Rhyme's Guide to Management Consulting Recruiting

Wow, so much information in your post!! Really really informative.

I'll be coming back to this post often

AMAZING thread !!! Thank you rhyme for sharing your experiences. I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but I did have a question:

How much emphasis is placed on GMAT score during MC recruiting ?

Full disclosure: I scored a 690, and will be matriculating at Darden as part of the Class of 2012. Transitioning into MC from industry was one of the major reasons I started to pursue my MBA, but have heard that the big firms wont even consider you if you dont have a 700+ score.

Having said that, Im seriously thinking of taking a prep course and rewriting in the next few months, before I move down to Virginia to start school.

Thoughts/comments ? Thanks in advance !!

Another resources for those interested ... we like to share at INSEAD!!

https://www.insead.edu/mba/clubs/consult ... /index.cfm

See 'INSEAD Consulting Book (download)' on the left hand panel.

Very useful guide for those interested in MC.

Kudos sm332. Really helpful document!

+1

Great doc sm332. Much obliged.

Can you "tier" the consulting firms or give general thoughts about exit oppportunities, competition, types of projects etc at each of the major firms. The reason I ask is because everyone always mentions MBB, I have a lot of friends who started at Deloitte (consulting, not tax/audit) from UG and know some Sr. Mngrs there and they seem to work on good projects and make good money, on the other hand, I know that Accenture is pretty much considered the bottom rung of consulting along with BAH (due to their govt practice and because Booze has spun off alone). I just wanted to know what the next tier to shoot for is after MBB?

Tier 1: MBB
Tier 2: ???????
Tier 3: ???????
Tier 4: ???????

Thanks for all of the helpful advice in this thread, MC is definitely something I want to explore in b-school, I think it will allow me to explore a wide variety of business problems since I'm tired of being stuck in just one function (marketing).

Not sure how the Tier 1/Tier 2 breakdown is in other people's minds, but this is my perspective:

There are different types of consulting, and many companies offer a variety of services. That is why you have differing opinions with Deliotte/Accenture, etc.

Accenture/Deliotte/Capgemini/IBM are known for their technology consulting, but all have strategy groups of various sizes and industry expertise.

The Big 4 (PwC, E&Y, KPMG, Deliotte) provide consulting services as well, though they tend to be more financial advisory than strategy. The type of work can vary a lot. Some people absolutely love what they do there, and some despise it. It really depends on which group you are with. Work/life balance can be better here though.

I think most MBAs want strategy consulting; the best of the best in that field is MBB. There are also other elite strategy firms, such as LEK, AT Kearney, Parthenon Group.

Another group would be the industry specialties, such as ZS Associates (Healthcare) or Schlumberger (Oil & Gas). If you are industry focused, these offer great options to develop industry knowledge and a strong network.

My personal outlook: If I decide to go back into consulting, I would shoot for either an elite strategy firm such those aforementioned, or an energy-focused firm. I worked Big 4 consulting/technology consulting before, and wouldn't want to go back to it.

Hi unhedged,

Curious as to what your complaint was with Big 4/Tech consulting?

Thanks!

I received an e-mail from my school for "Connect with Bain" opportunity.
One thing that was interesting is the schools included in Bain's list.

Notable omissions include:
*Anderson
*Johnson
*McCombs
*Stern
*Tepper
*Yale

Has anyone else received information about the Connect with Bain opp? I haven't seen anything yet.

It shows up in the Admitted Student Portal for Ross. I signed up last week and Bain contacted me to say they are finalizing the date and will be contacting me in a couple of weeks for the Boston reception.

This post is incredibly helpful, thank you +1

I have a question: undergrads or graduates w/o experience applying for an internship or an entry-level position have to tackle a case in the interview too?

Thank you!

It was on the admitted students' forum for Kellogg as well. I believe some people in LA and SF have already received invitations to receptions.

Hey Rhyme,
Great Thread man!!!!!! Its really helpful..
Guys my question may sound kinda naive, but I wanted to know that since u mentioned that MC is not generally limited to a particular Vertical/field, then what is the Specialization a person should choose for a career in MC...
I mean I am an Indian IT Male(no shortage of those) wanting to pursue Consulting, so whats the specialization I shud be looking for , shud it be IT (related to my field) or something different to get more exposure to a diff field?

I've been playing around with some of the MC websites to see what campus' are targeted. E.G. Mckinsey has many schools listed in the drop down menu for MBA recruiting, but some take you to the "other schools" page, while others have their own page.

As for the Bain event, we got a notice about a 1-day summer workshop for incoming MBA's (not the minority/women event). Sounds like it rotates annually and this year it will be in Dallas domestically and Sao Paolo internationally.

great article. Standing applause!!! Just WOW!

couldn't even finished in single read so bookmarked. but 5 stars deserved.

To my friends trying to understand the complexity of consulting in the global dimension and how Accenture/IBM/others are in Some strategy and how the BPO/Other firms play in the mix, a great Knowledge@Wharton Article.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arti ... cleid=1345

Enjoy=)

Hi Saruba,

I hope that it is not too late, but the answer to your question is yes. All candidates who intend to apply to consulting firms will face the case interview as a portion, quite honestly the most important part, of the interview.

Good luck with everything!



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