Third-year International Relations and Business Administration student Lucía Peraleda recently participated in the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Women’s Bootcamp. Held in Madrid from June 12th to 14th, this recruitment event is a deep dive into strategic consulting, organized for young female talent by top consulting firm BCG. One of the exclusive Big Three consulting firms (MBB), the firm is considered among the most prestigious employers in management consulting. IE University students were selected for both the first and second editions of the event.
Lucía is ranked among the top students of her year and previously interned at FINCAT Advisors as a Finance and Business Intelligence Trainee. She found out about the BCG Women’s Bootcamp through the IE Talent & Careers team and decided to apply. She shared her thoughts with us about the experience.
Can you tell us a little more about the BCG Women’s Bootcamp? What does it consist of?
The BCG Women’s Bootcamp is a recruitment event that consists of a three-day immersion in one of the leading strategic consultancy firms, the Boston Consulting Group. The HR team organized many activities, allowing us to see the kinds of projects the company works on, the skills that a strategic consultant needs, and the opportunities that BCG offers its employees, including career development and international mobility. What’s more, we had the opportunity to meet many BCGers, from visiting associates to partners, who gave us insightful advice and helped us understand what BCG is. Some of our activities included a pricing session, presentations about real BCG projects by professionals who had worked on them, and a group case-solving session that involved a presentation to three of the partners on the following day.
What can you tell us about the selection process?
The selection process for the event was a demanding one. I had to send my transcript, my CV, and a two-minute video for the first phase. The second phase consisted of resolving a business case online at the BCG office in Madrid.
How do you think your IE University experience and/or the support of the IE Talent & Careers team helped you obtain this opportunity?
I found out about the event through IE Talent & Careers and the support has been great. Victoria Soloshina sent me a list of opportunities related to my professional interests (consulting and finance) and I decided to apply. They constantly share opportunities with us, provide us with career guidance, and help us with recruitment processes. Also, studying at IE University has provided me with many skills and competencies that will be extremely helpful throughout my professional career.
What do you think are the benefits of participating in an event like this? What about this experience would you highlight?
All of the girls who went to the event are now in the selection process at BCG. There are two phases left which consist of three interviews (one in the first phase, two in the second phase), all of which include a personal interview, a case-solving session with the interviewer and a section for final questions. BCG has assigned each of us a buddy to guide us through the remainder of the process, to ask any questions we may have and send us materials to prepare for the interview cases.
What I would like to highlight is that, during the event, I had the opportunity to meet other women with similar interests and goals, all from different academic and professional backgrounds. Meeting all of them was definitely one of the best aspects of the experience.
What would you say to other students interested in applying to future editions?
I would recommend that anyone who is interested in consultancy, or would like to learn about the day-to-day of a strategic consultancy firm, applies for future editions. It is a very comprehensive immersion that will provide you with insights about professional development and allow you to meet amazing professionals and students with the same interests as you.
In the words of BCG partner María Elena López, “A diverse team is, by nature, more innovative, flexible, and adaptable when it comes to making decisions in an extremely dynamic and competitive environment. This is why gender equality and diversity is a priority for BCG.” It is crucial that students take advantage of these kinds of opportunities, furthering their career while opening doors for change-makers of the future. And, as Lucía says, IE University’s Talent & Careers department will be there to support IE University students every step of the way, ensuring that they squeeze all that they can out of their university experience—before going on to revolutionize the professional world.