Hello everyone,
It's my first time posting here. I am a complete newbie to this field; please be tolerant.
I am pursuing an undergraduate degree in engineering from a top-ranked school in India. I hope to join a Master in Management program since I don't want to wait until I have enough work experience to pursue an MBA. I am quite interested in entering the Strategy Consulting Sector, preferably at an MBB firm. I have considered the following programs:
1) Duke Fuqua MMS: Foundations of Business
2) London Business School MIM
3) Imperial College of London MSc in Management
4) ESSEC MIM
5) HEC Paris MIM
6) INSEAD MIM
7) IE Business School MIM with specialization in Strategic Management
8) Melbourne Business School Master of Management
I am uncertain which programs I'll get admission offers for, so I was wondering how you guys would rank them with regards to consulting opportunities. I plan on joining the MIM program without any work experience. I have some decent extracurriculars but no relevant certifications, work experience or extraordinary achievements. I hope to rectify that during the master's degree. Given my background, how feasible is it to get into an MBB firm? If MBB isn't possible, what are the best alternatives?
Thanks in Advance for your replies
EDIT: Thank you all for your feedback. My personal goal is to secure a job in the European subcontinent, the Duke and Melbourne applications are being made for family reasons. I would strongly prefer to work either in the UK or France (I happen to know some French). I have attempted CAT as well in preparation for IIMs, but my percentile score isn't high enough for my particular background and top IIMs.
I have had my eye on the ESSEC MIM in particular due to the compulsory 1 year of work experience before obtaining a degree. Other programs only have an optional 4 month period after the degree when internships can be pursued. INSEAD and LBS seem to have an excellent reputation as an MBB feeder, but that seems more for the MBA program.
I am not too keen on gaining work experience since the job market seems to be very competitive at the moment and the kinds of positions being offered to my batch are heavily oriented towards programming and don't seem to carry much career capital.
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I am worried about the impact Brexit may have on the job market in the UK, so I'll have to make a decision to either settle down in the UK or in mainland Europe, and the latter seems more enticing currently.
Trying to get into MBB on the continent of course brings issues of language barrier. MBB sends people from overseas to Europe all the time, but otherwise you are expected to speak the language of the country you apply to. Statistically you are likely to apply to the biggest consulting markets in Europe which are Germany and France. Just something to consider. Of course a MBA likely increases your chances. INSEAD, LBS, US MBAs appear more and more as a logical next step for you from my point of view.
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