Breaking into Consulting--How To's
Recently I've been trying to break into consulting. I studied the sciences in college in pursuit of medical school and after careful consideration now want to go into healthcare management--for the obvious cost/benefits. I want to get into consulting to make headway and have been looking at the top consultancies--McKinsey, Bain and BCG.
To make a long story short, after some networking I got a coffee meeting with the COO of Activision who used to work for Bain shortly and knows the managing partner in the LA office well. He forwarded my resume off to the managing partner in LA who forwarded it to the managing partner in Dallas--where I'm living at the moment. A recruiter got into contact with me and now I'm in talks for a possible opportunity.
I need advice on how to leverage this in order to A) secure an interview and B) impress them to secure a job. Any thoughts??
Step 1) Learn to love the case
The good news is, you basically have the interview locked down, good job. The bad news is that no amount of ass-kissing is going to get you an offer at Bain, or any other good consulting firm, unless you can ace the case. Start practicing.
Thank you! What are some good places to find and practice cases? Also I am not extremely familiar with the consulting/financial language--any recommendations on places that I can familiarize myself to grow my professional jargon?
Agree with ninja - make sure you're prepared to nail the case interview. You've already clearly impressed someone enough that they're willing to put a good word in for you, now it's up to you to follow through.
Case in Point, search function.
Crowbar has always been my tool of choice
Ditto to what others are saying ... ace the case. Look and see if you can find websites for the consulting clubs at the top 20 business schools sometimes have their own booklets posted. If not, and you have time to prepare, the Case in Point book is pretty good. See below.
http://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Interview-Preparation-Anniversary/dp/0…
Be a white dude, preferably with snow/water skiing as a hobby.
I only think that works for Bain =p
Don't ever let your interview prep get in the way of being personable. I think it's more important than anything in consulting, especially MBB. The people doing interviews aren't seeing a lot of crappy candidates, but they see a lot with no social skills.
Thank you! Would you say that when describing specific leadership experiences/problem solving examples to speak in a way that is more relaxed? I find it hard to gauge when to be more professional or personable--or is balance key?
I would recommend the following material:
1) Crack the Case (Book) 2) www.caseinterview.com (Website) 3) www.firmsconsulting.com (Website) 4) Case in Point (Book) 5) Vault and Wetfeet Case Guides (PDF)
I have gone through all of the resources above, and have found them to be helpful! Best of luck!
Appreciate it! Besides acing the case, are there any specific interview tips that you can give me to get to the second round of interviews?
Haven't done a case interview yet. But to show leadership without being a dick you could probably just say "I had a lot of free time and me and some friends and I blah blah talking about what you did for club ___" Shows you have friends. Good sign
Hi, I am trying to perfect my resume and cover letter and there are tons of resume formats out there and I was wondering if there are any good and proven resources that anyone here could be using successfully.
Also, are there any differences in how to write a cover letter/ resume to different consulting firms? For example, Firm A might prefer a long cover letter vs Firm B who prefers a short cover letter.
Thanks!
I'm considering consulting. What do I do? (Originally Posted: 04/14/2017)
Hey guys,
I am currently in my freshman/sophomore year in undergrad; .
Currently, I am at NVCC (Northern Virginia Community College), but will be transferring to either UVA, GWU (George Washington Uni), or JMU (fallback). I would be majoring in Econ at UVA or Finance at the latter schools. I know for investment banking some good ways to prep is to take financial modeling courses, securing an SA internship, and keeping the grades up. Is there something similar that I ** absolutely have to ** have a full understanding of in order to receive solid internships leading to FT offers at MBB/Big 4 firms?
UVA has placed people at McKinsey and I have seen GWU grads to go Bain as well. I am currently deciding between IB/Consulting and was wondering if there is anything specific I should focus on.
-GPA: 3.4 (Major 3.8) -This summer I am studying the London financial markets abroad and will be partaking in Bloomberg intro training (for what it is worth) -Not many extracurriculars, I am a member of a business club here at nova and am founding a club of my own (finance/investing club).
Looking for any guidance to get started towards securing an MBB offer once I complete my bachelors, I want to get ahead now. What do I need to know? What do I need to study? Where and what kind of internships should I specifically be trying to secure?
As always any insight would be appreciated, just a very curious newbie here!
Your GPA is low for MBB and most BB IB. Should be fine for other consulting tiers.
