Where to go from a non-business double major at a non-target university?
I'm currently at non-target university, which is literally not even on the radar. I have a double major in Biology and Psychology. I have a stellar GPA (3.85), a great deal of research (a year of which was with a well-known non-profit), a long-standing leadership role with a organization I started, a few consistent jobs in sales and teaching, and currently an internship with an editorial team of a medical journal. This is all the product of me being a pre-med up until a month ago. Now I'm looking for new career opportunities.
I have always been interested in the business side of healthcare, but I have literally 0 experience. No business courses. Just simple discussions with co-workers, such as calculating out-loud the amount a hospital like MGH spends on just surgical soap (we estimated at $3 million a month [sterility seems to be a big factor]). These discussions are very frequent for me and I'm regretting not taking a few courses in economics while in college (currently a senior).
I think consulting will allow me to explore the industry from a business standpoint, but there's target candidates, non-target candidates, 50 feet of shit, and then me. I'm considering the option of applying to Biotech master programs at schools like Columbia, JHU, and NYU.
Do you guys think it's a smart option? Would top consulting firms be willing to take on a fresh grad from a target school's master program who can from a non-target shit-tier undergrad and learned everything they know about business from the master program?
I'm looking at programs that incorporate a good deal of economics/finance courses into the curriculum, and I'm reviewing the alumni profiles to see if students tend to get consulting gigs afterward. Any other tips?
Hm, interesting question
I'm at a nontarget like yourself (and started pre-med too) and I think you have a lot going for you, but the road is definitely going to be tough. If you're interested in medical administration and such, there are degrees for that, but consulting is def a different beast.
Here's what I'd say- if you can get into a solid masters at a target school (like Columbia), that probably gives you the best shot at the top consulting firms. It doesn't have to be in business, or incorporate econ imo, you can learn that by yourself, and there are TONS of people who go into consulting after studying chemistry, BME, or whatever under the sun. *The only issue here being that its untraditional to go into some consulting firms after a 1 year masters or something of the like, but I believe it'd be possible.
FT Consulting recruiting is done for this year for a lot of the big shops, but reach out to boutique consulting firms- especially ones that are life science heavy, because you may have a shot there still (just network through LinkedIn and see if anyone from your school/major made it, and ask to call and then refer).
If you can get into a boutique shop, I think that'd be great, and you can always get your MBA down the line afterwards. If not, the masters is definitely an option, just make sure there are students who have made a similar jump to consulting from that program in the past, and message them to ask their thoughts on it.
Best of luck!
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