Want your opinion: systems integration vs internal finance at consulting firm
I have a finance non-target undergrad, graduated not too long ago. Which one would be a better set-up for getting into a decent MBA program?
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Systems integration / implementation Consultant at large 2nd tier consulting firm (SAP, Oracle, etc, no strategy work unfortunately)
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Project controller / Financial Analyst in the same consulting firm (involves budgeting/forecasting/accounting of consulting projects)
Basically, I already am a project controller, but have become a little bored of it, although there is plenty that I can still learn. It does feel a little like back-office work. Through networking, I now "possibly" have an opportunity to try to switch over to being a consultant, but I really have no idea about system implementations. For all I know, I might hate it and then have to quit and move to another firm, but the fact that I will be learning something completely new does excite me.
Implementation
I also work at a large tier 2 so here's what I've seen:
Systems Integration blows and it blows hard. Two of my projects have had large IT implementation components (though not ERPs) and they're typically boring, long-term, and revolve around things you'll likely never fully understand beyond a basic definition. Potential upsides are travel, exposure to a few different clients and other areas of the consulting business, and just some taste of the consulting lifestyle. It can be very hard to switch from tech consulting to strategy however, even within the same firm.
The project controllers / FAs at my firm seem to enjoy it, but it's typical FA work and not considered consulting. The roles, pay, perks, and job progression is completely different from the consulting side of the business. I'd assume your chances of B-school would be similar to most FA/controller roles. As a side note, it's entertaining to talk to these guys and learn all the ins and outs of the expense rules, as well as some of the stories they have.
In summary, keep trying for strategy, but the tech consulting role might give you the slight edge between the two when it comes to b-school. And in the grand scheme of things, having a decent job while pondering two additional choices is not a bad place to be in at all.
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