Junior year summer intern recruiting is happening earlier every cycle. Realistically, your transfer status will hurt you compared to your peer group. I don't know if you'll even have grades by resume drop, which means your NVCC GPA likely stands - and 3.4 isn't great.
Are you in freshman and sophomore year? Because It could be a big difference. Assuming you're a freshman, you need to a) get those grades up fast and b) find some brand name internship between NOVA and your transfer school. I also think you're more more competitive for tier 2 consulting and down.
IB will be slim since most recruiting happens at internship. At least for MBB, you should have a chance for FT. You need to boost your GPA (let's say at least 3.7), take on leadership roles at ECs, and get a brand name summer internship.
Don't necessarily worry about what you're studying - although McIntire would have been ideal if you're serious about IB. Most folks I know from UVA undergrad who went to MBB weren't even business or Econ majors.
Thanks! Definitely will have the GPA at 3.7 or above by that time; i'm in the weird gray zone of credits between freshman and sophomore year. Technically i'm a rising sophomore because I still have one semester left after this summer.
Appreciate the response and will definitely take all steps recommended. By tier two consulting what names are you talking about? & is a lateral move into tier 1 common?
You're thinking of consulting!? Oh my gosh! Take a deep breath, everything will be ok. This will pass.
What can a person do to secure a job at a top consulting firm? (Originally Posted: 12/01/2017)
What are some things that could be done to help someone secure a position at a top consulting firm? For example, if you were still a student in either undergraduate or graduate school, and you have had a hard time securing an internship at MBB in the past. Thanks.
Top of your class at a top school , leadership
Networking with Alumni preferably at the firm where you want to work. It really helps if someone can be your advocate.
Best strategy for MBB, or tier "1.5" consulting. (Originally Posted: 02/06/2010)
Hi,
going to lay it all out: I'm in my early-mid 30's and work in marketing for Big 4. Have an economics degree from late 1990s, but have worked in marketing since then. Sick of it and make nothing; want to do strategy consulting. Plan is:
good plan?
Home is Toronto, but will work in U.S. or globally.
Strategy 2 -- based on existence of wife/kids and the need to work -- is: Rotman/Schulich part time. Q: a) is p/t a big negative for elite recruiting; b) is Schulich a path to MBB et al.?
Strategy 3 -- Big 4 consulting --> tier 1-1.5 direct?
Cheers
Going through your message, some questions emerge:
What exactly is your job in marketing for Big4? Is this in a front office role i.e. you advise clients on marketing issues or are you doing marketing for the Big 4? In my consulting firm, marketing means printing industry studies, so please clarify.
What university did you go to and how did you perform there? It seems you've been working for 10 years now, what have you done during that time? I think your peers (i.e. guys with 10 years experience) in consulting firms may be principals or partners now, and I'd assume you'd start miles away from that after an MBA should you be recruited.
Your migration to the consulting practice suggests that your job currently is not front office. Big 4 consulting often is 'process consulting' and will not help in strategy consulting apps -- it will actually be detrimental. Do you have a chance to get into the strategy consulting group in your Big 4?
Is Ivey MBA really a target school? It claims it's globally within the top 50, i.e. it's probably ranking number 50, have you checked whether strategy firms actually recruit there?
On Strategy 2: I don't think strategy firms recruit from part-time programmes.
Strategy 3: Very unlikely, unless you're a hero in a big 4 strategy group and bring along tons of clients as you move.
why dont you try for top 15 US MBA
maybe u will get into top 7 or so...which will make the transition a lot easier
Tier "1.5"? What the fuck is tier "1.5" supposed to be? Tier "2" makes little enough sense as it is, let alone tier "1.5".
^chill out son, no shiatsu today? we got what it means, everything else besides MBB that's not crappy
Go to a top US MBA school, then get an internship with MBB > set.
the other path is kinda roundabout unless you are doing BO work.
@porcine - your tone isn't very friendly, let alone helpful. not to mention that "respect your elders" infraction (if he's not your elder then i truly pity you)
I would be happy to help, but couldn't understand the question for the newly created jargon. I struggle to see why age is relevant? I have a job at a top consultancy and he doesn't, so it seems likely I'm in a position to offer advice, wouldn't you say?
lol... :P if you were offering advice i wouldn't have seen a problem. but it sounded to me more like mocking and putting down a man at a disadvantage.
Plan to get into MBB consulting realistic? (Originally Posted: 05/18/2010)
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum and have spent a little while looking through the posts on here, along with a fair amount of outside research.
