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Q&A: Jobs in Consulting
Hi~~~
I’m a Chinese College student.I read a interview about you in the newspaper (hangzhou) today. After reading your opinion,I agree with you very much. In the financial crisis,most people see the negative side, few see the positive side. I think there are many oppotunitis.The young people,especially the Y’s will have a lot of room for development. However, although I am optimistic about the future,I still have some problems to need your help at the moment. My profession is international trade. In the current financial crisis the international trade becomes very difficult. Fortunately, I am very interested in the business. That is one of the reasons why I choose this profession. Next year I am about to graduate and I will come to the United States for further studies. In planning my career, I would like to enter a company such as McKinsey.Now the problem is I don’t know what to do,or how to reach my goal. You are an expert in this field, I hope you will give me some suggestions.If I get your point, I would be very grateful. Looking forward to your early reply.
Thank you~~~~
King
Dear King,
I’m delighted to hear that you love your work. Coming to the U.S. to work can only further your capabilities. Consulting firms in general are terrific career stepping stones because you have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects across many industries. You get to see which approaches are most effective in various environments.
First, recognize that there are many consulting firms—of all sizes and specialties. McKinsey is a wonderful firm, but if you are not able to get a job there, there are many other options. Think hard about the type of work you’d like to do—lots of data analysis, lots of interviewing or focus group facilitation, teaching, writing—each firm will require a slightly different mix of skills from its new associates.
Two sources of additional information on the types of firms out there are:
The Association of Management Consulting Firms: http://www.amcf.org/
The Vault: http://www.vault.com/nr/consulting_rankings/consulting_rankings
Be sure to do the background research that will allow you to approach each firm with enthusiasm specifically for their type of work. Provide examples of things you’ve done in the past that are relevant to their type of work.
And enjoy the experience!
Tammy
Filed under: Surviving in Today's Economy | Published: 12/04/08
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