Hiring Freeze = Get MBA?
I'm from a non-target, just graduated in May with a 3.6. I accepted an offer with a Big 4 in Risk Consulting but it doesn't begin till next September. With all this time off I've been doing a lot of thinking and applying. The job with the Big 4 is not appealing, going into my internship I thought it would be more management consulting than it was. I want to get into a business analyst role at a consulting firm and I know I probably can't get into the top firms with my credentials so....
Should I take the GMAT and apply to MBA schools now?
OR
Should I suck it up at the Big 4 for a few years and try to get into a top consulting firm from there?
OR
There's another option that you are going to kindly point out for me.
Thanks in advance
be glad you got a job waiting for you at big 4...
This is true, i guess another option is to just sit around and enjoy a year off...
You have zero FT work experience so getting into a top 20 MBA would be impossible. It's a little early to take the GMAT so I would sit on that for a year or two at least.
Yeah. Take the job at the Big Four firm and be grateful you found at least a middle-class spot in this new post-crash economy. Many former bankers, traders, etc are not so lucky.
Two wise sayings from an old hiring manager friend I know come to mind:
-It's easier to find a job if you have a job. -The reason they're willing to pay you to work is because nobody will happily do it for free.
These are tough times. Try and avoid tax; a lot of tax jobs got killed with the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and it looks like they're going to pass some similar reforms in the next few years.
Definitely don't sit around for the year. Try to workout and prepare for the job so you can hit the floor running.
If your goal is to switch into management consulting, then getting an MBA from a top program is your best route to get there (lateraling into MBB from a risk group at Big 4 will be nearly impossible).
As mentioned above, top MBA programs generally require 3-5 years of work experience. Your best bet is to work at the Big 4 during those 3-5 years (unless you have connections that can help you get into a better firm in the meantime... but top MBA programs definitely take people from Big 4 consulting groups). Of course, you could definitely attempt to switch into the Big 4's management consulting practice during your time there.
So given that you need an MBA, the question is, what can you do for the next 12 months to best prepare you to get into a top MBA program? A few things come to mind: -- Study for and take the GMAT. Your score is good for 5 years, so as long as you plan to apply before that time period, it is definitely worth taking the test now, while you're recently out of college, used to studying for tests, and don't have a full-time job that sucks up most of your time.
-- Get involved in extracurriculars. Top MBA programs care about extracurriculars, and this next year gives you a chance to really have an impact. I would recommend finding some ECs that you can invest heavily in now, but that you can remain involved with while you're working. That shows a nice continuity and passion to the adcoms at the MBA programs. Choose something where you can have real impact, and make it something you actually care about, so that you will take it seriously.
-- Travel/relax. At no other point in your life will you have a full year off with a guaranteed job on the back end. So I would make sure to have lots of fun.
Hope that helps, good luck.
Be a ski bum for a year. You have a year off and a job waiting for you at the other end. You're absolutely living the dream. People would kill for this opportunity. Don't waste even a second of it. Seriously, unplug your internet and don't even think about it.
Thanks for all the great advice! Planning a trip to Cali/Vegas now; i feel like less of a bum now that you guys are saying that taking the year off is a good idea.
Study for the GMAT while you have the free time and get a good score. It's good for 5 years so it can collect dust while you gain some experience and it shouldn't be a problem. Take it from me, I'm studying for the GMAT now while working on 4 different deals at the office and advising on a start-up on the side...all while trying to network for potential career opportunities (in case I don't get an acceptable acceptance, lol) and apply to different bschools.
Study for the GMAT, network and plan on stepping into the offer you already have. Look around and if something else comes up in the mean time, reevaluate the situation and go from there. As mentioned above, you will be hard pressed to get into a top bschool with no experience so I wouldn't go through the application process unless you have something truly compelling on your resume that makes you special. Good luck.
Regards
1 more point on that. Lots of Big 4 Risk consulting groups do nearly similar work/are staffed on similar projects to the management consulting groups so you can get good exposure to some senior people in consulting which will help you lateral over.
Granted it'd be better to start in consulting groups if you are looking for McKBain Group/ T10 MBA, but if you are willing to put the time and effort in you'll be able to make the transition over. It begins and ends with networking of course.
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