Here's my situation:
I am currently in a dual MBA/Master's of Science in Project Management program, with an expected finish date of August 2011, at The Citadel, a regionally very well known and well regarded business school, but not so much on the national side of things. I also did my undergrad there, triple majoring in history, political science, and criminal justice (long story behind that, and I'm not getting into it now). I had gone to The Citadel with the intent of going into the military upon graduation (it being a military school), but that didn't work out as planned due to medical reasons.
Stats:
Undergrad: The Citadel Major: Triple majored in history, political science, and criminal justice GPA: 3.5
Graduate: The Citadel MBA/Master's of Science in Project Management dual degree (expected August 2011) GPA so far: 3.7
During my undergrad, I had a two year internship as a financial analyst for a hospital system in Ohio (full time internship during breaks from school, part time via email during the school year). I also had a variety of other jobs that don't really apply to any of my career goals at all. I am currently a business analyst for a financial services/IT government contractor.
Once I finish the two Master's in August 2011, I am hoping to switch career fields into management consulting, hopefully with MBB, or a second tier firm. I have several project management certifications and am working on some six sigma certifications, as well. By the time I finish the two Masters in August 2011, I will have about 4 years of relevant experience (as a financial analyst and as a business analyst), and about 7 years of total work experience.
I know The Citadel is not a target school by any means, but it is very well known and regarded in military school circles and in the southeast region. What do y'all think my chances would be of having a chance at a top tier consultancy? Or even a second tier consultancy? Do you think I'm even competitive, given my non-top 10 education?
On the off chance that I am actually competitive, what level do y'all think I would qualify for? Do you think I would be a candidate for an MBA level (associate or whatever the nomenclature is at each firm), or would I be more at the undergrad level, due to my choice of educational institution handicap?
Thanks for your input!
Not really in the know about MBB but round your MBA gpa to a 3.7. You can do it and it looks much more impressive (not that a 3.65 isn't)
I think with 7 years of work ex and 2 master's degree you def qualify for the mba position...if your school has a solid regional reputation i'd focus on MBB offices in the region. (I'd suggest something if I knew anything about the south)
also look into if your school has alums at MBB or other firms
Thanks for the input! Atlanta is the closest regional hub for the various consulting firms, so I think that's where I will target my efforts first.
The Citadel has a fairly large number of alums (both undergrad and grad) at Booz Allen, Deloitte, Accenture, and several of the other firms. To the best of my knowledge (I have not gone to the alumni center to find out for sure), there aren't any alums at the big three right now. One of my classmates has a brother who works for Bain in Atlanta--I'm trying to get in contact with him and see if he can get me any leads.
Thanks again, both of you!
Also, for those of you in the know--how much of a setback is The Citadel from an educational perspective? As I mentioned earlier, it is decidedly not on the recruiting list for any consulting firms. On the other hand, it is nationally known for its military education and its leadership curriculum, both at the undergrad and graduate levels. In addition, its engineering program, which the Master's of Science in Project Management is in, is nationally ranked.
While I obviously do not expect it to be weighted anywhere close to top tier schools in the consulting hiring process, will any of the aforementioned factors help my case out at all?
Thanks!
Building a bit on my last question, what are the chances in general (not necessarily just in my case) for someone who did not go to a target school, but has several years of experience? Looking through the forum, I see plenty of people who say that if you didn't go to a target school for undergrad, just work for a few years, go to a target MBA program, and then try to go in that way.
Well, what about people who didn't go to a target school for either, but have several years of work experience? I realize that there must be others out there in my situation, but without The Citadel's specific qualities to rely on. Do they have a shot at MBB, or would they have to aim for second tier firms? I'm quite interested in hearing what y'all have to say on this subject.
Thanks!
look, to understand your chances you need to understand the recruiter's checklist. usually they look for numbers, coz that's the easiest to evaluate and compare. ex: anyone with less than 700 gmat gets dinged (not necessarily the case but not completely ridiculous) gpa less than 3.5 dinged. less than 3.8 if not target. if you get past their various thresholds, they start looking at your info. what you studied, what skills you have, where you worked, what you accomplished. get past the thresholds and impress them with your achievements.
Thanks for that explanation, dagro!
