Why so many MBAs go to consulting?
My question is to why so many graduates of the top MBA programs go to consulting. Is it because consulting firms like picking up people who graduate from top MBA programs or is it because consultants who only have an undergrad degree go to top B-schools to further their career progression? Thanks any and all for the help.
Do consulting firms expect graduates from top MBA programs to have had previous consulting experience? Or is having graduated from such a program indicative enough of potential?
Previous consulting experience is a plus but not mandatory.
Couldn't have summarised it better. Only word of caution; MBB-like firms with significant travel can have detrimental effects on your life just as much as the 90+ hour weeks in IB.
Our MBA folks are with us because they find it more interesting. We have a diverse client roster, not only within banking and FS, but also outside of it. Stimulating work environments are not repetitive but offer different locations, cases, business models and clients.
An ex banker who is now with us is leading all efforts (client engagement lead type work) with a very large ecommerce client. He said this is the most interesting work he has ever seen and he would've never gotten the chance to work in this field if he landed in a bank.
What do you mean by 'us'? Are you speaking on behalf of a consulting firm? If so, then which one?
From the MBA's point of view, it's basically MBA 2.0 - tougher but at least you're getting paid:
Getting in and spending two years there makes you look good; a prestigious platform from which to recruit for your next job (hopefully your actual career this time)
Nature of work is quite close to what you studied in b-school (to the extent that you studied at all) - general management and core business disciplines, with a lot of teamwork, presentations, and group drinking
It's a growth industry, unlike IB and unlike most F500 ex-Tech.
From the consulting firms' point of view, it's a one-stop shop that makes hiring a lot easier for them by providing them with:
insecure, high-achieving folks still young enough to give a pound of flesh in exchange for a career boost
yet who have been around the block long enough to know that this job isn't forever and understand the trade
credentials (for clients) that their problems are being solved by people who went to elite schools and who probably wouldn't have wanted to recruit for them straight out of school
Why so many MBA's go to consulting? (Originally Posted: 08/20/2018)
My question is to why so many people who graduate from the top MBA programs in the nation (USA) go to consulting firms. Also, how they do so. Do consulting firms just like picking up MBA graduates from top B-schools or is it that there are many consultants who only have an undergrad degree that then go on to B-schools to further their career progression? Thanks all for any help.
I think for many of us who worked in consulting post-MBA, the draw is the interesting work (clients hire you to solve interesting problems, or problems they can't/don't want to solve) plus the variety (common to work on several projects/clients each year). Consulting firms do heavily recruit from MBA programs, but they are open to hiring students who have a consulting background, and also those who do not. You'd want to demonstrate strength in areas like problem solving, managing projects, analyzing data/research, presenting ideas, building relationships with others. There are ways during the MBA program to position yourself for consulting, like choosing hands-on/lab-type courses or involvement in community based volunteer consulting clubs. Hope this helps!
Recruitment advertising is heavy, comp is above average towards banking, and consultant alumni are widespread across corporations after burnout.
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