Help an aimless, Ivy science major in need?

Hey guys! I'm somewhat new to the site, so let me know if this post in contextually inappropriate or belongs on a different forum.

My problem: I'm a brand new graduate as of May, considered consulting several months ago but then dropped it and missed out on the bulk of on-campus recruiting. I'm now increasingly certain that was a massive mistake and can find nothing similar. I only interviewed at BCG, where I garnered a final round but no offer. This was in November of 2010. I'm now rudderless, and know not where to turn - and so I turn, perhaps in vain, to the denizens of this unlikely-themed website.

my stats/background: Ivy undergrad, 3.8 GPA, summa/magna cum laude (I was at the cut-off, I got magna, was .01 away from summa, gimme a break), majored in neuroscience, minored in english and philosophy, 1500+ on the SATs, and so forth. Various BS leadership shit, did research with profs, currently research assistant at Sloan/MIT for systems dynamics.

How do I spin this into a successful job application and potential offer for, say... 2 months from now? Ideally I'd like to work at a place like Bain, BCG, Deloitte, etc., but I would be willing to branch out into any lucrative/fast paced/prestigious area of business. Can a guy like me get a job at a bank? Besides for the science background, I have little in the way of quantitative education (although I am pretty darn good with math and numbers). Is there some way I can leverage the alumni connections? my alma mater's job site currently offers very little consulting related, it's almost exclusively banking, software/IT and then some odd jobs (Hillel organizer @ Brown? Am I qualified for that? I suppose I could front-load a menorah with some mary jane and play the acoustic guitar, or something).

I'm currently living at home and the parents may eventually reach the breaking point. What I'm doing besides RA at MIT: writing short stories and thinking up a novel.

Like I said, I need your help.

 
pennstudent11:
interesting sentiment, ivoteforthatguy. What personality is best suited for finance? I'm guessing not quirky/creative types?

yes. you do seem like a intelligent, quirky and neurotic guy who is chatty. that will actually take you far in consulting, because we are professional bullshitters who need to spin up some fine smelling bullshit on the spot on a daily basis. in finance you will be filled with surly/fratty balls of alpha male anger and you will be in a small and contemned minority of cubicle nerds, no offense.

go for MBB. i think you have the right reqs, just work on cases and interviewing skills.

 

No, finance (Wall Street, more specifically) is for people who are willing to conform to the norm. Also, missing summa by .01 still makes ya magna, even if it is extremely impressive.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

Duly noted. The incessant bullshittery of consulting was actually one of the primary draws for me, extemporizing successfully to an educated audience is my bag. I'll probably get jaded after a year but that's all I want it for, anyway - a place holder.

The question is, can I simply cold-email alumni at the Boston office of ____ consulting co. with my resume, or is it imperative that I go through the formal channels during on campus recruiting?

Also, thanks for the responses guys! They're very much appreciated.

 
Best Response

I don't want to be a bummer, but I think you need to immediately broaden your search to include more industries. As world focus shifts to a deteriorating outlook of the global economy, I would imagine there are a very limited number of companies are looking to hire people with zero experience. And I presume the MBB / IBD jobs are long since gone.

IMO skipping OCR was indeed a massive mistake. But obviously with a great degree under your belt, you should get a ton of mileage. But note that it gets harder and harder to find a job if you are unemployed, so just beware.

 

Wow, you're a great writer and seem like a very intelligent guy. I do hope that you end up successful. I think you would be fine in both consulting and ib, but perhaps consulting would be a better fit for your creative personality.

 

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