To further break it down, how do they compare the GPA of someone who has been out of school and in the work world for a while to someone who is still in school, or just graduated? That is, would someone with a 3.5 from a non target with 4 years of relevant work experience (such as myself) be weighted equally against someone fresh out of a non target with a 3.8? Further building on the last question, does work experience ever trump GPA?
How does the graduate GPA compare to undergrad GPA? I'm on track right now to finish my MBA with (hopefully) a 3.8, or somewhere in that area. Does it trump undergrad GPA, given that it occurs several years later, or are they considered to be equivalent?
Sorry about all the questions. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the recruiting process, as it is a good deal different from what I went through for all the jobs I've had up to this point.
Thanks!
Hi dagro,
I have recently been in contact with a Case Team Leader from Bain in Atlanta (his younger brother, a former classmate of mine, got us in contact) and spoke with him last night about this issue. Here's what I found out.
As of right now, I am not competetive for the MBA level position--I'm at the low end of the experience spectrum, and I do not meet their GMAT cutoff of 730, not to mention that The Citadel doesn't stack up as well as Duke and Georgia Tech do. Now, he said if I retake the GMAT and get it up there, then I might be in the running, although it would be a very hard sell based on the aforementioned experience and prestige issues.
He recommended that I apply for the AC position, and for that, he said I am quite well qualified. While my cumulative undergrad GPA is a bit low (they look for about a 3.7-3.8), that is mitigated by my SAT score (1490 compared to their average of around 1430) and my being a triple major. In addition, being in a Master's program will help me out in the application process, he thinks.
Looking at my work experience, he said I look just fine, and provided that I do well in the interview, I have a pretty good shot at an AC job.
While it is slightly disappointing to find out that I will be going up against kids straight out of college rather than at the MBA level, I am just pleased to hear from someone on the inside that I have a shot at a position, no matter the level. On the other hand, I just want to get in to consulting, so I have no problems at all going in as entry level vs experienced. At most, I can see it being a three year setback, and at this point in my career, three years isn't much at all.
What do y'all think?
I think his advice is pretty solid, and you should certainly apply to his office as an AC given he thought you were suitable (reference him in your applications, or ask him to flag).
Furthermore, you say it's a 3 year setback, but remember you have an advantage over younger ACs on the soft skills front which are vital for speed of promotion.
PorcineAviation,
Yeah, that's what I'm planning on doing, applying to his office this fall for a fall 2011 AC position. Going with me hypothetically doing well and getting an offer, I have no reason whatsoever to turn it down, unless I have a better offer from another firm. I have no problems going in as an entry level consultant, as I just want to get into the field right now, no matter the level. If I bust my ass in the job and really differentiate myself from my compatriots (in a good way...), I have no worries about being stuck several years behind the curve forever.
He's also been extremely helpful and is helping me work on my resume and cover letter to bring them up to snuff. If all Bain employees (in general) are as helpful as he has been, I will be extremely impressed.
definitely go with the bain contact's advice. he knows best.
Your stuff looks solid. Even if you start as an Analyst you won't be one for long if you prove to them that your capable. Network your butt off, it will increase your chances on starting as a first year associate. Throw some numbers on your resume. Kill the case interviews. get laid.
Work prior to consulting (Originally Posted: 01/09/2018)
Hello all,
To give some background about myself, I have spent most of my time in the IB section of this website. However as I have lurked with/without this account, I wanted to get some suggestions and or advice to what management consulting is. Also how to get into management consulting. Any adivce is appreciated since I am in the dark on this subject
Thank you
Read Reddit consulting and this subforum's posts, where both of your questions are answered.
/r/consulting is great. So is google. OP we are not your personal ask Jeeves.
Best Path to Consulting (Originally Posted: 03/08/2018)
---------------------------------------------Disregard---------------------------------------------------------
Hi NYC-Monkey, any of these discussions helpful:
If we're lucky, maybe I can guilt some users to help you out: mcap Rushoti Chatterjee spinergy
If those topics were completely useless, don't blame me, blame my programmers...
Getting into MBB from Unique Position (Originally Posted: 07/20/2012)
Hello, I am curious as to the consensus about my getting into MBB. I have a unique situation, and I'm wondering what the general opinion is.
