Down On Consulting

thanks. this seems useful.

Any other material - blog,magazine,websites - we can look into for good insight on mgmt consulting.

You might find this site helpful.

https://managementconsulted.com/

Hey all. Firstly, I have been on and off ghosting this forum for about a year now. I originally was curious about GMAT prep, even though it's a ways off for me, but after looking through the site a bit more, there are some wonderful insights into various industries, including consulting, which I have some questions about.

So I'm about to be a sophomore at IU Kelley, doing undergrad, and it's going quite well. However, I'm really having trouble thinking about what kind of career I'd like to have when I graduate, so I've been researching MC. This thread and Rhyme's thread on recruiting have been interesting, but I have some general questions that I haven't seen answered.

First off, Is getting a big 3 (or really any) MC job more difficult for an undergraduate business major, or majorly different in any way then if you're an MBA grad?

Secondly, I'm definitely considering going back to grad school, though I have quite a while before I will have to know, and I'm wondering if consulting is a good fit for someone who is looking into an MBA/JD program. I mean to say, do business schools have any preference when it comes to MC? For it? against it?

Third, in anyone's experience, is hard-work rewarded in the MC industry to a greater extent that face-time with the partners? What I mean to say is that I respect the idea of working your way upward in a company, rather than networking your way upward. I know that a certain amount of both is required to be successful, but I feel like there are definitely industries where advancement relies on one more than the other, and I'm wondering how the MC dynamic is.

I hope I didn't sound too ignorant, and that I didn't miss these answers somewhere else.
Thanks!

Want to go into consulting, have an entrance level job (Production Assistant) with Deloitte. I have my in, now what do I need to get into a Consulting position? Possible Designations? I'm obviously considering an MBA at some point too, hopefully Part time in 2012.

Thanks

im currently an auditor hoping to make the switch to consulting (pre-MBA to a smaller firm and post-MBA to MBB hopefully). any advice on doing this? i have a year of work experience and my cpa, any specific consulting firms i should target that will be open to my skillset?

I just want to thank all the people who have contributed their insights and experience in this thread...i've obtained a lot of useful info about consulting...was wondering if it is right for me and all these discussions will really help me make my decision....thanks a lot for posting

Is there anything like consulting jobs in the Big 4 focused on the automobile industry or the engineering and operations firms?

I'm a mechanical designer for the govt. of India with 5 years of experience. I'm looking at MC as a post-MBA goal.

Could some please help me with what options I have?

Hi!

I'm a lawyer from Europe (experience mostly concerns EU law), and I'm looking to move into consulting after MBA, preferably back in Europe. Do you have any experience about financial regulatory consulting? Or for that instance, consulting work that involves public policy analysis? I'm asking because I'm really interested how exactly can I best use my law experience in consulting jobs.

Thanks!

Thanks, very informative!

If you don't mind I might come back later with additional questions, since you work in Europe and I'm also looking to get back to Europe after MBA.

hi all,

If i am SCRUM certified and have a knowledge of auto loan and been into consultation, do all these aspects will be helpful to me when i apply to the MBA courses in different universities?

Thanks,
harsh

It's all about how you spin it as adding value to the learning environment and classroom discussions. It sounds like you have a unique perspective to bring to the table, which is great, but no one can tell you how much those experiences specifically will bolster your candidacy.

Great info on the realities of consulting on this thread! Much appreciated.

I want some info on consulting in terms of projects. For the big consulting companies such as Accenture, McKinsey, BCG, PwC, how do projects work? Do you get assigned projects? What if you are in between project? Do you get paid during this time? The reason I ask is because I've heard conflicting and confusing stories from some people who say that between projects you basically don't get paid and getting another project all depends on whether the next company/individual likes your consultant. Others say that you do get paid during this time between projects and that getting another project is not difficult.
I would like some clarity on this issue. I do not want to end up getting into a situation where I'm sitting at home waiting for project without any sort of income.

Can anybody answer my question?

It depends. You do have say over which projects you get, so you're not just randomly assigned one. The only caveat to this would be your first project, where you don't have a support network / any power to say "no." That being said, I've both been booked to projects without my knowledge and turned down projects before.

In general, however, you'll be interviewed before chosen for a project - whether it's internally or by the client or both. So if you know you're not interested, don't try hard in the interview.



When you're between projects, this is called being "on the bench." You get paid during this time. Many people will reach out to you (unless there's a big bench), whether to ask for your assistance with business development work or to staff you on their project. In my experience, it's easiest to get on a new project through your network - people you've already worked with. They know your reputation and will most likely have their eye on you when you're available. With the exception of my first project, I've gotten all of my roles through my existing network.

So don't fret - you won't be sitting at home waiting for a project without any sort of income. Bench time is like vacation - you're paid and not working - except you're not using your vacation! I was on the bench for six weeks this year (right after I was promoted, too). It was marvelous. I hung out with my boyfriend and our dog and actually cooked and took care of stuff around my house! Oh, and I applied to three business schools (perfect timing!). Now I'm staffed on a project. Rest assured, bench time does not affect your performance review / rating, either.

Thanks for the reply mxm!
Are consulting companies able to work with you in terms of placement location? For example, if you graduate from a NE bschool (IE. Harvard, Duke, MIT,etc) and you get placed in SF , but you want to work in the south where an office is located, is that feasible?

Consulting companies are definitely flexible about work location. When I joined, I was asked to rank my top three cities. I therefore wasn't expected to work where I graduated. Fortunately, I was given my first choice. However, certain offices at my company are difficult to get into - for example, Denver and Austin (high demand, low supply). My company happens to be implementing a "staff locally" policy, so there have to be projects in the city to justify consultants being located there. I know it doesn't make much sense, since most of us travel to our clients anyway. As a side note, I was also able to transfer offices quite easily.

Basically, you have flexibility with where you work, but it has to be a major-ish city. My company has plenty of offices in the south like Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, etc.