applying to 3 offices simultaneously? Should I attach 3 cover letters addressed to each of the offices, or just not put the recruiter name? Thank you!
Hi Kateryna, thanks for the question! Depends a bit on the process (e.g., do you hand it in via an online tool that is used by all offices, or do you independently contact the individual offices you apply to). But in general I would write only one cover letter that states all the offices you would be open for. Of course, if the offices are in different countries or even continents, you should write at least 1 paragraph on your reasoning for this. Best! Heinrich
Hi Sayantan, yes for most roles it is required. Though check out the latest post in the community tab of my channel - there you see an opportunity where you can also apply with English-only! Best, Heinrich
@@FirmLearning thank you so much for your answer. Yes I recently checked Inverto from you posts. But unfortunately they dont have currently any intership positions and as a current student I am mostly looking for internships. But I applied for a working student position. Thank you so much for these guiding information and video.
Hello Heinrich, thanks for the video. I would like to ask you what you think of the colourful CV's with modern designs , and which is actually recommended those or a classic one in a word document?
Hi Mo, personally I would not use these "colorful" and "modern" designs, unless you apply to a marketing agency or any other creative type of role. Especially for conservative industries such as banking and consulting, these new designs will for sure not help you (nobody will hire you because your CV is colorful) and you risk that someone does not like it and you have the disadvantage. Best, Heinrich
Hello! I was wondering if it would be better to apply in english or german if one wants to apply for a position in Germany. On the McKinsey website, it states that both would work. However, I would like to know if one would be an advantage over the other. I am fluent in german but english is one of my native languages. Would love to get your opinion on that. Best.
Hi Marie! It they say that it does not matter, it does not matter :) In general I would probably apply in German to the German office, but mainly because I am a native German and my English will be not as good. Best! Heinrich
Hi Kristen, it was my first application to McKinsey that then got me the internship. Applied in the 5th semester of my Bachelor / undergrad studies. After a rejection, you are usually blocked for 12-18 months to apply again at most MBB firms. Best! Heinrich
Hi, would only do that with a PhD or a Professor title (but know that other people handle it differently). For lawyers it is also common to add an LLM title as well. Best! Heinrich
Hi, for MBB in Europe, you should usually apply at least 3 months before the official starting date. A bit earlier (e.g., 6-9 months) would probably be even better. Best, Heinrich
Hi Heinrich, Thanks a lot for the great video! It was very helpful. I plan to apply at McK and was wondering whether I have disadvantages or will have to wait with a second application in case of a rejection. Thank you!
Hi, thanks for your comment. Indeed, at most large consulting firms you get blocked after a rejection for another 12 months or so, so indeed important to have this in mind. Best, Heinrich
Hi Heinrich, Being 30 years old, having a background in architecture and 3 years of work experience, top 1% in all the 3: high school, bachelor and master, do you believe I even have a chance of getting a job in an MBB or even in the consulting world, considering that my Uni studies are not at all business or technology related? Do I stand a chance without any further degree such as MBA or Finance? Thank you,
Hi! Yes, in general you absolutely have a chance. Especially the large MBB firms have recruiting quotas for people with "exotic" backgrounds. E.g., one of the McK partners in my former office was a professional opera singer before he joined the firm ;) Lots of success to you! Best, H
Hi Klaus! Du meinst Cover Letter? Ja genau, hatte diesen Cover Letter ursprünglich auch für eine Bewerbung auf Deutsch geschrieben. LG, Heinrich Rusche
Hi Heinrich, thanks for your content in consultancy they are very useful. I am considering applying for a consultancy role as an entry position, but I have 8 years of experience. Have you seen a similar case of someone who would join McKinsey under a similar case? Your comments are highly appreciated.
Hi, thank you for your videos are really helpful for me. But what about "thank you" email after an interview with McKinsey? there's any recommendations?
Hi man! Doing a video probably takes me 6 hours on average (including production, post-production, thumbnail creation etc.). Lots of success to you! Best, Heinrich
Hi Surabhi, ja für die meisten Firmen muss man auf "business fluency" level Deutsch sprechen. B1 wird für die meisten Jobs mE etwas zu wenig sein, aber versuchen schadet natürlich nicht. Sonst ist Berlin die Stadt, wo man am ehesten mit nur Englisch zurechtkommt, auch am Arbeitsmarkt. Viel Erfolg!!
Hi there, thank you for you content it's really high quality. I'm currently a consultant in a boutique consultancy company, with a background in academia (postdoctoral level). I'm currently 35 and I'm unhappy since I don't find it very stimulating. Is it too late to apply for a MBB company? Any advise? Thanks and keep up the good work
Hi, thanks for your comment, appreciate it! If the rest of your profile meets the criteria, you should be able to join MBB as an experienced hire (e.g., Senior Associate equivalent). For this, 35 years should not be too old. Lots of success to you! Best, Heinrich
Hi Heinrich I am a first year master degree student and i would like to ask you which kind of experiences/ internship could be the difference in a good or a bad Cv. I think that your video are fantastic because it is clear the passion that you make in what you do. Thank you!
Hi Andrea, thank you for your kind words, appreciate it! With internships as a business student, you should aim for an internship every 2 semesters or so (just as a rough rule of thumb). If you have 3 to 4 internships until the end of your Master, this will be good. Of course, the quality of your internships is important as well. Try to see this as a ladder and start with more basic internships to slowly move your way up to the more competitive employers. Lots of success to you! Best, Heinrich
Thanks for sharing this with us Heinrich! 👍 I think it's better to write Ms. XY (not Mrs.)! and to finish in a more formal way, with 'Yours faithfully' or 'yours sincerely'!
Thanks for watching! If you would like to ask me a question you can comment directly on my youtube videos. If you would prefer you can also message me on instagram @firmlearning
Moin Heinrich, danke für Deine super Videos! Wie würdest du es machen, wenn du die Bewerbung per Mail schickst? Sollte das Anschreiben der Inhalt sein oder würdest du den Mailinhalt gesondert verfassen und das Anschreiben als weiteren Anhang senden?
Hi Moritz, würde das Anschreiben als PDF anhängen und einen knapperen Mailtext vorsehen. Intern weitergeleitet, ausgedruckt etc. werden dann die Anhänge. LG, Heinrich