Student transferring to University of Illinois next month from a community college Potential membership in professional student run consulting group with alumni in MBB 3.6 GPA, majoring in psychology (German brought GPA down, will have 3.7-3.8 at graduation Started college at age 14 Not great with math previously, but I am crazy studying and am going to take SAT to demonstrate quantitative ability, aiming for great all around scores Excellent extracurriculars, honors society officer, student government, national speech team gold medalist, starting an educational 501(c)(3) Considering taking computer science minor to help quantitative side Great communication skills
I am wondering mainly how likely I am to get an interview without the comp sci minor but with a top-notch SAT score, and what the psychology major/early college will do to my chances. And, out of curiosity, what will happen if I don't take SAT.
Also, if anyone knows anything about U of I recruiting, let me know...McKinsey and Bain do on campus here.
Thanks, everyone!
I don't know anything about Illinois, but there are few people here who have gone there that know more probably.
Otherwise, I'm curious to how old you are/how many years you'd be at Illinois? I guess I'm confused as why you're taking the SAT when you're already supposedly in college...A minor in CS is pretty worthless honestly. Minor in math or something, then teach yourself programming. An interview will most definitely not be dependent on whether or not you minored in CS.
I am 17 now, and will be there for either two or three years depending on how much math I do. Yeah, I know taking SAT after admission is weird, but I took the ACT when I was 14, didn't practice for it whatsoever, and only got 28 (great reading/English scores brought down by 17 math)...obviously, I can't bring a 28 with 17 math to MBB, so I determined that taking SAT would be a worthwhile endeavor.
Will a math minor show my quantitative skill? Anything else I could do?
Thanks!
Do you really want to start your career lowest on the totem pole both salary-wise and age-wise? You don't want to make it awkward when your coworkers or your boss have to second-thought asking you to grab a drink after work to get to know you
Most people graduate college around 22, and 23-24 if they did PG years in prep school for sports. If starting college at 14 isn't unique enough, graduating at 19 is, and it puts you 3-5 years ahead of the game. I'd graduate at 19, do Teach for America or another stellar program where you get to travel and help out the world, and then apply MBB
Enjoy your 18-21 years. Just my 2 cents
Why not take GMAT instead of SAT? It's well known and respected in consulting and good for 5 years, so might help you get into B-school later.
McKinsey and Bain don't hire undergrads(rare cases : may be 1 or 2) from U of I. To increase your chances. you should probably try to get into OTCR or IBC(these are student run consulting groups on campus)
Do they hire APDs, mostly?
Yes, those are definitely in my plan. Do you know how hard it is to get into OTCR and IBC in relation to MBB?
I can't comment about the school you are going to as I don't know much about it. Your target graduation is in 3 years when you will have turned 20? If so, this gives you plenty of time to create a strong resume for a top consulting firm. I would suggesting getting leadership roles in extra-curricular activities at your university. Definitely join the consulting group on your campus. To strengthen your quantitative skills minor in Math, Statistics, or Finance. Doing well in those courses will help you out.
Considering your time frame I would suggest applying for summer internship at one of these consulting firms. Almost all firms will only consider students who are in their junior year with exactly one year remaining (returning to school after the summer internship). This application process usually starts around January/Februaruy of your Junior year.
I would also suggest taking the GMAT instead of the SAT. Since the results are valid for 5 years, it would be good to take them in your Junior year. If you get a solid score this will make you a better candidate for the summer internship/actually consulting job, and still be valid after 2 years of work experience when many consulting firms send their associates to MBA programs.
Hope my advice was of some use.
Yekrut, I am planning on doing those things, thanks for the advice! If doing an internship at MBB is out of the question for this summer, any ideas as to other good companies to look at? Everyone says IB but I'm not really interested in finance. Thanks again!
Westcoasts, seems like I need to decide between 2 and 3 years...thanks for the advice!
LWNagel - I'm currently at MBB and graduated from Illinois recently. Feel free to PM me with specific questions.
Just a question---will an Informatics minor help me out on the quant side, assuming I also get a great GMAT/GRE quant score?
Illini, thanks a lot! I will definitely do that tonight or in the morning.
Which job better positions me for strategy consulting? (Originally Posted: 08/10/2012)
This is very premature, but I have connections to both a senior director at a tech firm (think Intel/IBM/Microsoft) and a partner at a Big 4 in its advisory group. I will have interviews with both firms, and if I am extended offers, I don't know which one I should pick.
My goal is to get into an MBA program that top strategy consulting firms (MBB) recruit at, such as Haas, Kellogg, Booth, Tuck or Stern. Which position would make me a better candidate for these MBA programs? I'm a Finance major, but I don't want a career in finance. I want to be a strategy consultant.
