| Topic Name: |
Undergraduate in Need of Advice |
| Message Name: |
Answers to Your Questions |
| Date Posted: |
03/01/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
Hi. I've worked in consulting and didn't go with Big 5 (went for strategy instead), but was offered analyst positions with the places like D&T. I think the first question you need to ask yourself is, why do you want to do consulting? The big mistake I think most students do is focus on HOW DO I GET A JOB and less on WHAT DO I WANT TO DO. and the reason why I bring that up is because what you really want to do should be a reflection of your activities, priorities, coursework, etc. First, you say you have been busy raising your 4 yr old son. I will tell you this. You will be even MORE BUSY in consulting than in school so how do you expect to tend to your son working in such a demanding job? Second, if you are interested in business, then why did you not decide to try out a class in business? And how do you know that you actually want to do business if you've had no exposure?
Those are the questions I think you need to ponder further. The answers to almost all of your questions are that it doesn't not matter what your GPA, extra-curricular activities, educational background, or courseload was. you will not be completely eliminated. But if you want to emphasize certain qualities, how do you expect to prove them. You'll need to arm yourself with good stories (practice story-telling), papers and other things that you've written, and possibly reference letters (though this is only icing on the cake i think). Most of all be confident and try at this, just don't sweat it. If you don't get the job or even an interview, then try a new approach and move on. |
| Message: |
I have in fact invested a considerable amount of thought in developing the goal of working at a consulting firm. To address some of the concerns you raised:
" The big mistake I think most students do is focus on HOW DO I GET A JOB and less on WHAT DO I WANT TO DO"
-Believe me, I didn't come up with the plan to try my luck at a consulting company as a last-ditch effort to get a job "somewhere...anywhere". I realize just how much I'll have to fight against the odds to get a chance in this business. I'm quite confident I could easily get a job elsewhere in the business world. The reason I want to go into consulting specifically is because I am attracted to the following: the opportunity to apply creative, analytical thinking to a variety of projects, the opportunity to work with both people and information (instead of one or the other), the professional white-collar work atmosphere, and, of course, the future income potential.
"Second, if you are interested in business, then why did you not decide to try out a class in business?"
- I really wish I had. The problem is that I didn't realize that I wanted to work in business until recently (about 6 months ago). While I do have a strong interest in the things that have been learned in the field of Cultural Anthropology, I have no desire whatsoever to pursue the craft of ethnography for a living. A good analogy would be someone who takes "Art Appreciation" as a class, yet does not want to be an artist. For the first few years of college, I assumed that since I enjoy learning about other cultures, I must want to be an "anthropologist", either in the academic sector, or as an employee of a non-profit. I eventually came to realize however, that I would not be happy at a non-profit. My personality is much more suited to an atmosphere where I can aggresively pursue my goals and reap the rewards of my efforts. I will not be happy in an environment where I feel like my growth may be artificially stunted, which is one of the reasons I am intrigued by the merit-based corporate structures that that several consulting companies claim to have.
(By the way, I am currently involved in an internship at a small investment services firm, which gives me, not much, but some, business experience.)
"First, you say you have been busy raising your 4 yr old son. I will tell you this. You will be even MORE BUSY in consulting than in school so how do you expect to tend to your son working in such a demanding job?"
- Well, actually I blocked out the years when my son was between 0 and 5 years old to focus on not working full-time (which happliy coincided with my pursuit of my BA). But, I always had the intention of working full time after I graduate; my son starts kindergarten this fall. I have thought about just how many hours per week I'm willing to devote to my career, and the number I came up with is this: 55 hours per week (including commuting). Is this unrealistic? If its impossible to work less than 65-70 hours per week, than I do need to give up the hope of an analyst position.
Can I get your opinion about a couple of other things?
First, there is no question in my mind that I could have achieved a 3.9-4.0 GPA, if I had worked harder. In the early years of school, I did not have nearly the focus that I do today, and consequently I didn't really take it seriously until the past year. Last semester, I earned a 4.0, and I'm quite certain I will this semester too. Would it be wise to allude to the fact that I could've earned a higher GPA? Or does that make me appear whiny and annoying (I kind of think it does).
Second, would you tell me more about the jobs you were offered? And the sort of questions you were asked during the interviews?
Now, I just want to tell you how overwhelmingly grateful I am for your advice. Without it, I would have little opportunity to ask questions like these of someone in the industry; I can't thank you enough.
Kristina
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