I’m writing this entry from a plane to the Bay area, where I’m heading to participate in my first Stanford GSB reunion. I was a little leary of going at first because it was so far to go from ATL to Palo Alto. Also, going to a GSB event can be somewhat exhausting because, with such a small class, you get to meet almost everyone, which means you could be potentially faced with 300+ “What’s up? How have you been?” conversations over the course of a 2-3 hour event. In the end, I chose to go because some of my really good friends will be there and it’ll be good to catch up with them. Besides, who am I to deprive my classmates of having me in their presence, right???

Before going into the reader email for this entry, I’ve got to share a story that comes from the realm of “wow, that’s really random!!!” So, I’m standing in line at the airport in ATL and, all of the sudden, I hear “Hey, are you Marquis?” This caught me by surprise and, when I asked the guy how he knew me, he said “My name is Jason and I follow your blog.” It turns out that he was the waitlister at the GSB whose email I responded to in a blog entry a few weeks ago. Furthermore, I found out that he went to undergrad with one of my really cool classmates and was still waiting hear about his waitlist status. Jason, if you’re reading this, it was nice to meet you and I’ve got my fingers crossed for you to get the good word from my man Derrick and his staff. No matter how often something like this happens while I’m out and about, I never get used to it…but it does feel sort of good to be recognized

The reader email for this entry is from a young lady who just finished up a MSc in Management degree and is interested in moving into strategy consulting. She’s got questions about the sort of job she should pursue to position herself to apply to a McK/Bain/BCG/Booz sort of firm if she can’t secure an offer right now. I might be wrong, but I think I’ve answered something similar to this before, but her email struck me as being unique enough to address separately here. I really need to start keeping a catalogue to summarize the entries that I’ve written so I can make direct references to other entries I’ve posted before…

——————-
Julie wrote:

“I am regular reader of your blog and really appreciate the time and effort you put into guiding prospective business school applicants / consultants. I have a query and a request.
First the query. I am trying to get into consulting as an associate / junior associate in Europe / Asia. I have a Masters degree in Management from the LSE, but not an MBA. If I get in now, it would be great. If not, my plan is to either work at a firm like Accenture in Business Systems Integration Consulting for a couple of years, go to Business school in two years time; or get into a blue chip consumer goods marketing company followed by an MBA. Leaning strongly on Wharton and Insead at present. Financially, I am not in a position to commence an MBA right now, plus I cannot justify going in for an MBA degree right on the back of an MSc in Management. I studied strategic management at LSE, but my course, although very analytical, is not typically an MBA, but more a business degree for pre-work ex students. Why I chose it is a long story – partly motivated by the fact that a got a full scholarship. The question is: If I don’t get into Strategy consulting now:
1. Is it a better strategy to get into IT / Systems Integration consulting with a firm like Accenture?
Or
2. Get into a consumer goods company of repute (P&G, Unilever) and work there for a few years?

If I want to shift to strategy consulting later, what would hold me in a better position to secure interviews?
Also, is there an age barrier to getting into consulting ?
My career path has been somewhat unusual. Should I commence an MBA as I have planned (after two years); I’ll be 33 by the time I graduate from Wharton (assuming I get in of course)? Is that too late to start a career at an MBBB firm? Would it be difficult for me to be shortlisted from campus even if I attend a top school such as Wharton / Insead? “
——————-
My reponse:

Julie,

Thanks for writing to me. This is an interesting question, so I’m going to do my best to give you the sort of answer you’re looking for. I must preface this response by letting you know that I’m not a recruiter, so don’t take what I say to be “the gospel” of what you should do to position yourself for a gig at a Strategy consulting firm. Its just one man’s read on your situation…so take it as something to think about and not a set of instructions that you MUST follow.

The choice of going to an IT consulting firm or a consumer goods company ultimately comes down to which one you would enjoy the most, with the rationale being that you’d perform better in the type of job you’re happy in. There are likey positives and negatives that you would have to deal with in either option:

- IT consulting firm — Going the IT/Systems Integration route with a firm like Accenture could be a great way to set yourself up to strategy consulting because it will give you experience of working in a project- and team-based environment, which could indicate that you’d have a smooth transition into a strategy firm. A couple of factors that you’d have to watch out for are the possibility of being pigeonholed as a techie because of the reputation of the company you go to and being stuck on a single project for too long (IT consulting firms often staff people at a client for 9-12 months or more). When seeking a role at an IT consulting firm, try your best to get into the company’s Strategy group (you’ll have a chance to work on core business and strategy skills, possibly across several different industries) or into a Business Analyst role (it’ll shield you from the hardcore tech work that could pigeonhole you and allow you to build business skills at the same time).

- Consumer goods company — The advantages of going this route is that you could do a really deep dive into marketing and get many diverse business experiences in a relatively short amount of time as you work from brand to brand. But, the downsides are that it is said to take a long time to move upward at a consumer goods company and you may be somewhat pigeonholing yourself to CPG type work by going from this sort of work experience into a strategy firm (unless you go get an MBA first). If you can get into a Unilever or a P&G, you could get a lot of mileage off of their corporate brand because they are known for the knowledge that their employees leave with. Keep this in mind as you decide what CPG companies to look into…if you choose this direction.

Rather than picking a company based on which one would best prepare you for a strategy consulting gig, I’d recommend picking the one that you would get the most out of in terms of enjoyment, learning experience, and depth/strength of professional experience. If you do it this way, you’ll likely have a much easier time leveraging it once you start applying to the strategy consulting firms.

From what I’ve seen, there isn’t an “age barrier” to consulting, at least not where I work. I’ve heard stories about Business Analysts who come into the job in their late 20’s to early 30’s and Associates who come into it in their mid-to-late 30’s. You just need to have a strong grasp of problem solving and that shouldn’t go away with age when you’re at the midpoint in your career. And, if you’re coming in from a school like Wharton or INSEAD, your intellect and educational qualifications should more than outweigh any issues someone might have with your age. I imagine that the only age barrier you’ll encounter will be the limitation that you place on yourself in that regard. One issue you’ll have to become settled with is that you may be teamed up with a Manager or fellow Associate who is more tenured in your company but of younger age than you. Some people may have no issues with that, but I know that others may have a hard time taking mentorship or direction from someone who they consider to be a “kid”. Again, it’s all about the problem solving and that’s what you’ll have to focus on.

Before I close out this entry, I would advise you to make sure you leverage your MSc in Management degree as much as you can in your job search. It isn’t an MBA, but it shows that you have a general set of business skills to lean on in any position you enter. Also, it shows that you can compete with other students at a graduate level, which could provide some insight into your work ethic. Given your age, I imagine that you’ve got several years of work experience behind you, which should play to your advantage. You’d be thrown into the candidate pool against others with a similar level of work experience, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to match your educational qualifications. Recognize that and be sure to use it to your advantage when interacting with recruiters and company representatives.

Hope this helps. If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to hit me up.

-M
———————-