Emory Certificate in Management Consulting or Google Project Management Certificate?
I ran across these two specializations on Coursera and was interested in taking them. My main concern is prioritization. I have a list of things to do which includes learning a foreign language and studying for the GMAT as well as taking on some other personal financial projects which require a lot of time - although I think I'll demote this latter task.
I'm thinking of kicking this up to the same priority of the GMAT, if they can improve career placement. Word on the street is that JPOW and Co. are aiming at increasing the unemployment rate in addition with the rate increased. I think consulting and project management, may be affected, but that's not really saying much. Back on track - I think the Google Project Management cert might be more effective in that it'll be seen as a technical certificate from Google which can certify that I acquired some tangible skills, so I think that would be the one to take, although if felt the consulting one would have the same impact, I'd take it instead; perhaps I'll find there is some overlap in between the two?
https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificate…
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/manageme…
I wonder how much an effect it would have though as nobody wants to hire entry level anything unless they have "a MinIMuM 2-3 yeArS of ExPEriEnCe" and cold networking doesn't seem e
Maybe there are specific details about what you're trying to do that could make these items relevant, but from the perspective of breaking into the major management consulting firms I don't think either would help. Consulting firms don't care about certs (outside of technical certs for technical consulting). If your goal is MBA to get into consulting, you'd be far better off reallocating your time into investing the time you'd spend on those certs into improving your odds of getting into a top ranked MBA
> nobody wants to hire entry level anything unless they have "a MinIMuM 2-3 yeArS of ExPEriEnCe"
This is not true for consulting. Consulting entry level is certainly entry level, but for major firms it's challenging to get in outside of undergrad direct hire or post-MBA direct hire (i.e. campus recruiting pipelines are very important)
I'm seeking the project management or product management roles as a way to break out of CB. I feel they will add more value if going in to get an MBA for the purpose of post MBA consulting. I think it will strengthen my application package, because I can only sell spreading financials and managing a portfolio so much. I think a letter of rec from a supervisor from such a role will also be more helpful.
Do you think this is a reasonable plan?
I agree with the comment above. Consulting firms don't value certifications to the same degree as some other fields. The one exception is technical consulting positions within the IT space where the basis of their work revolves around a technology architecture or coding skillset.
In general, the GMAT will help, as will any existing work experience (through internships or full-time work), and networking.
I would argue everything else (crafting your own business, learning a foreign language, becoming proficient in a database, taking extra courses on LinkedIn) could slightly boost your application or help you differentiate yourself, but those in themselves won't significantly make nor break your odds of landing in the top consulting firms.
To play the devil's advocate, although it's true that the two formal recruitment pipelines into consulting exist at the undergraduate and MBA level, there are more lateral hiring pipelines for anywhere from 1-3 years of experience. However, these pipelines are often firm, office and practice dependent and require you to know someone at the firm to understand their hiring needs since it's almost directly related to client work at that time.
With regards to how "no one wants to hire entry level anything", this depends on which roles you're applying for. If you're out of undergrad, then new graduate programs (for the most part) will immediately ding you for not being in a final year of a college or university program. If you're applying for recent graduate positions, you'll have a shot, and if you're applying for associate positions, they may have a preference or hard requirement for graduate education (or MBA).
I strongly advise networking to understand the lateral hiring market within your specific region and office preferences. For instance, EY-P has near concluded their new graduate 2023 hiring, but select offices are still looking for experienced hire candidates looking to lateral. The other aspect is to target consulting firms where your commercial banking experience may be seen as an asset. Firms like Oliver Wyman do quite a bit of work in the financial service space, so I would argue your experience may hold more value to them.
I appreciate ethe feedback. I'm thinking of getting a PM role to get a feel for something else other than CB, and then go in for an MBA. I've been trying to filter out entry leevel roles as Project Manager or Product Manager but its like applying for a first job and there's no responses.
I'll check out Oliver Wyman.Thhank you for the recommendation
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