Management Consulting. Advice needed from thy wisemen.

[Z-06]

Guys,

Although I love Civil Engineering, I cannot see myself doing it for the rest of my life. Not that I do not like it, it just makes me feel I am being too specific.

I am planning to move into Management Consulting. My current firm is a Civil Consulting firm, so the rigors of Consulting are not unfamiliar to me. The reasons for going into Management Consulting are:

1. I want to get experience in a variety of fields and management consultants "advice" people in different industries.

2. I love to travel and do not mind the hectic life of moving from one tent to another while working in the process.

3. One thing that really drove me to it was McKinsey's foray into consulting Non-Profits. Ever since a kid I was involved in some ways or other in Non-Profit Organizations and other than management and financial benchmarks, these firms also provide one more thing, that is satisfaction and happiness to its "customers".

4. On a selfish level, I want money for the new Z06, LOL

Right now I am looking at a few firms. McKinsey is top of my list with AT Kearney, BCG, Bain Consulting etc.

What do you think about it, guys? Am I thinking the right way? Does any one here work/ have worked for a consulting firm?

I remember someone saying that their sister works for a management consulting firm. It would be very helpful if I can establish contacts with people in the field and get to know management consulting better.

I will appreciate all comments.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Wasn't AT Kearney part of EDS at one time, I vaguely remember that as part of my stock information when EDS split off from GM that EDS aquired them a few years later. At least I think it was them, it may have been some other consulting firm. In any event I was happier when EDS was part of GM, now I have so many stocks to track either because of split offs or outright selling off of whole divisions of GM.

[Z-06]

Wasn't AT Kearney part of EDS at one time, I vaguely remember that as part of my stock information when EDS split off from GM that EDS aquired them a few years later. At least I think it was them, it may have been some other consulting firm. In any event I was happier when EDS was part of GM, now I have so many stocks to track either because of split offs or outright selling off of whole divisions of GM.

As far as I remember EDS and Kearney were not part of them. Kearney was associated with one of the Accounting firms, whose name I cannot recollect and that they split in 2005.

PCS, I need help and advice, LOL.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I wish I could help you but consulting is not my forte, however I was right about AT Kearney.

Link: http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=1,5,1,166

Edited July 23, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[Z-06]

I wish I could help you but consulting is not my forte, however I was right about AT Kearney.

Link: http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=1,5,1,166

Thanks for the info sir. Yup you was right.

[trinacriabob]

Guys,

Although I love Civil Engineering, I cannot see myself doing it for the rest of my life. Not that I do not like it, it just makes me feel I am being too specific.

I am planning to move into Management Consulting. My current firm is a Civil Consulting firm, so the rigors of Consulting are not unfamiliar to me. The reasons for going into Management Consulting are:

1. I want to get experience in a variety of fields and management consultants "advice" people in different industries.

2. I love to travel and do not mind the hectic life of moving from one tent to another while working in the process.

3. One thing that really drove me to it was McKinsey's foray into consulting Non-Profits. Ever since a kid I was involved in some ways or other in Non-Profit Organizations and other than management and financial benchmarks, these firms also provide one more thing, that is satisfaction and happiness to its "customers".

4. On a selfish level, I want money for the new Z06, LOL

Right now I am looking at a few firms. McKinsey is top of my list with AT Kearney, BCG, Bain Consulting etc.

What do you think about it, guys? Am I thinking the right way? Does any one here work/ have worked for a consulting firm?

I remember someone saying that their sister works for a management consulting firm. It would be very helpful if I can establish contacts with people in the field and get to know management consulting better.

I will appreciate all comments.

Wow, wow, wow. OK. I differ with you on this. I am a control freak and thus am not crazy about operating out of a briefcase and being perched in someone else's office. My first foray into the business world was during college where I worked for the controller of a hospital at 2 different hospitals (this person changed jobs halfway through college). I liked going to the same place every day. Then came the big surprise...working for an auditing firm for a couple of years and then onto a smaller firm for a couple more before making a big career switch. I hated the auditing firm because I didn't like the time budgets within which to accomplish the work. I am a perfectionist and wound up EATING TIME (working and not billing it) so I would both keep my job (LOL) and look good. I liked the smaller accounting firm because I rarely traveled, knew all the clients and, basically, it was just more down to earth.

