Got an SA offer in healthcare benefits consulting... MBA & MBB questions
Hi all,
Thanks for reading. Some background:
- Pretty low GPA (2.8-3.1) from an ivy
- Junior, graduating next May
- Interested in MBB for full-time, possibly post-MBA
I got an offer at a top (from what my reExecu|Search has shown) HR consulting firm (Think Aon Hewitt/Mercer/Towers Watson) for an SA position this summer (Location = North East). To be honest, I put minimal effort into the recruiting process and it's my only consulting offer (a very nice one - great pay, great and very smart group) and I am probably going to accept it after interviews are completed at other places.
I have a couple of questions
1) Is Benefits consulting (Healthcare, Execu|Searchtive Comp, etc.) too niche of an area if I want to apply for full-time positions at MBB's after I graduate?
2) Will this position, if it turns into a full-time job and I accept it because it's my best option, hinder my chance at being accepted into top-10 MBA programs? How will it effect my candidacy, knowing that the position/company isn't a "prestigious" one?
3) Would it be possible to break into MBB full-time after a few years of full-time in this position if I receive a FT offer/accept? My concern is that the work is very niche and it would not translate well into McKinsey or Bain.
4) What is the actual work like? Can it be a good, challenging, and rewarding experience? Stupid question probably.
I would like to add that I have used the search function on WSO - while I got some information from that, I am left with the mentioned questions that I'm hoping you fine people can answer!
Thanks!
You shot yourself in the foot with that GPA. Keep in mind that people applying to MBB that are successful have strong GPAs (3.6+ for "harder" majors, 3.8+ for "easier" majors) from targets, top-tier experience (IB/Tier 1 or Tier 2 Consulting/PE/F500 corporate finance/Strategy). They also have great extracurriculars.
Once again, you will have a difficult time landing a top MBA program with that GPA. You need to start killing it and focusing on raising your grades if you want any consideration to a top MBA program. Typical averages at M7 MBAs are 3.65 or higher. You should also have an explanation as to why your GPA was poor.
Also, it is Bain, not Baine.
Yeah, I know. I've been too focused on my start-up which I recently exited.. I'll be focusing on school now. I can potentially raise my GPA to 3.6+ if I get straight A's and take 6+ classes for the next 4 semesters, which I plan on attempting.
For EC's, I have (had) leadership roles in various societies and, like I mentioned before, my start-up which I recently sold.
Assuming my GPA is at around 3.5 or so by the end of this year (which is possible), and I do the SA program, and then begin to apply to MBB's next Fall, how might it look for me?.
Edited, thanks.
I appreciate your response!
If you're graduating next May, you'll be applying for MBB (via OCR) in early fall '14. That gives you this semester and summer to raise your GPA. MBB generally only offers a few times where they accept new hires, such as fresh from undergrad, fresh from grad school. They also accept laterals from industry or another consulting firm, but that is at a higher level (above analyst/consultant).
That being said, you can go to one of those human capital firms mentioned, do well, and leverage that into a top 10 MBA, where MBB recruits heavily. So MBB is certainly not out of the question, but probably is if you want to start upon graduation next spring.
Best of luck.
Agree with what others are saying. You're not getting into MBB with that GPA out of undergrad (you have just this semester to raise your GPA before recruitng in the fall). You don't have enough time to improve it, and the competition is too stiff to overcome it.
That's okay though - you have a good SA job that you seem pretty excited about, at what looks like a solid Tier 2/3 firm. Continue to improve your grades and get the full time offer there and you have a great shot at M7, and depending on how interesting your start-up was, H/S/W. A decent consulting firm will put you in perfectly good shape to get into school, so long as you keep your extras going and get good recommendations/a good gmat score. MBB will obviously be quite doable from there.
Maybe someone with MBB resume screening experience can chime in, but how much would a badass startup catch your eye when reviewing? Any chance it could overcome a significantly subpar GPA? Curious to know the answer.
Thank you for all of your responses, they are very helpful. I am indeed excited about the SA position and I will hopefully excel and receive that FT offer. I guess FT MBB will be pretty unreachable for undergrad, which kind of sucks but isn't terrible.
As for the start-up, I'd like to think it was pretty bad ass. I had 5-15 people on-staff and provided a niche service to several international clients (one of them purchased the company.)
I am also curious to know if the start-up would overcome a terrible GPA...
Obviously, I asked because I don't know how it will be seen for MBB (my assumption is that it won't make much difference with your GPA a full .5-.7 below most applicants). However, as it relates to business school admissions in a few years, it could make a huge difference. That's a very business-y justification for lower grades than other applicants, and more importantly, by selling the business, you can now prove how well you would have done the whole time if you didn't have it (you don't have to get a 4.0 - getting anywhere above a 3.5 will prove your point).
I know that didn't totally answer your question, just wanted to throw that in.
There's a team in my MBB office currently doing an HR strategy project, and I know there were some others last year.
With that GPA you will probably need an MBA to get an interview though. Unless you have contacts (possibly?). I guess a decent GMAT (750+) might offset the low GPA for the b-school admissions. Keep in mind that MBB recruits from top-15 as well, not just the M7. Some international schools might also care somewhat less about your GPA (since it's from an ivy), and MBB does definitely recruit at a number of European b-schools.
Just my $0.02.
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