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FROM McDonough Admissions Blog: One of the most common concerns we hear from prospective... |
![]() One of the most common concerns we hear from prospective students is that they are afraid their non-traditional background will hinder them during the application process. At the McDonough School of Business, we welcome and value applicants with a wide variety of undergraduate majors and professional industries, not just those from a “traditional” business background. In fact, it is this variety and expansive network that make up our unique classroom experience. Second-year student Anuj Khatiwada shares how the MBA Career Center helped ease his concerns during the career switch. Prior to joining Georgetown McDonough, I was a teacher at an urban public school for three years and a recruiter at a charter school network for two years. As a non-traditional candidate, one of my biggest fears coming to the program was that I would struggle with the transition to a career that was outside of education. Although it was a rational concern, I have come to realize that it was unwarranted. Before beginning my first day of orientation, the Career Center helped prepare me for the job search and recruitment process. I knew that I wanted to transition into the private sector, so I worked with second-year students, peer advisors, and the Career Center to ensure that I would be prepared for the road ahead. As I went into recruiting for my internship last year, I felt comfortable with the coaching I received, and was able to land an internship with Bank of America in the Consumer Bank Group. The whole process, although challenging, was not as daunting or unachievable as I had thought because of everyone’s support. |
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FROM McDonough Admissions Blog: The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) reports that... |
![]() The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) reports that 38% of students applying to business school are interested in making a “career switch.” Whether you want to switch into a new industry, function, or location, the MBA Career Center and Georgetown McDonough’s transformational experience equips you with the skills you need to re-direct your career. Zack Smith, M’16 shares his experience transferring his skills from the Peace Corps to a career in consulting. I came to Georgetown McDonough with an international education and nonprofit background: one year was spent teaching English in Thailand; two years were as an education volunteer in the Peace Corps in South Africa; and another two years I served as a program manager at an educational nonprofit in Boston. I hoped the skills gained from these experiences would prepare me for a consulting career post-MBA; however, I wasn’t 100% sure how, or if, I would be able to make that transition. At first, I was intimidated by my accomplished classmates with years of industry experience and the polished recruiters from consulting firms that frequented our campus each fall. What could I contribute in a fast-paced business setting having just a few years prior lived in an environment without electricity and running water? The Career Center did a good job putting my concerns to rest and eliciting my transferrable skills. It turns out that managing educational projects like setting up a library or running a summer program on a limited budget weren’t a world apart like I thought. Additionally, I knew that I could build strong relationships with key decision makers to get things done - a skill very relevant to consulting. The Consulting Club also took an active role in mentoring me and providing me a better overview of the industry. I was paired up with first- and second-year students to work on five to six business cases a week - a critical component of the interview process. My core classes also helped build my business confidence. At first I stumbled through practice cases with my partners, but pretty soon, I used my skills to apply consulting frameworks that I had learned in my strategy electives. There are many opportunities at the McDonough School of Business to connect with firms and individuals. One such firm that I connected with immediately was Eagle Hill Consulting. I enjoyed the case they presented - a recent human capital project on how to engage government employees at an agency that had been in the news for low morale. I felt that the practitioners were smart, hard-working, and fun to be around, and I could definitely see myself at the firm. I accepted an offer to work there and had a great summer, getting my first “official” consulting client experience. Making the switch from the education industry to strategy consulting hasn’t been as challenging as I thought. There are many career switchers here and the Career Center is well oriented to coach you and position you for success. You may be interested in the successful career paths that some of my fellow returned Peace Corps volunteers have taken with the help of Georgetown McDonough. They have moved into fields like investment banking, human capital consulting, and corporate finance. Armed with the consulting toolkit, business skills I have developed at Georgetown McDonough, and our network of helpful Hoyas, I am confident going forward in my consulting career. |
Success stories and strategies from high-scoring candidates.