Consulting is certainly a big challenge but it always seems to land people great opportunities at other junctures. Do you have an MBA as some of those names appear to be snooty (I know of 3 of 4) though you do have technical expertise? Do you plan to leverage that as your foot in the door and then ask to move out of engineering?

Edited July 23, 2007 by trinacriabob

[Z-06]

Hey Bob,

Thanks for your insight. Like I said I am already in consulting (though Civil Engineering) and have lived in my suitcase in the remotest parts of Mississippi and Louisiana in a hunkered down bed. I understand this challenge of working at a place where you will be a stranger. But, like I said I enjoy doing that, at least for a while. How many years I do not know, but I can say about 5 years till my fiance is done with her residency.

The reason why I was looking at those firms is because, almost all of them accept candidates with a Masters degree, good school is preferred and reasonable experience in industry to be an Associate. I have a Masters in Civil and have four years of experience in Civil consulting, which I think is more than enough. Besides that I have some hands on experience in Economics, Finance and Management. That said I think I am capable enough to get in these firms. I will be honest that of all of these firms, I find McKinsey interesting. I am trying to establish some contacts with some folks there and I will prefer their Charlotte office.

Ask me questions like these, that will help me clear my thoughts and get a better understanding of who I am and where I wanna go.

[ZL-1]

Interesting: some wanting to enter Management Consulting, and others (that'd be me) dying to get out of it... I'm a Management Consultant in paper only, though. Most of my assignments are strictly Corporate Finance assignments: mergers, acquisitions, valuations (my favourite), business plans / budgeting, monthly reporting, stuff like that. Anyway... I think consulting work for non-profits would be very, very interesting. And it's certainly meaningful work, something to be interested in besides getting a paycheck!

Besides that more 'rationalized' side of things, which you have explained very well on your posts, what is driving you (emotionally, if you will) to change?

Edited July 23, 2007 by ZL-1

[Z-06]

ZL-1 thanks for your comments.

Honestly the things which are driving me are:

1. Motivation and determination, and 2. Desire to achieve something higher and something which I know I am capable of doing.

On a personal note ZL-1, I was in a car accident almost three years ago on my 25th birthday and it has given me some disability in my left arm (it helps to be ambidextrous). That said the good things which came out of the it was that it made me more determined, calm and patient under stress and helped me gain better focus to my life. I am coming to a point where I think that I am stagnating in Civil Engineering. I do not want to stagnate. I will not mind to go to B-school, but if I can get my experience and my education to work for these firms without going to B-school, why not try this route? I know it is going to be difficult, but hey at least I am moving to achieve something. Will I be successful? I do not know, but I will certainly give it a more than 100% try.

And as regards to my inclination to Non-Profits, there are two main reasons:

1. My foster mom passed away on Dec 31, 2006. She was one of my main influences in shaping me, especially when I came to United States. Her brother and I started a fund to help the special education kids in her school for their extra and co-curricular activities. He and I are the trustees, and I want that fund to grow and be a national fund and to shoot the moon an international fund. For that it would be better to understand how Non-Profits work, and rather than going in one Non-Profit organization and studying it, why not see a lot more with different backgrounds? The only way that will help is joining a Consulting firm which caters those firms. Like I said earlier, that is where McKinsey got more brownie points, as it was one of the few who had detailed section about Non-Profits.

2. I was very influenced by the writings of Peter Drucker and his ideas of Non-Profits, and how corporate management can benefit by following Non-profit model of management.

Although I love finance, my inclination is more towards strategic, and organizational-operational forms of management consulting. I play chess, and strategy always fascinates me, and I think I am reasonably good at it. The is one thing I have been learning over the past few weeks, to help me in strategic management consulting is the GAME THEORY. It is really a fascinating subject.

I think I am emotionally quite strong to handle the fast paced, demanding consulting life. I have no burdens or holding backs to not to do consulting. Besides off the record, is it not cool to offer two cents to a CEO? :AH-HA_wink: and get paid for it. ( )

[ZL-1]

Your goal with that fund is something you should be very proud of, and your reasons seem 'deep' enough. And you can surely gain leverage from working on a company such as McKinsey, so... go for it! Go get them!

And yes, offering two cents to a CEO and getting paid for it is really cool! :AH-HA_wink:

[trinacriabob]

I will not mind to go to B-school, but if I can get my experience and my education to work for these firms without going to B-school, why not try this route? I know it is going to be difficult, but hey at least I am moving to achieve something. Will I be successful? I do not know, but I will certainly give it a more than 100% try.

