Able to switch careers at INSEAD (or other 1 yr prgms)?

Question

Hey all. Looking to hear from some current students or alumni for first hand feedback.

I'd like to switch my career from the corporate sector (marketing/sales) to management consulting and am considering INSEAD, but am concerned the 10 month program won't adequately prepare me despite its strong ties in consulting.

INSEAD's marketing material promotes it's career switching student body with 60% changing function, 56% changing country, 40% changing sector, and 22% changing all three. Yet the common opinion is it's very difficult to pick up the skills, knowledge, and network needed to make a career change in a (brief) one year program. Especially without a summer internship.

https://gmatclub.com/blog/2011/10/is-a-o ... for-you-2/

Can anybody share their story of switching (or trying to switch) careers in a one year program, whether it be specifically INSEAD or another one year program (kellogg, cornell, ESADE, etc.). Thx

rasta · Answer

I'm neither of the above, but here's my 2 cents: Yes, an internship is a big deal, and will not only help you land a permanent offer establish a good network blah blah blah, but also, and IMO more importantly, give you a feel of the job and help determine whether it's your "calling". Only embark upon a 1 yr program if you've already identified your target industry/role. Ideally, you should have started networking well before your MBA program starts. Try and land a pre-MBA internship. A 1yr program is not for you if you want to use the year to "find yourself". You might find this blog post interesting: https://insead-the-journey.blogspot.com/ ... er-or.html

oodl · Answer

thanks for the reply rasta!

oodl · Answer

Sorry to bring up an old thread. Now that I've graduated and gone through the recruiting process, I wanted to answer my own question for others who may be wondering the same.

I don't think a 1 year (or 10 month) program puts you at a disadvantage for consulting recruiting. You just need to make sure you spend enough time prepping for the interview. Kids at INSEAD (as well as Kellogg 1 year program) regularly get into MBB and beyond.

Consulting companies want smart people who can crush the case interview. It doesn't matter if you were a teacher, a marketer, an entrepreneur, or a profession athlete. As long as you show them you are smart (through grades/interview) and cool (through networking), you can get an interview and, if you interview well, get an offer. Interviews don't test anything you can't learn in a book like Case in Point.

Note that this is specific to consulting recruiting. Industry recruiting (tech, health care, education, energy, etc.) often care about previous work experience and having a summer internship really helps make that jump.

MBAbot · Answer

Automated notice from GMAT Club MBAbot: 

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

 This post was generated automatically.

Able to switch careers at INSEAD (or other 1 yr prgms)?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards