Pivot to Consulting?
(I previously posted this in the new user intro forum)
Good evening Monkeys, Quants, Gurus and whatever else you may deign to call yourselves.
BLUF: I graduated from a non target and am currently pursuing an MS in Math Education. I want to pivot out of Education and into Consulting; preferably government and/or management consulting (MBB for example). How would I go about it? What are the promotion opportunities?
Background:
-From NYC but went to a non target in Buffalo with a strong Accounting program (you might've heard of it if you're from Western NY).
-I didn't study Accounting or even Finance; I'm a Marketing and IB major with degree concentrations in Social Justice and Sustainability and a minor in Military Science (via ROTC); basically leveraging the triple Ps toward competitive advantage. My capstone in summary was about how corporate America could revise the capitalist status quo and engage all sectors towards increased margins keeping in mind that all resources are in short supply and people are people, not chattel be they employees or customers... The social justice bit wasn't about genderqueer asexual dragon-fox otherkins and that bs; basically "most good and least harm" in business. I was influenced in part by OWS and my view that capitalism is the singular driving force for global prosperity, in spite of its excesses.
-My GPA was not up to snuff; didn't crack 3.0; 2.8 overall, major GPA of 3.1 in IB and 2.9 in Marketing (I took an Econ 400 level course my sophomore year because the Army mandated that I graduate on time in order to commission on time; my stats, market research, accounting and religion courses also kicked my ass and severely hurt my Marketing GPA). I concede I could have done much better had I slowed down and sought help; no need to beat a dead horse. I did well in Calculus and Business Math if that alleviates a bit of doubt about my quantitive abilities.
-I did, however, commission into the Army Reserve and I am currently in the midst of a teaching fellowship in Math Education; I command a company of close to 200 soldiers.
-I am curious about breaking away from Education; either via an MPA or MBA or both.
-Leadership skills and an education in responsible corporate sustainability are my selling points. (I've been told to look into Risk Regulation and Compliance/Risk Management; I don't know much about that outside of the major ones from school (SOx for example). If anyone can speak to that, I'd be sincerely grateful.)
-I've looked into M7 programs and premier MPA programs (Uni of Indiana for example). I've also considered schools in the NYC area (Austin Marxe in Baruch, Columbia and NYU). I'm confident I have a compelling story for adcoms should I determine which direction I want to go in.
-Money currently isn't much of an issue for me; that's not to say I'm rolling in dough but I have ways and means to finance this second graduate degree and I'm willing to re-enlist with USARC in order to get Reserve tuition benefits for my education. Are firms as military friendly as they claim to be? I'd very much like to maintain my association with the Army and hit the 20 year mark for a full Reserve retirement.
-Finally, I'm in my mid 20's.
Thanks WSO!
So unfortunately you've got a bit stacked against you, namely your GPA and the fact that you're non target. MBB really only take 3.7+, and that's from target schools. That's not to say, however, it's not possible. I don't think you'll be able to apply directly to larger consulting firms, and you could try to cast your net wider to smaller ones, maybe some that specialize in the public sector. As far as business school, the GPA again is a bit of a barrier (I'm not the expert on this however), but MAYBE an absolutely incredible GMAT could allow you to redeem yourself in the eyes of the AdComs. I'd broaden your business school search to outside of MBA business schools">M7, as you may stand better chances there. Definitely don't give up hope or anything, try to use your network and be ready to justify your GPA in interviews
Thanks a million for the input @wade569!
Would [proven] experience at a smaller competitor set me up for success in the eyes of an MBB hiring manager? How would another degree before an MBA/MPA look? I was looking at Baruch's MS programs and figured a 1-2 year program (with classes over the summer) would demonstrate academic aptitude and ability to think and perform since my undergrad GPA fails to convey that. Do you agree?
Thanks again...
Hey canarsie! I have no useful information to add to this except my optimism that you might be able to come up with an appealing value proposition as a candidate. I wonder if stellar graduate grades and time and space since undergrad might make up for the problematic GPA (i.e., "the guy who got those grades was a different person")? And I'd totally hire you for having enough nerd knowledge to make a joke about otherkin. But I'm actually replying to say that I kind of want to read your capstone thing ... Will you pm it to me?
Thanks for the response @dr_apple!
I'll have to find it (I've used a few computers since college graduation, alas).
If I can't find it after a week, I'll give you a synopsis as best as I can recall it.
Financial Analyst seeking to pivot into consulting (Originally Posted: 12/30/2017)
Hello, I am coming to the end of a 2 year rotational program at JP Morgan( Program/Project Management and Corporate Financial Analysis) and am looking to transition into Management consulting at one of the big shops(PWC, BAIN, BCG etc). Do I have transferable skills sets to have a successful transition?
Talk soon,
BG
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