Getting into your industry

Question

Do most people get into the industry they want to get into if they get into a top 10 B school?

helg · Answer

The subject contradicts the post. I am currently not in the industry , I want to get into when I finish the b-school

Answering the post itself, I think, Yes, they do. At least they get into the industry they think they want to get into.

GMATT73 · Answer

Homefry, that's the answer to the whole why XYZ school/why now question. It helps if you can articulate this in your essays.

homefry · Answer

I'm not talking about what I want.

I'm talking about what actually happens in real life. Are there people that want to go into consulting, but because of 0 job offers, they end up just taking a job in operations at a finance firm?

rhyme · Answer

I'm sure there are people taht don't end up where they want. It's not a golden ticket. That said, if you dont mind not working for BCG or Deloitte, there are plenty of other firms from which to choose.

GMATT73 · Answer

Maybe I'm being a little overly optimistic, but if this bull market continues and you have a clear road map of where you want to go, armed with a newly minted top ten MBA, then why not?

pelihu · Answer

I think Matt is right that the economy will play a big role. I just think back to when I was at Michigan law school (generally ranked 4-8). I happened to be there when the internet boom was in full force. Start-up companies were recruiting available talent from all avenues and at the same time the overall economy was booming as well. People at top 10 law schools could name their city and department (targeting a specific firm was more difficult) and most people had several offers to choose from. I recall canceling many on-campus interviews because I was overloaded with callbacks. Salaries went up $30-35k on the west coast in a single year and campus life was very laid back because people did not feel compelled to compete for grades.

If the economy is in poor shape, there will be fewer good jobs to go around and people will feel more compelled to compete vigorously. Of course, there are people that do not put their best foot forward when searching for a job. For example, I knew a girl at law school that died her hair purple. Seriously, do you think a top law firm will overlook that?

My personal feeling is that if the economy holds steady for the next 2 years, people at the top 10 business schools will be able to (within reason) select their field and location. Obviously, some jobs are only available in certain locations, but if someone wants to  generally  work on the west coast at  one of any number  of top consulting jobs for example, I think the opportunity is theirs to lose. All bets are off if the economy tanks though.

rhyme · Answer

And just so were clear here - the economy will likely tank in the next three to four years, and possibly even two.

dukes · Answer

pelihu, not to hijack this thread, but I'm curious to hear why you decided to go back to school. i'm mainly asking because my experience has been that JDs usually have access to most of the same jobs that MBA have. and I completely understand that there are other reasons for why one goes back to school. thanks.

pelihu · Answer

Hi Dukes,

It's definitely true that certain businesses regularly hire JDs from top schools to start at the same levels as MBAs. I have personal experience with this. A your out of law school I explored the possibility of moving to consulting and went through 4 rounds of interviews with McKinsey and came away with a job offer. The reality, though, is that only a handful of firms look for JDs to fill these roles. The biggest problem is that most companies don't really know what to do with JDs and it is a pain in the ass for them to integrate JDs into the hiring process.

The other challenge is specific work experience. Generally speaking, experience practicing law is not directly transferable to many other jobs. Outside of the few businesses that regularly hire JDs to fill business roles, most firms will totally discount legal experience and try to bring you in as a first year grad (like MBA grad). McKinsey has a specific program to target people with various advanced degrees, but they are definitely the exception rather than the rule.

Some JDs with finance, securities or capital markets experience have access to jobs in Investment Banking. For example, I probably could have moved over to one our client banks when I was practicing in New York, but I don't really want to work in New York.

My personal experience is that I stopped practicing law 4 years ago and started my own business. There are specific things that I'd like to learn and contacts that I'd like to make in business school so landing a job is not the only concern.

Getting into your industry

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