A) Financial Analyst at Fortune 50 tech firm B) Big 4 Advisory - Transaction Advisory Services group
id go with the big 4. people on this forum will probably slam me for this but i think the big 4s carry good weight when it comes to b school admissions (especially Deloitte s&o), but there are not nearly as many b school applicants coming from big 4 as other places since many could be accountants, or complacent with their firm and dont choose to pursue an mba, hence why you may not see so many. the tech firm would be great experience, but i think you could be more marketable when graduating business school to firms like MBB/OW/Booz/ATK/LEK,etc. coming from a big4 since you would have some common skill sets already built. if i were you, id try to get into a good school (obviously) and leverage the TAS experience with a firm like LEK...those guys eat and breath numbers and youd probably have a great career there. and i have seen numerous big4 alums in prestigious programs, largely booth, columbia, cornell and kellogg. my 2cents
Thanks mashed potatoes. I chose Big 4 TAS. We'll see how it goes!
Which group in TAS and which Big 4? PM me if you don't want to disclose publicly
How to become a consultant (strategy) ? -student- (Originally Posted: 05/26/2016)
Hello everyone, I am going to university and I wanted to ask you some advices to become consultant in strategy. First, I will study political sciences, international relations at King's College London and I wanted to know if this degree is appropriate for consulting firms, given that it is not a common major (economics, engineering,...).
Thanks !
MBB takes folks from all kinds of backgrounds. What's more important is whether King's College is an MBB target - I have no idea.
As for the other things, there are more than enough threads on this board that address that. Read up and come back with more specific questions.
The Path of Least Resistance into Consulting (Originally Posted: 08/11/2017)
Profile - I work at a fortune 500 telecom and I chose a regional part time MBA program. Here were my reasons. First, cost, my Post 9-11 GI Bill covers 60% of tuition and fees (15 Years Army Reserve Officer). My company covers 15-20% give or take, which left me to finance the remaining 25%. I am living in the southeast with Wake's EMBA, Duke-Fuqua, UNC-Kennan Flagler, UVA-Darden, and Emory all ranging well over 80k, I made a decision that I wanted lower to no debt making all returns immediate. Tough decision, but I chose the University of South Carolina's Part Time MBA program currently ranked 16th in Part Time MBA's. They seemed to have a strong alumni system in Charlotte, NC and they are serious about international business. Note: I contracted abroad for 7 Years in Defense Tech, from Saudi Arabia to Iraq (made a competitive salary: 200K). I look at consulting as a perfect fit for me and the skills I have accumulated through time and projects. I have engulfed my brain in the fact that Gold, Tier 1 MBA's, MBA business schools">M7 MBA's rule the fast lane into everything that they lead into, but I also know what I have done and how I have performed for large reputable companies with my state school education and military execution. I understand the bias is real. That being said, "You go to "War" with the education you have, not what you wish you had." Thanks Rumsfeld! I need a clear vision of what I can do in the consulting universe when my Regional MBA is complete. My plans are finishing a concentration in international business and analytics. I am right now consulting part time for a startup I found through a connection at the university. I have sub contracted for Northrop and Raytheon before, but I don't necessarily want to be type cast. I have plans on finishing a high tier software boot camp in the last months of my MBA to add to the programs I already work with like SQL and Oracle.
Questions: Should I target defense/government consultants like Booze, or maybe Raytheon or go for all the top firms and let the chips fall. What can I do before graduation all case studies aside to prepare or are case studies bread and butter? Do the tier 1 consulting firms have a government defense section and how do you find out who's who and or target certain departments where I have a better shot? Best place to find a quality mentor in the South?
Any advice is appreciated. Any comment at all is appreciated. Bananas are appreciated!
I have a few questions of my own before I answer.
What full-time work are you doing now? Do you have an active security clearance? What are your target consulting firms? What kind of consulting are you targeting?
Thanks for the reply,
I am currently an Operations / Business Analyst. Fits my MBA program schedule perfectly.
I have a DOD secret that expires late 2018
I was mentally targeting Booze, Oliver Wyman, or Raytheon. Maybe there are some mid range firms/ boutique that could fit that I need to be exposed to.
My target fields are: transportation, data analytics, defense logistics, business data analytics , technology management alibi: possibly energy.
Thanks Again
I almost moved to NOVA for an opportunity before my current position was offered. I accepted this position to keep the family close. It seemed everything that fit my skillset was in the DC area / Jacksonville near the Marine Base / Charleston SC / or Ft Bragg. I even thought about commuting. If the salary fits, I think I could get my wife to move even though she loves Charlotte.
