What’s going on, folks. The email below has been in my Inbox for about 5 months now and I feel terrible that I’m just now getting the chance to address it. Fortunately, the member who sent it is currently employed, so there isn’t time pressure for a response. That said, I still feel bad for taking so long to respond to it. I hope to be caught up on things soon.

The member who sent the email is currently employed as a Sales Representative, but would like to transition to Management Consulting, preferably at McKinsey, Bain, or BCG. His big concern is that he hasn’t earned an MBA yet, so he doesn’t know whether that will knock him out of contention. I’ve tried to give him some good answers to his questions while adding in some words of advice to help him on his way. Hopefully, this will help him as he prepares for his transition over the next few months.

—–
BB wrote:

Hi Marquis,

I am sure that you are completely overloaded with e-mails just like this one, so I hate to add one more to the stack. Nevertheless, I really appreciate the advice that you provide in your blog to future consultants and could not resist the temptation to pick your brain a little more. It is a lot for me to expect, but I would be indebted if you could take a few moments to share your thoughts on the following questions.

> Currently, I am an Export Sales Rep/Account Manager for Evergreen Line. My territory covers all of Georgia and Florida, and I am based here in Atlanta. Before that, I was a Sales Consultant with a software company offering tailored market intelligence solutions. While I enjoy sales and have a strong history of success, my eye has always been fixed on the consulting world. During your career, have you noticed if making this particular career shift is fairly common?

> I graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Marketing in 2007. Regrettably, I do not currently have an MBA. That said (and as silly as this sounds), I own all of the books used currently at the Wharton Business School and study from them daily (everything from valuation to cost accounting to spreadsheet analysis….). Coupled with a few books on case studies, do you think that the knowledge foundation I am building will give me the same tools valued by consulting firms?

> My current plan is to continue studying and applying my current business experiences/intuition with the new content I’m acquiring. My goal is to begin applying to consulting firms towards the end of 2011. Assuming I can get an interview and display a deep knowledge of business principles and good business sense, will not having an MBA hurt my chances of getting hired? Or does work experience carry equal value?

> Finally, can you advise the best way to begin networking with current consultants? Would you recommend being proactive to the degree of calling a local office and trying to set up a meeting with someone? My eye, of course, is on McKinsey Atlanta (your old stomping grounds!), but both Bain and BCG also have offices in town.

Thank you for being approachable and providing an avenue for information to those of us moving in the “consulting” direction. I cannot imagine what scenario it would be, but if I can repay the favor, please do not hesitate to turn the tables.

Sincerely grateful,
BB

—–
My video response:

Advice for making career change to Consulting from Marquis Parker on Vimeo.