What’s going on, y’all. The message below is from a professional with experience in marketing and non-profit who is interested in getting an MBA and moving into consulting afterward. I’m going to try my best to give him the sort of response he’s looking for, but I’m not sure if I nailed it the way he expected. We’ll see…

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NN wrote:

“Hi Marquis,

Accidentally run across your blog and found it very helpful and informative. I have 7 years working experience out of which 5 in marketing at FMCG company (brand management and trade marketing) and 2 year at non-profit field. Planning to apply for MBA this year (targeting
Europe 1-year MBA) and was thinking what are my chances of receiving a job in consulting field? Is it possible for me to switch to finance after getting MBA without having any prior experience in finance? In case if I have a chance to joing consulting group, which position can I
expect to be offered?

I would very much appreciate your opinion.

Thanks for your time.

With best regards,
NN”

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My response:

NN,

Thanks for checking out my blog…I’m glad that you “accidentally” happened upon it and found it to be useful for you. Let’s jump right into your questions…

First, you’re wondering about your chances of getting a position in consulting after getting your MBA, but you didn’t give me a lot of information to make such a determination. At face value, seven years of work experience split between marketing and non-profit and an MBA from a strong European program should position you well to apply for a consulting gig, but you didn’t give me much more than that. Other information that might come into play here is what your educational background is, the nature of your jobs in marketing and non-profit, and the reputation and focus of the MBA program you enter. The total package that you offer as a candidate will inform your “Why consulting?” story and, if you present yourself well, you should be OK, assuming adequate preparations for the interview process. I don’t know if this response is as useful to you as expected, but it’s the best I can do given what I know of your background.

It is definitely possible to switch into finance after getting an MBA with no prior experience, but it may take more work on your part to set yourself up for the opportunity. Many of the people pursuing finance careers after school had either prior finance experience or at least hardcore analytics experience (possibly from consulting), so they might have an easier road in preparing for the finance interviews. Also, depending on the course scheduling for your school, you may not have even taken the Core Finance course by the time summer internship recruiting starts, which could hinder your efforts. If you really want to go into that area after business school, you will need to put in some early self-study on Finance concepts, job requirements, and the industry in general. That won’t bring you neck-and-neck with your classmates who have finance backgrounds, but it will help you in getting up to speed with your interview prep. I had several classmates who were able to make the transition you’re describing, including folks with non-profit, hospitality, and media backgrounds, so I have a feeling that you can do it too.

As I stated in a recent entry, most should expect to move into an Associate (or similar, depending on the firm) position at a consulting firm after graduating from an MBA program. There are cases where a person may come in at an Analyst position for some period of time before becoming an Associate, but that depends on several factors, including pre-MBA work experience. In your case, your seven years of work experience ‘should’ have you slotted for an Associate position, but you should talk to recruiters at your target firms to be sure.

Take care and good luck on your business school applications.

-Marquis