Have you figured out what your stack-rank priorities and deal-breakers are? It sounds like you have competing demands -- which is totally fine, you just need to be honest with yourself and force yourself to stack-rank them. I used to live/work in DC for 5+ years before I returned to the West Coast for family reasons.
Your net also seems to be cast very widely (as a risk-mitigation measure?) and you mention you need a "clear vision" of your potential in consulting. What's your current "vision" of your career post-MBA, as it stands now?
I have cast such a wide net, because I am thinking flexibility may offer more optionality and as you said provide mitigation to my career risk. An old SFC told me, "It's a sorry rat that only has one hole to run to!" To be very honest Data Analytics and Data Science are at the top of my list. I have years of experience in transportation and logistics so I consider them as contingency plans, always. My Post MBA goals are to advance in Big Data in my current company or to advance into a higher role in another. My modeling skills get better by the day and I would like to consult for those who value skills in R, Python, Azure, SQL, and SAS.
Given your background and particular skill-set in things R, Python, SQL, you should definitely pursue federal consulting shops. As mentioned, Accn Federal and Booz Allen are both strong, though I have heard from friends and family working at Accn that the way they staff projects and manage people in general can be frustrating. I know Deloitte, EY, and PwC have federal consulting/advisory groups, but I don't know if they have any practices that focus on big data analysis. Fair warning: if you go to these companies, you will be taking a pay-cut from a 200k salary.
Oliver Wyman does work similar to MBB and is similarly hard to break into without a top MBA, unfortunately. I'm not too familiar with the types of companies that recruit at South Carolina's MBA program, but you'd have to network hard and impress someone at OW if you want an interview coming from a part-time MBA program.
Would love to hear your thoughts on USC's part-time MBA in Charlotte; have considered that myself. Go cocks!
I am very impressed with the PMBA program. After meeting the Dean, Dr. Peter Brews you or anyone would become an instant believer. He has 2 PHD's (One from Pitt), MBA and a JD and he helped create the International Business Program at Kenan-Flagler from my understanding after he left Duke. My first question was what was his vision for the PMBA Program, and he took the rock and ran. His vision is multi faceted, not just centered on one concentration. Dr. Brew has a very technical-savvy plan in Analytics which is the future and one reason I chose the Cocks. Moore ranks in several fields outside of International Business. His aim is to raise all ships. Their research side was pretty stacked so I think the program is well rounded. The HR program in ranked as is the supply chain program and he has a great initiative for analytics and healthcare. My Cohort is very diverse and we have Doctors/Engineers/Execs Be coupé. So on to the most important part. Unlike some schools which don't give Part Time students any assistance with career strategy. The Moore School is the opposite. They give you a ton of free services to include websites and more. They have a private consultant hired just for PMBA. They have a very intricate system for supporting MBA people switching careers. I don't see that anywhere else as most Programs assume you are only climbing in your current field. I may stay with my company if things go well, but I am all about having options. So while I am paying less for my MBA, I am getting full services from the university who absolutely wants me to succeed. They have huge effort afoot to build relationships with certain companies. This is where you have to factor in the value and what field you want. In Charlotte we don't have what I consider Semi Target Schools. Wakes Program is nice but is anybody here calling it a Semi Target. They closed their full time MBA. You would have to network yourself in the program in my opinion. Great Program but they cost allot also. South Carolina's PMBA has a TON of support just for PMBA. They have trips, just for PMBA and resources at what I would say is the best value for a ranked university in the region. I found many of my peers were there much because of the International Business focus and the professors, but they also have ranked professors in Risk/HR/&Supply Chain. Data Analytics is gold there right now. So that's my take. Programs ebb and flow and I think the Moore School is a great choice and on the rise especially if you are working and you can get your company to pitch in like mine OR you think you will need University support to switch paths. Bankers represented a nice chunk of the class, but not overwhelming. They also have Case interview prep, but I don't think there was a huge contingent there looking for IB or Consulting. More Manufacturing/IB(international business)/Insurance/Medical/Supply Chain crowd aside from the bankers and accountants.
Did my undergrad at USC and had a class taught by Peter Brews - incredible guy. Appreciate the detailed reply!
If you really want to work at Booz you should probably stop spelling it Booze
Acknowledged!
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