“I found my mentoring session with André very helpful, particularly because I came into it with very little understanding of commercial banking. My background is in life sciences and healthcare, and most of my career exploration so far has focused on consulting. Although I had become interested in commercial banking, I had not previously explored the area in any depth. I therefore needed a clear starting point and an honest conversation about what I should understand before deciding whether to pursue it.
André helped me establish that starting point. The session gave me a clearer way to think about commercial banking, how it differs from consulting, and what I still need to learn. Before the conversation, I was looking at opportunities and wondering whether I should begin applying alongside consulting applications. Afterwards, I understood that I needed to take a step back and make a more informed decision about whether the work genuinely interests me.
One of the most valuable aspects of the session was how it helped me recognise the gaps in my current understanding. I knew that I was new to banking, but I did not necessarily know which questions I needed to answer for myself. André’s guidance helped me think more clearly about where I am now, what I am missing, and what I should begin doing next. Having that direction was useful because it made the process feel more manageable. Rather than treating banking as a broad and unfamiliar industry, I now have a clearer starting point for learning about it.
A particularly helpful message was that I should first develop a better understanding of commercial banking and assess whether I actually like the work. I took away a sensible sequence: understand the area, decide whether it appeals to me, and then, if it does, commit to learning and preparing for applications. If I discover that the work does not suit my interests, I should be willing to recognise that and focus my efforts elsewhere. That advice sounds straightforward, but it was an important perspective for me at this stage.
The conversation made me realise that I should not rush into applying for commercial banking roles simply because I have found programmes that look interesting. Before the session, I was at risk of moving too quickly from curiosity to applications without having a strong enough understanding of the career itself. André helped me see the value of being more deliberate. I would rather make a considered application based on a genuine interest in the work than spend time applying to positions I cannot yet explain my motivation for pursuing.
Another important takeaway was recognising how substantial the differences between banking and consulting can be. Because consulting has been my main focus, it had become my reference point when thinking about other careers. The session helped me realise that I cannot assume banking will involve similar work, suit the same preferences, or require exactly the same preparation. I need to understand banking on its own terms rather than view it mainly as another option alongside consulting.
I also appreciated that the session was useful even though I did not finish it with a final career decision. At this exploratory stage, greater clarity about what I do not yet know is meaningful progress. I now feel better equipped to evaluate my interest, identify what I need to learn, and decide whether commercial banking deserves a more focused place in my career plans.
Overall, André was very helpful, and the session met an important need for me as someone starting with limited knowledge of the field. Its greatest value was giving me direction and encouraging a more thoughtful approach to my next steps. I left with a clearer understanding of my knowledge gaps, a more realistic perspective on the difference between banking and consulting, and a better sense of how to move forward before committing to applications.”
I'm interested to know as well! Business Intelligence & Analytics (BIA) has a lot of potential, would love to see if anyone could provide their 2 cents.
Personally, I am interested in IB/S&T but there are already an abundance of biz/finance graduates and unsure if I should explore other like Business Analytics or QF. Especially so, some of the algo/prop shops use BIA for their analysis and trades. I've dabbled with SAS for my coursework during my time at the Polytechnic, it was quite interesting.
In recent years, there is also a very large emphasis on Big Data by MBB. That said, BIA is a very complex field as it requires data management, mathematics, statistics and technology. I guess one of the key concerns of BIA that is companies lack of proper technology and data frameworks before even mentioning about the analysis portion and with the increase adoption to cloud computing. Hence it has a very large pool of potential prospects but there are not much professionals or data scientists to meet the demands. But I guess it would require a bit of a technology/statistical background to be involved in this field.
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A bit of a background info, just graduated from the Polytechnic (in Singapore), currently awaiting for enlistment and interned at Microsoft previously.
Lololol no idea why you're not at IBM if you're interested in that field. We're like the industry leaders in Big Data (double the market share of #2)
McKinsey is building its own Tech practice, McKinsey Solutions. If you're there you might want to take a look.
You can PM me for general stuff with Big Data; that's an area I have experience in.
How about SAS, are they highly regarded in the industry? I feel like they are underrated.
McKinsey has been posting a lot of stuff on their Insights page about big data recently, so I'm guessing everyone is becoming increasingly concerned about this.
Masters in Data Analytics -> Consulting? (Originally Posted: 10/17/2013)
Hi everyone,
I'm considering a masters degree in data analytics to break into consulting. According to various program employment results, consulting firms recruit for these students. I'm curious - what sorts of consulting roles are data analytics people recruited for?
Thank you.
I think it depends a lot on the program. I should be submitting a few applications next week for analytics programs, where are you looking so far?
I'm looking at Northwestern, North Carolina State and a few other programs that don't require as much work experience.
bump
From my experience, the type of roles that people with these degrees get hired for are typically not the standard client-facing roles.
Instead, they get hired as experts in analytics that teams can either use for a day or two of support on a specific question all the way to being a full member of the team for particularly analytic projects.
Of course, this is a pretty generalized answer and your mileage may vary depending on your networking, the rest of your resume, etc.
Big data before consulting (Originally Posted: 03/26/2014)
Anybody think an entry level job in data analytics (healthcare marketing related) out of college would help in getting a legit consulting job later on? Or is big data type work still seen as a more "back office" skill set?
you sure are asking a lot of questions today anyway, big data is better for finance, not really management consulting
Not entirely accurate. MBB are all starting to use big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, etc. to solve problems. There are many situations in which applying these methods didn't seem appropriate, but people are rethinking it. Google HR applying big data to predict employee outcomes is a great example of this.
Big data is going to continue to play a bigger and bigger role in every industry. Consulting companies will have to keep up with the trend.
Interesting. Is being proficient in SQL or more advanced languages something that is considered of value in any financial roles? ( I have no experience in the industry)
Will it help being proficient in Artificial Intelligence or whats important for consulting after big data.
How is Big Data Analytics utilized in consulting? (Originally Posted: 03/31/2014)
Hi everybody. Just wanted to get your thoughts on how Big Data and Web Analytics will affect the way consultants work. Is it something that is already heavily utilized in the consulting industry? It is a topic that I have been very interested in although the topic is still in a development stage.
Would working as a Big Data Analyst for a Fortune 500 company help with MBA admissions? The plan is to utilize this skill set and switch over to a MBB firm post-MBA. (Considering Non-Target, 3.5+ GPA, Previous internships in Human Capital Consulting and IB)
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