Current 3rd year Associate at a boutique consulting firm (think FTI/Huron/Navigant) doing client-facing technical/financial consulting work. Planning to apply for my MBA next fall and I’m targeting Tuck, Kellogg, INSEAD and will probably apply to Harvard/Stanford to test my luck. I’m coming from a non-target undergrad and feeling concerned that my current company may not be prestigious enough to help me get into a top MBA program, especially since to my knowledge my company doesn’t send many (any?) people to top MBA programs.
So I’m thinking of making a job switch and looking at 4 options:
- Lateral to Deloitte – I’d be doing the same thing I am now, just at a new company (interviewing)
- Lateral to Accenture – I’d be doing the same work or may try to go into their Education practice
- Unicorn Startup – not a household name startup but still well-funded. I’d have more of a change management role so it would be a non-technical consulting role that’s still client facing (interviewing)
- Stay at current company but move to the Education practice – doing similar work but only for Education-related clients. I’m interested and passionate about education but worried about how much the company prestige factor matters to adcoms.
TLDR: Do I need to switch companies to get into a good MBA program? Or is my boutique tech consulting experience enough (assuming the rest of my application is solid)?
Your GMAT and dealflow is far more important than being at Big4/ACN vs a semi respected boutique. Difference between a 750 and 720 GMAT will make a larger impact than lateralling to one of those firms.
I agree with the above poster that GMAT is the most important element of the application. However, in terms of work experience, moving to the unicorn startup might be a smart move. The reason is you're currently in the consultant bucket, which is uber competitive. You'll be competing with MBB/T2 consultants (most of them came from target schools). Working at a unicorn will add something interesting to your profile and the startup bucket is nowhere near as cutthroat as the consultant bucket.
I agree with Peaky_Blinders with the most part - with the exception of moving to a unicorn start-up.
Let me start by saying this - Prestige of the employer can both work in your favor and hurt you. Imagine if you apply to INSEAD - if you move to Deloitte/Accenture, you will be at a prestigious company for sure, but you will be at an overrepresented application bucket. A lot of consultants apply - so as much as the prestige matters, you will just be another person in that bucket.
Now I disagree with Peaky on the unicorn start-up move. You shouldn't change jobs just because of applying to an MBA. INSEAD for example - has an essay on why you made the move you did and you need to have a story that flows to that decision and your INSEAD MBA goals. Next, if you are new to a company - the future supervisors giving an LoR won't know you as much as your current supervisors. You need to stay at a position long enough where the management knows you well, and you get some leadership experience. Leading a team, being a senior person, training the team, etc... These things look better on an application (Leadership skills) than going to another unicorn start-up.
It all depends on your timeline on when you are expecting to move, but if it is in the next year or so - I suggest staying put and getting yourself involved with your current firm in a leadership capacity.
I agree. My post failed to consider the timeline. If OP wants to apply in a year or so, then moving to any firm is a pretty bad idea because he won't have enough time to make a significant impact there. However, if he's dead set on applying for an MBA several years down the line, I strongly believe that going to the unicorn startup would be the best move out of his four options. If OP is anywhere near a decent writer, he should be able to write a persuasive story about why he made the switch, especially because going from consulting to startup is not that unusual of a career decision.
You’d be surprised at the percentage (75%+) of people with non-prestigious backgrounds at non-H/S M7 schools. Kill the gmat and you’re fine.
I'd say even at HSW, there is significant minority of people with non-prestigious backgrounds.
Maybe that's true of Harvard and Wharton, but Stanford is a bit too small and selective to take people with non-prestige backgrounds unless they also have jaw dropping accomplishments.
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