University to Experienced Hire
Hello,
Is it possible to enter MBB as an experienced hire straight from undergrad? Simply put, I think I will be overqualified to do 1st year analyst level tasks when I graduate (research, formatting slides). I will be 28 at graduation.
If so, how would I frame my experience during undergrad recruiting?
Should I focus on something in my resume to increase my chances?
Here is a snapshot of my background:
-
Target School on East Coast
(Go to school part time) -
3.5 years of military service
(Nothing special like Navy Seal, just a regular Joe) -
4 years (at graduation) experience as a Supply Chain Demand Planner - Sr Analyst in Med Devices (F500 company)
-
1 year as a Supply Chain Projects Analyst (launching new products and making life cycle changes) at the same company
-
6 month co-op at the same company
That's an interesting profile for sure. Why exactly do you wanna go into consulting?
With all that experience, I'd shoot for a supply chain manager position at a major F500. Many consultants want to exit into managerial jobs in industry & you're already well positioned to do that.
That being said Deloitte (T2) hires S&O consultants out of undergrad & you might find it more up to your speed.
Regarding analysts "just" doing slide reformatting - Part of the first two years as an analyst is getting exposure to dealing with all types of clients across different industries. Your presentation skills may be top-notch, but you'd be surprised by how much you can learn from that exposure & how much more polished of a consultant you'd be.
Thank you for your feedback! I think its about finding the right balance, I want to develop some of the soft skills consultants learn in the first 2 years of the job, but I also do not want to fall behind my age group peers.
With that being said, as a demand planner I interact a lot with cross functional partners (Commercial, Finance, FSO) - which is helping me master my client interaction/communication skills. Each one of my partners has their own priorities, which influences my forecasts. There is a game of chicken that goes along with the job.
Also, great question! To be honest, I want to go into consulting and get on a partner track for the following reason:
I don't want to get pigeon holed into Supply Chain/ Operations. I would rather do Strategy work to increase my business acumen and general leadership. Supply Chan is just one door I can open.
Better development and compensation. To be a high performer at my current firm, you have to put in a lot of hours. Our company is so old, and "old fashioned", that everyone get complacent in their roles and stays forever. I'd rather work twice as hard - just like I am now, and get rewarded fairly.
Yes entirely possible given you have several years of FT exp. Your situation is uncommon, so what I recommend you do is reach out to your campus recruiters and ask; since you’re at a target that should be straightforward. Responses may differ depending on firm.
Just one note - analysts at MBB do more than just PowerPoint and research. At McK/BCG (unsure about Bain given their structure), they generally have the same responsibilities as MBA level consultants. MBA level consultants still have those responsibilities anyway.
Thank you for the feedback. I will reach out to the recruiters as I get close to graduating.
Do you have any talking points or tips on how I can approach the discussion? This seems like common sense, but I want to confirm, as I don't want to come across as entitled and make a bad first impression
Also, I need to make a correction. Perhaps it was my ego talking when I said summarized the responsibility of 1st analysts - but I am making an assumption that I can perform at a higher level than someone fresh out of undergrad. Also, I want to come in an as experienced hire so I don't fall behind peers in my age group.
I heard some stories where 1st year analyst are not even billed to the client because they don't know enough to provide real value.
At my MBB first year analysts aren't billed for their first 6 weeks. This isn't seen as a bad thing - it's an incentive for teams to take on 1st years who have a lot of learning to do without a cost to their client.
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