Is a consulting career best for international opportunities and exposure?
I'm a university student who wants to leverage my language knowledge for a finance and/or consulting career. I am a junior from a well known non target in Los Angeles and given Covid, may not even secure a paid finance internship for this summer, considering my failures to get any offers so far.
Because of this I'm thinking of starting off getting my CPA by doing an extra year of school. then working audit or TAS Big 4, MBA, then consulting.
In the long run, I want a career that gives me the most lucrative and abundant opportunities abroad. Is consulting the way to go? Or should I look more into industries within finance?
First of all, the amount and type of languages you speak matter to an extent regarding a potential international career - some industries are focused in certain regions. While other industries may have a use for languages regardless of the region (high level example: useful to know German, Italian, maybe French on top of English in the automotive industry).
If your goal is to speak, say, Catalan in Spain and you want to do IBD or a certain consulting gig - check beforehand if that will work out (this is just an example).
Consulting is one possibility, but I have seem many polyglots in IBD, PE, VC as well. Languages are generally useful to be a more valuable candidate and you are typically a more interesting person people want to work with.
Thank you. I'm also guessing that as your experience in the industry increases you're bound to get more opps abroad?
I speak multiple languages and have worked and lived in multiple countries, across multiple industries.
Sometimes there are advantages, sometimes nobody cares. Hence the question what the plan would be for you.
make sure that the work, time, effort you invest in travel, languages and yourself has a point to it. There is a return for hard work, but not every combination of region, industry and language makes sense.
Which languages do you speak, where do you want to live, what is your major/interest within an industry?
I was lucky enough to learn spanish and italian as my first two languages.
I for sure want to live in Europe for at least a few years after I get relevant enough experience or I'm able to transfer internationally within a firm.
I'm a finance major and I get excited about opps within ER PM and IB too, but I have a passion for international culture/language/travel and want to end up in consulting because it's likely where I can leverage my skills best.
If I had a crystal ball I'd do IB for a few years (I know for a fact I want M&A experience) and then consulting where hopefully/ideally I'm at a firm where I can work between eng/span/ital speaking borders.
However I want to advance my career soon and IB or consulting really doesn't seem like an option right now. I have a surefire search fund internship I can lean on for experience if all else fails for this summer as it's unpaid. So the plan would be to do 5th year of school --> CPA --> big 4 for a good while --> MBA --> consulting.
Both Italy and Spain allow applications for citizenship if you can prove you have Italian or Spanish ancestry. I know a few people who are dual citizens, so I'd look into that to make sure you gain the biggest advantages. These are also very useful languages to have in Europe, and both countries are exceptionally beautiful.
I'd check for Italian or Spanish banks and consultancies and build a network as early as possible. they may have international programs for employees. I am sure you will make this work!
Just saw this... I do actually have Italian citizenship which gives me access to the EU. Thanks for all your info but enough about me... what has your personal experience been like working abroad if I can ask?
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