Chasing Pavements?

Hi everyone,

Hoping for someone to just give it to me straight.

I'm in the midst of a career transition. My goal is to break into management consulting.

About myself.... I am over 35 and I am completing my undergraduate degree (communications & IT/IS program, with a minor in business) full time at a top tier school. Will be finished within the year. I work full time in a place that is completely unrelated to what I want to do, and quite frankly is routine, operational work. My 10+ year career up to this point has been mostly in the same capacity.

I realize that I have several, big, hairy weaknesses against me. My age, I'm almost positive, is one. My work experience does not speak to what I believe I am capable of - and that's shame on me for not taking my career and education as seriously when I was younger.

While the school I'm attending overall is considered top tier, the classes are rigorous, and have a 3.5 GPA, the division that houses the program I'm in may not be (I attend classes in the evening and it's considered a part time program). I'm sure the fact that I'm also completing my degree now probably hurts me as well.

I have joined professional groups, attended consulting boot camps, participated in formal mentoring programs in project management, business analysis and leadership, taken on volunteer work to get experience and build my network, etc.... But when I apply to entry level internships or special campus events, very rarely am I invited past the application stage.

At this point, I'm inclined to think two things. I am either going about this the wrong way - e.g. I should wait until I graduate, get real post graduate experience, and apply as an experienced hire - or I should probably face that this just isn't going to happen. At least no time soon.

Perhaps the answer is more nuanced than my dichotomous thinking is allowing right now (I got a rejection to participate at a Deloitte event and today was just simply a really bad day).... but I'm just at a place where some good, honest feedback would be helpful.

Any thoughts and questions are sincerely welcomed and appreciated, and no worries on how blunt the responses are. I have a great support system (and a bottle of Chardonnay or three) to take it in.