I'm an incoming MBA student at a target school (think T20) for Fall '24, but was wondering if there is any merit to the idea of starting to network for consulting now? I have identified a few alumni (both MBB and T2) with whom I believe I have some common experiences, but have also heard it's better to wait for networking events to start happening on campus.
If it matter, I'm an international student coming to a T20 MBA
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Networking Pre-MBA for consulting
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Hi there,
if you have time now, it is a good idea to start. Especially since the people you contact might not respond right away so you want to factor in some lead time.
If you are aiming for referrals, it is generally better to do that closer to your actual application but again, you'd need to factor in lead time there as well. You might want to consider reaching out to the contacts you already identified now to get some answers to your general questions about the respective firms and careers in the consulting space. If you have good chemistry with some of them, you could try to circle back with them when your application timeframe is approaching.
In any case, networking won't hurt you and if you have extra time now, go for it.
Best
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Hi there,
There is never harm in engaging in networking, no matter the timeline.
If you have the time now, go for it. The more people know you and the more they recommend you the better. On top of that, you might also get interesting insights into the current recruiting landscape and additional insights for your career.
You always want to be ahead of the curve and it never hurts to know more people!
Cheers,
Florian
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Hi there,
Q: Was wondering if there is any merit to the idea of starting to network for consulting now
What would be the goal of networking? Without information on that, it is difficult to answer.
If the goal is to get a referral, I would recommend reaching out close to the period when you need it rather than several months in advance. Then, you can try to get the referral during the call/meeting with them.
Good luck!
Francesco
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It's not something you have to do, but rather something that you can do.
The advantage of speaking with people who went through the program is to get a sense of their learnings.
What did the find most useful?
How would they do it if they were to start the program again?
What would they focus?
What was their key learning?
And so on.
I think it forms the basis of an interesting conversation, but I would approach it with curiosity not necessarily with the intention of getting something out of it.
Best,
Cristian
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Hi there,
First of all, congratulations on the MBA offer!
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
- Networking is always beneficial, it just depends on the goal that is being pursued. While you don't have to get in touch with current consultants of the consulting firms you are targeting to get referrals, it might help you to better understand the industry and the individual firms.
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your future applications, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
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Start networking as soon as possible :)
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Networking will always pay dividends over time - so feel free to do that. However, do prepare well for the pre-MBA networking - as there is always the risk of appearing over-eager. If your value proposition and motivation is sharp enough then should be fine.
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I don't see a problem. It's actually a positive.
If later on they go to campus… you already met each other :)
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