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Transitioning into management/strategy consulting from a science background

Veteran

Joshua Maxwell Philadelphia, PA

Hello Everyone,

I am currently a junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in cognitive neuroscience. My original plan was to go to graduate school for neuroscience, but recently my plans have changed completely. After interning with Johnson & Johnson's Neuroscience Division this summer, I got to experience what it was like to be a career scientist - it was an amazing experience, but not something I could see myself doing for a career. So i've set my sights on management/strategy consulting for the constantly changing environments, tough problems, and client interaction.

I've just started practicing for case interviews, but with the competitive nature of consulting recruiting, I feel like I should look for other ways to give myself a leg-up. So I was hoping I could speak with someone in the field and get their advice.

Thanks for reading!

24 September 2015 7 replies Mentoring

Answers

Advisor

Bill Nobles Basking Ridge, NJ

Joshua, thank you for your military service. A retired friend whose career was management consulting suggested that contacting the Institute of Management Consultants might produce a mentor or help answering your questions. He thought they have an active Philadelphia office.
Regards, Bill Nobles

28 September 2015 Helpful answer

Advisor

Betsy Jones Charlotte, NC

Hi Joshua,

I am a Recruiting Manager at Protiviti, a global business consulting firm. I'd be happy to have a call with you to speak with you more about what you're looking for and perhaps there would even be an opportunity for you to interview for our internship program. You can learn more about Protiviti at www.protiviti.com.

Feel free to reach out to me directly at betsy.jones@protiviti.com.

Thanks!
Betsy Jones

28 September 2015 Helpful answer

Advisor

John Green Cary, NC

Hi Joshua -

Its not clear to me what potential jobs, that companies are hiring for, that you are seeking. Can you provide links to several jobs that you would be applying for so we can better see exactly what positions you are targeting?

What does "management/strategy consulting for the constantly changing environments, tough problems, and client interaction." mean? Please define each separate part : (1) management consulting; (2) strategy consulting; (3) constantly changing environments [ie. what environments?]; (4) tough problems; (5) client interaction. What do these terms mean to you? How do they relate to potential job postings ? By themselves, they appear very broad and not clearly defined so that we cannot help you target your efforts by reading that statement as you currently have written it.

Have you built your personal brand yet? Do you have a LinkedIn profile and a website? Building your own personal website that clearly messages what strengths you offer is a key central step to differentiating your offering from many of your contemporary fellow job seekers. See the following :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity_management
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reputation_capital
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impression_management

Please reply back so we can help you better.

HTH
JG

24 September 2015 Helpful answer

Advisor

Danielle Syvertsen Port Washington, NY

Josh - Not sure if you are still looking for additional guidance but would be available to answer any questions you may have as you navigate the job search process - I work at IBM and one of my first jobs was in their consulting group and have some knowledge that may be beneficial to you. Good luck!

Advisor

robert castillo Huntsville, AL

The question you need to answer for me is who is your target audience to consult if it is the government there are many hurdles you must cross and if it is for industry you must decided at what level you want to consult. The ability to look at the strategic need of the customer is very hard, if you don't understand the customer. Please feel to call me or email me at robert.castillo@ngc.com

Advisor

Timothy Strickland Frederick, MD

Joshua,
It's certainly possible to transition into management with a science background. I left college with a biology degree but never ended up in a lab. I would suggest you focus on your strengths. You might find management/strategy roles in the healthcare or biotech areas the easiest to break into with your background. I'm not sure of your business experience, but you will want to spend some time learning the language and it might not hurt to look into a certification in project management or QA.

Good Luck.

Timothy

Veteran

Joshua Maxwell Philadelphia, PA

Hello Everyone,

Allison, thank you for taking the time to link me the information on your one-year mentorship program - it looks like a great opportunity! I will definitely be following up on that.

John, I'd like to answer the questions you brought up in regards to my original post. When I said, "I have set my sights on managment/strategy consulting...," I just intended it to explain what aspects of consulting attract me. I can see how this sounds vague from an objective perspective, so I will do my best to elaborate on the questions you've posed.

So I'm going to be looking for internship opportunities at firms like McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, and PWC. I use the terms management consulting and strategy consulting synonymously, only because at internship level It doesn't seem like there is any significant differentiation between the two.

As far as a personal brand goes, the only initiative I've taken on that front is to create a LinkedIn. There was some great material in the Wikipedia pages you linked me, and I do see huge potential there. I'm just a little unsure of what is the best way to go about capitalizing on these personal branding concepts - i'll have to look into it more to understand the specifics, and how someone in my situation could best utilize these concepts. Honestly, the idea of creating a website about me makes me feel a little self conscious, but I guess i'll have to get over it.

Thank you for responding to my post, and I hope this clears some things up. As far as a way to differentiate myself from my peers, you have definitely given me a direction to take with personal branding. Any other tips/advice you or anyone else has would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks again!

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