Internation Non-MBA student seeking help~~~Bow~~ 
(Chimp, 5 
Points) on 4/16/09 at 2:26am
Hey guys~~
I've been here for a couple of days to view your posts.
My case is a little bit special:
First I am an international student,
second I am a non-MBA master candidate.
Third I am not in one of the first tie school(USC, no offense)...
These three factors almost kill any opportunity of me to get into consulting
!
I got my bachelor in a second-tie university in my home country. Consulting position is so competitive that the top firms only hire students from top 5 schools. In order to pursue my dream to work in a consulting firm, I come to US. So now I am in a mathematics master program and it's the same major with my undergraduate's( I didn't change my major because I thought it might be easy to get to US if I go on with the same major).
But now, the opportunity to apply for an internship is so slight. There are few companies willing to hire F-1 students, let alone non-MBA masters...
So here, I am sincerely asking for help:
Can anyone lead me a specific road to consulting? What should I do to add chance? Taking classes in business school at USC to gain business background? Or anything else?
I know the opportunity is little, but as though there is, I will try and insist.
Thanks in advance.~~ Any comment is welcome~~
try a call center buddy
by IBnutztry a call center buddy
Wow
by Monkey_HopefulThat's a bit harsh, IBnutz! Let's try to be helpful here.
ViTaMin, the reality is that it's too tough a job market out there for most firms to hire international students. I don't have that much experience, but I would do one of the following:
1) If you are not short on cash, then take a non-paid internship position while staying in school for another semester or two (of it's possible).
2) If you are short on cash, then maybe you should consider finding other types of jobs, either in the States or in your home country.
As I understand, if you are on a student visa, you can stay in the US for a year after graduation. During that year, as long as you have a position with any company (even non-profits or university research units), you can stay in the US. If you take that route, then I would think about studying for the GMAT and apply to a Master in Accountany program at a top university here in the States. There is always demand for accountants, and you can go into other lines of businesses (such as consulting) if you have a MS in Accountancy.
Hope this helps!
Monkey_Hopeful is spot-on
by managementconsu...Monkey_Hopeful is spot-on here IMO.
A few more thoughts:
1) To land a consulting job from a non-target school, work experience is one key differentiator. Aim for part-time jobs during the school year in finance/consulting if you can get them. If not, shoot for other types of jobs where you will build the business portion of your resume (eg, startups, Fortune 500, whatever you can find)
2) The other key differentiator is networking. You may consider networking not only with area firms and consultants, but also those from your home country (since you have the language expertise and a clear reason to be doing so)
3) Consider trying to "upgrade" your current educational institution (eg, get a Masters at a target school or aim for a top-tier MBA program). This is tough and you may already be a bit too far off-course, but having a very high GPA and 95%+ GMAT test scores will help
Finally, consider consulting firms far and wide. This is a very generic comment, but don't aim your recruiting efforts at the M/B/B tier firms. Instead, look for regional and/or local consulting firms as well as those that specialize in your particular experiences and skillsets. This will help differentiate you somewhat. Work for free if you must to get your foot in the door.
Good luck.
Kevin Gao
www.managementconsulted.com