| Topic Name: |
Military to MBA to consulting |
| Message Name: |
looking for insight |
| Date Posted: |
06/18/2002 |
| Message: |
Im about to start my MBA in the fall. I am going to a top 15 school and would love to position myself in MC. Id like to solicit some opinions.
1. I hear the doom and gloom and I wonder how sound of a decision it would be to consider a consulting focus over the next two years. I know none of you are psychics and I know much of it depends on the economy, but how would you wiegh your options? would you consider concentrating in something else that you might be a little less interested in because you fear not having a job in 2 years?
2. How is prior military experience viewed by consulting firms. Really what I mean is...how is it viewed if your ONLY experience was 8 years in the military? I know that depends on a lot of things too - again Id just like a general perspective based on what you have seen in your jobs.
3. Consulting firms, like top b-schools have reputations for being, well, kind of snooty. When applying to school I did very well selling my military experiences. I was enlisted rather than an officer so I knew that played against me. I had some significant management/leadership positions in some extraordinary settings. I emphasized the "I had to claw my way up" type of mentality/work ethic to compensate for the perception of typical enlisted versus officer roles - I sold myself as the "in the trenches" type of people manager - the guy who is driven and has to make his own breaks. I'd like to know your thoughts on this approach regarding consulting firms. Is that approach going to backfire because I will appear too gritty? Like I said, it worked great getting into b-schools, but I suspect the real world is a different animal.
4. How much does "conversational" ability in a foriegn language help? I speak some Chinese - which is to say I could go there and see somebody on the street and ask her how her mother was doing, blah blah blah - I cant explain the dynamics invloved in an international trade agreement speaking chinese. Im sure this doesnt hurt, but does it help at all?
5. Does anyone have opinions on firms that are more open to my background - i.e. military, etc
6. The vast majority of my military experience was in submarine nuclear power plants. I am not naive enough to think that gives me "relevant industry experience" in the energy/utilities sector - but does it help at all - just understanding the physics behind things, how generation facilities operate, etc?
Thanks in advance for the insight - it is appreciated.
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