Is it even remotely realistic for me to get into consulting? Should I cut my losses and pursue a different career avenue?
Hey everyone, I am currently a Junior in college and I've had ambitions of entering the consulting industry for some time now but with my particular background I am unsure if I would even remotely qualify. If anyone can provide any insight, please advise and be brutally honest so I don't end up following a path that will lead to a dead end.
I graduated high school in 2012 and went to community college from 2012-2014 (only had 3 credits left before graduating with an Associates) but due to some personal family complications I had to drop out to support my family. I proceeded to work as an insurance sales agent from 2015-2017. During this time I decided to go back to school but due to family obligations I could only attend online school (I needed to maintain a full time job and I was living in an extremely small town that did not have a major university within a reasonable driving distance).
I decided to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst/Isenberg School of Management majoring in Finance. My current GPA is 3.724. Also early last year, I decided to begin pursuing a second bachelors just in case Finance didn't work out. I decided to attend Auburn University/Samuel Ginn College of Engineering majoring in Computer Science. My current GPA is 3.842. I am attending both of these schools online only.
Those two schools are non-target schools. I have to work full time and juggle trying to get two degrees that I attend strictly online therefore I would not have any extra curricular activities to reference or have access to any networks. Also being that I finished all my general education courses during my time at community college I entered as a sophomore in my two current universities, with my break in education I have not completed any internships.
With all these factors and my background, should I completely stop my aspirations of getting into consulting since I'm pretty sure my chances are slim or even non-existent as it is.
Thanks!
Those who say they can and those who say they can't are both typically right. Hustle your butt off and at least try.
Your chances of breaking into consulting are slim at best as of now. As you mentioned, you don't have the school, work experience, extracurriculars, or network. You're better off trying to find the best job you can now and doing an MBA at a target school a few years down the road.
As an aside, software engineering for tech companies typically care far less about the prestige of your school and extracurriculars. They only care about your technical capabilities (relevant work experience and side programming projects). You could look into working as a software engineer—which would anyways pay far more money—before doing an MBA. If you're up for it,
Georgia Tech has an online Masters in CS program that allows you to use their on campus resources to recruit. You don't have to say it's an online program on your resume either because your diploma and transcript won't differentiate, and the classes you take online will be identical the ones on campus.
A masters degree in CS at a top engineering school will definitely open doors to all the top tech companies. If you work at Google for 3-4 years, doors will open to top MBA programs which will open doors to top consulting firms .
Thank you for your advice and honest input. It seems like a long journey but I think it is my best bet in trying to get into management consulting.
Being that I am in online schooling now, would getting a Masters in CS online from a school such as Georgia Tech also cause a disadvantage as far as consulting goes or would it not matter since it is a top school and more tech oriented?
There is a massive difference between having a slim chance and not trying vs having no chance what so ever. Why not try and be realisitic, that way where is nothing but upside. If you get in you get in, you should really be looking at a finance job with that background anyway. Finance + CS is a pretty in demand set of skills on the street right now.
So, I don't think you should count yourself out yet. First of all, remember there is more than just m/b/b out there. You should broaden your net to any reputable consulting firm which at least includes the firms in the Vault 50 etc. The only caveat here is I would research heavily the firms/practices that you apply to. Once you get outside of the top strategy consulting firms there is a lot of diversity in the types of consulting that firms do and some are fairly niche. (e.g. At my firm FTI one niche area is corporate investigations, which is an interesting practice but is not going to prepare you to be a CFO someday)
Once you have done your research I would apply to a lot of different firms and land the best position you can as long as it is a reputable consulting firm. Then you can work there for a couple of years and figure out if you want to leave consulting or trade-up to a better firm/practice. There's more lateraling in consulting between "tiers" of firms than people on these forums would lead you to believe. For example, I know several ex-FTI people who went from my practice to firms like Deloitte S&O, Accenture Management Consulting and even the Boston Consulting Group. If that's something you want and you are motivated you can make it happen.
Don't get hung up on prestige tiers, worry more about the types of work the practice does and if you like the people you interview with.
You may not be able to enter true consulting right after graduation but don't count out the chance of ever being able to do it. Also, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try now.
First, look at some of the Top 20/boutique firms with insurance-specific practices. You'd be surprised, knowing the industry (since it's very unique) may be just what you need to get in the door and they really don't expect much of a new hire with a good GPA.
If that doesn't work, you may want to consider a stint at one of the Big 4 or Accenture. Preferably doing something finance or data related vs. hardcore IT consulting. For instance, I know multiple people who started in audit and now work in deals consulting (NOT transaction services, QofE validation... actual consulting). It's more about getting your foot in the door, working hard, and being creative about approaching roles you are good at/passionate about from there.
If neither of those work, you can consider an MBA. I, personally, would hold off until a top program would accept you and not pay a ton of $$ for something outside of the MBA business schools">M7, but to each his own if you're out of options.
Good luck!
P.S. quick tip - if you attended a proper university's online program, NEVER disclose that. Even if the coursework is just as rigorous, people will always look down on it unless you were in the military. Your diploma says you went to the school, so you went to the school.
Will you get in to M/B/B? Probably not, but I will say this. If you ACTUALLY want to do consulting, then go for it, even if you have to go to a smaller firm. Why? Because:
1) You will have prior experience in the industry
2) You know what the work entails
3) You have the transferable skills.
Find boutiques you're interested in where you want to live and cold email/message til your thumbs bleed. Put in a few years and lateral to a different firm, get an MBA, etc. My advice is if that's where you want to be, do everything within your reach to start there.
You can do it, but it will take steps, not a leap, and a long term mindset.
See my AMA:
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/ama-left-first-undergrad-with-su…
I don't think you have much chance of getting into a top consulting firm like McKinsey/Bain/BCG. Those places just don't recruit people with your background unfortunately because they're risk-averse and people with success at more prestigious schools are much safer hires.
Beyond the top consulting firms, the recruiting process is a lot less institutional and if you find a connection, you could definitely land. However, I'd say that with your background, you're not really playing to your strengths by going for a job at a random management consulting firm. Having a computer science degree is super valuable these days, and I'm guessing you'll have a much easier time finding a more technical role (doesn't just have to be as an engineer, you could also go for related roles like data science or product management) that may even pay you better than most consulting jobs with a better lifestyle anyways.
Once you finish your degree (I was an online student for awhile), work a few years before applying for business school. You'd want a competitive GMAT score so you can have a greater acceptance chance at the choice of your school.
Nice work on the GPA, I doubt you will have any issues finding a Software Engineering job right when you finish.
I would not count yourself out yet. Shoot for the moon!
Echoing other comments: if you want to be a consultant, be a consultant. There are many avenues to take and it is clear by your GPAs and your desire to learn that you will be capable wherever you go. Sure, you may not go to straight to MBB, but I know a handful of people with corporate finance and engineering backgrounds who moved to MBB based on their corporate experiences and general aptitude. I'm not saying to work F500, but saying that if they could do it so can you. You're still in school, it's not time to count anything out. That said, time to network your tail off.
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