My foster mom passed away on Dec 31, 2006. She was one of my main influences in shaping me, especially when I came to United States. .

I was very influenced by the writings of Peter Drucker and his ideas of Non-Profits, and how corporate management can benefit by following Non-profit model of management.

Although I love finance, my inclination is more towards strategic, and organizational-operational forms of management consulting.

With a graduate business degree and your underlying experience, you certainly would have mobility. Heck, keep in mind that even the brightest of MBAs make a lot of switches early on to find their niche and the company that's right for them.

Sorry to hear about your foster mom. Thanks for sharing this. What are your origins? It appears to you have a handle on some languages. All the better for your marketability.

I learned to hate management pop books, except for those that are RAW and tell it like it is. I had to read "Good to Great" by Collins, this granolafied ex-Stanford prof now living in Boulder CO - why does this not surprise me. It was the Academy Awards of the corporate world. He painted a stellar picture of his hand picked companies -- spare me Dr. Collins and please admit that the same politics and bull$h! that are elsewhere are found in these companies as well. One of the ones I like is called "The Fifth Discipline" which talks about a lot of organizational problems as being cultural and systemic and, trust me, this dude is spot on.

See, I am a geek. I like my numbers (and my languages ). My BSBA was in Accounting and I found that, on a stand alone basis, one doesn't understand the environment in which it operates. About three kick-ass finance courses (Corp. Finance, Short Term Finance and Investments) and suddenly you're a better bean-counter for it.

[regfootball]

'billing time' sucks. it doesn't allow the best solutions. especially if you are a perfectionist or if you just simply want to do a GOOD job.

[Oracle of Delphi]

My foster mom passed away on Dec 31, 2006. She was one of my main influences in shaping me, especially when I came to United States.

Sorry to hear about your foster mom! My condolences! What country did you come from if you don't mind me asking?

[Z-06]

Guys, first of all thanks for your help and understanding. I am sorry that I was not able to respond earlier as I was swamped in some work.

Your goal with that fund is something you should be very proud of, and your reasons seem 'deep' enough. And you can surely gain leverage from working on a company such as McKinsey, so... go for it! Go get them!

And yes, offering two cents to a CEO and getting paid for it is really cool! :AH-HA_wink:

With a graduate business degree and your underlying experience, you certainly would have mobility. Heck, keep in mind that even the brightest of MBAs make a lot of switches early on to find their niche and the company that's right for them.

Sorry to hear about your foster mom. Thanks for sharing this. What are your origins? It appears to you have a handle on some languages. All the better for your marketability.

I learned to hate management pop books, except for those that are RAW and tell it like it is. I had to read "Good to Great" by Collins, this granolafied ex-Stanford prof now living in Boulder CO - why does this not surprise me. It was the Academy Awards of the corporate world. He painted a stellar picture of his hand picked companies -- spare me Dr. Collins and please admit that the same politics and bull$h! that are elsewhere are found in these companies as well. One of the ones I like is called "The Fifth Discipline" which talks about a lot of organizational problems as being cultural and systemic and, trust me, this dude is spot on.

See, I am a geek. I like my numbers (and my languages ). My BSBA was in Accounting and I found that, on a stand alone basis, one doesn't understand the environment in which it operates. About three kick-ass finance courses (Corp. Finance, Short Term Finance and Investments) and suddenly you're a better bean-counter for it.

ZL-1 and Bob, if I may ask, what firm do you each work for? Do you happen to know anybody in McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or Kearney, or as a matter working for any consulting firm who can guide me to the path I am seeking (other than you of course!)? If you have time will you see my resume and provide some insight with it?

I am comfortable working with personal questions, and I can handle that part well. And as I said earlier communication is not a problem. One thing which is like a hurdle is the "CASE-Interview" side, which I am not good at, at least now. Can you give me some guidelines about how to attack it?

Bob, I do have good understanding about languages. I am fluent in a few languages and have a general understanding in a couple. I think I may take some Spanish classes while I am here in Florida. Like you I am in numbers too. I once amazed my Prof at Purdue when I told me the square root of 0.162 correctly up to three decimal places without using a Calculator. (Enough of my Bragging)

Sorry to hear about your foster mom! My condolences! What country did you come from if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks PCS. I do not mind you asking me about my origins at all.

As far as my origin goes, let the guess work begin.