For all those seeking a career in the consultancy sector, the obscenely competitive nature of MBB applications is hardly news. Candidates are highly aware of the acceptance rates which never exceed a few percent, yet still try their fortunes with consulting, often not despite, but because of this. Nevertheless, these ambitious careerists are exactly the most susceptible to fall for the tragedy of the overachiever, when targeted efforts and sacrifices gradually lose their marginal utility, possibly until the point of counterproductivity.
Throughout my academic preparation for the University of Cambridge, I witnessed and experienced this phenomenon first-hand. I applied for my undergraduate degree from one of the international submission centres with the best Oxbridge and Ivy League admission rates, alongside 100+ peers in my year group. Interestingly, there has been a long running tendency of mentors and academic instructors to miscalculate an applicant’s chances of success, despite all their expertise and experience in the field. For some reason, the most eager, ambitious and devoted students often perform substantially worse than expected in terms of admissions results.
Later, talking to admissions tutors and interviewers at university, an explanation for this paradox started to crystallize. In essence, those who subjugate their entire academic careers to a single agenda tend to develop highly similar, homogenous profiles. It was striking to recognize the commonalities and recurring patterns in social science Oxbridge applications from my UCAS centre. The overwhelming majority of aspirants went to a few distinctly selective middle-schools, participated at the same conferences and essay competitions, joined hardly distinguishable societies, and completed their internships in akin roles at think tanks or law firms. The keenest applicants generally leave from their interviews with confidence and professional satisfaction, yet often end up disappointed.
Seemingly, for extremely oversubscribed places, doing one’s utmost might not suffice. There are practical limits to human academic and business performance, and where a great number of fellow contenders have pushed their professional engagements to the maximum, we need to resort to other means. In the face of such excessive competition, we need to find a way to stick out from the crowd by something other than targeted professionality.
Here are three handy tips to help you grab the attention of recruiters:
- Use slight hints of creative writing in your application! As for me, I kicked off my motivation letter to Cambridge with a metaphor linking political science and traditional Russian matryoshka manufacturing and referred back to it in the end, forming an appealing frame for the text. As long as it is pertinent to your personality, highlights a unique property of your application and remains discreet, feel free to add a distinguishing mark to your cover letter in this way.
- Attest your understanding of an issue with a fitting, yet extraordinary example. During my admissions interview, I showcased the workings of soft power in contemporary international relations with an analysis of state subsidised K-Pop bands and the global success of Gangnam style. With the help of this method, the applicant can show their ability to form abstract thoughts and identify patterns while also leaving a lasting personal impression with the interviewers.
- Consider studying something not directly related, or engaging in distinguishing extracurricular activities! There is a growing recognition of humanities and natural sciences in the consultancy sector, gradually degrading the hegemony of MBA courses. Consulting requires an amalgamation of various soft skills, as it is one of the most diverse occupations. Pursuing interests apart from business, such as learning languages, volunteering, or art can convey an impression of a multi-dimensional personality to recruiters. Do not hesitate to free up some space for this in your CV!
In conclusion, aspirants for the most selective positions need to master the fine art of balancing cold professionalism with minor but possibly decisive displays of personality. Occasionally, in pursuit of the best outcomes, we need to take a step back, and examine how we can achieve more with a little less.
Bence Borbély is a Hungarian first-year History and Politics student at the University of Cambridge whose professional fields of interest are management consultancy, public policy-making, politics and international relations.
Image: Pexels
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