Is there a thing for coffee chats within consulting?
Hello everyone, I currently a freshman at a large SEC state school (UGA) studying Management Information systems and risk management. I want to work in the MBB following graduation and I have heard to start as early as possible to network with others in the field. I know for most high finance jobs coffee chats are seen as a pretty big way to meet people and earn a potential referral though I am wondering if this concept applies to consulting or not. Would love to hear from people currently working in this field as I seek guidance towards this career.
Yes, coffee chats are absolutely a thing in consulting and can be a critical part of networking and building relationships within the field. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s what you need to know:
Purpose of Coffee Chats in Consulting: Coffee chats in consulting serve as a way to introduce yourself, learn about the firm, and get your name forwarded to the right contacts. They are a great opportunity to connect with campus reps, HR reps, and consultants who are dedicated to your school. These individuals can help make introductions to others within the firm.
How to Approach Coffee Chats:
Tips for Success:
Start Early: As a freshman, you’re in a great position to begin building your network. Reach out to alumni, second-year students, and professionals in the field for advice and coffee chats. This will help you establish connections and gain insights into the industry.
For more detailed guidance, you can explore this WSO thread: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/consulting/qa-left-first-undergra…</a">Q&A - Left First Undergrad with Sub 2.0 GPA====>Booth MBA/"Tier 2" Consulting. It provides insights into how coffee chats are used effectively in consulting recruiting.
Sources: Good questions to Ask in Coffee Chats for Investment Banking, How One Student Did Coffee Chats Right - Received Offer From A BB, What Do You Even Do During Coffee Chats????, Q&A - Left First Undergrad with Sub 2.0 GPA====>Booth MBA/"Tier 2" Consulting, Q&A - Left First Undergrad with Sub 2.0 GPA====>Booth MBA/"Tier 2" Consulting
The MIS major will likely exclude you from MBB, and most top employers
if you were serious (even about working in IT) you should do a straight engineering degree and get top marks
Maybe it will at a state school, but a Business Analytics degree where I go landed me a consulting gig no problem. I’m not at a state school, but still.
Yeah I mainly picked mis because we have a decent network at mck and bcg who are buisness majors along with the fact the i can finish out my masters in business analytics within 4 years for what’s its worth
This is wrong
Source: At MBB and am very familiar with our recruiting practices at UGA
For reference I recently went through FT recruiting and am joining an MBB in the fall. I would push back a bit on the above comment and say that an MIS major definitely doesn’t exclude you from MBB (I have friends in MBB that studied MIS). With that being said there are “better” majors in my opinion to hit your goals. Engineering is great as previously mentioned but even within business majors you see a lot more finance/econ landing MBB than MIS. Could be selection bias but I would still take a step back and consider your options given how early you are in your degree (potentially a double major if you are set on MIS).
In terms of coffee chats, they are just as important in consulting as any other high finance career IMO. While it seems IB people typically network more aggressively, connections in consulting (and the referrals they may lead to) can easily be the difference maker in landing an interview. This is especially true at a non-target. Would be happy to PM if interested.
Hey first off congrats on your mbb offer. I am now considering pairing finance and mis for a double major as a few other comments have also stated that MIS alone would not be as appealing. I would love to learn more about your application process and what you did to differentiate yourself from others whether it was from networking or interviews. Thanks again for helping me as I am learning a lot more about this field during christmas break
Op, I’ve worked in tech for 20 years. Please believe me when I say switch your major. I’m not trying to be mean . I just want you to succeed
econ would be a much better choice for business roles
for tech roles you really need to do engineering
in either case for MBB you need top marks coming from UGA
Thanks for your advice, I am also considering to also double major in finance or get my MSBA as our university has a 4+1 program with it. Would love to hear your thoughts on why MIS is not as valuable as it once was
MIS is viewed as not as challenging as comp sci or ECE. Furthermore it does have lots of courses focused on IT management - change management, network implementation, etc
To put it candidly, it’s just not compelling
you want to do comp sci (at least) or ECE where you are focused on new product or system engineering as opposed to management of something existing
finally for the mba you need to be attending an M7 program or it’s not really worthwhile
half this exercise is about demonstrating your skill and neither an MIS degree or a state school MBA do that
you want to do undergrad engineering -> masters engineering -> MBB or faang -> M7 MBA -> MBB
A few thoughts:
One more thing: Look to join UGA's major business clubs like the Atlas Society, Apollo Society, Corsair, SMIF, etc. -- particularly Corsair. Start having early conversations with Sophomores/Juniors who are going MBB over the next few months. It's a bit early to reach out to those currently in consulting.
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