Career Change from R&D to Management Consulting - Follow up questions

Question

Hello everyone,

I previously posted a question regarding changing my career from R&D to Management consulting and received some great answers. Thank you to everyone who contributed and I would like to ask some follow up questions.

My background: Graduated in one of top 10 universities in US with BS degree in biomedical engineering (not so great GPA). Worked mainly in personal care & household CPG, as both R&D formulation scientist and product development/project manager, with most recent gig at a global cpg brand. Total YOE is a bit over 4 years. No PhD or MS and not working in engineering industry. I've been studying corporate finance for awhile and doing my own investments (rudimentary) but I am pretty familiar with P&Ls, balance sheets, etc. if that helps (?)

Per your advice, I will start applying to MBB and T2 programs in the upcoming months as industry hire and if all else fails, study for GMAT and apply for MBA programs. Meanwhile, some of the follow up questions are:

1. Realistically, is there any chance that a non-MS/PhD/MD but with engineering degree & science background have any chance at MBB or T2 without any prior consulting experience? I do know some firms do welcome PhDs and MDs but I do not apply to that category. Going lower level is no problem as long as I can enter the industry – even entry level like Business Analysts or Associates makes roughly the same as what I'm currently earning anyways

2. Without a background in life sciences or pharma, am I even eligible to apply to some of those life sciences/health care consulting firms? The only relevant experience I believe is merely my scientific background

3. What is your opinion on the difficulty of transitioning from T2 to MBB? Most forums I've seen says it's almost impossible but it seems many in PrepLounge think otherwise?

4. Is there anything I can do to increase my chances other than case/FIT prep for now? I am thinking about doing a side gig related to start up but not sure how much of that experience will actually increase my value in such a short time allotted.

5. What level is appropriate for industry hire? I think industry hires go in as Business Analysts for McK, Associate Consultant at Bain, and Associate Consultant/Senior Associate at BCG but please correct me if I have the wrong information.

6. I know prospective graduates have a general recruitment timeline, but is there any "unspoken" recruitment window regarding industry/experienced hires with a higher chance of recruitment?

I apologize for the long list again but thank you to everyone who has answered previously and I really appreciate any advice or thoughts!

Answer 1

Hi Dennis,

please find my answers below:

Yes, you may need to strengthen your application with a referral since your GPA is not great but it is doable, in particular since you are coming from a top university
Yes, your background should be enough
Definitely doable, I coached several people doing the transition successfully
The most important thing is to work on referrals (more here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176); besides that, any experience showing strategy/leadership/achievement would help
With your experience you will probably be considered for senior analyst (McK) /senior associate (BCG) positions or possibly associate (McK)/consultant (BCG) positions, according to how your experience and background will be valued and the office you apply
For non-entry roles, you can apply at your convenience (ideally avoiding July and August for the summer break). Still, I would recommend to apply via referrals who could also advise whether the timing is favorable, according to the project pipeline

Best,
Francesco

Answer 2

Hi,

1) MBBs absolutely love PHDsso you have all chances

2) You can try, why not? What are you losing? Again, they like PHDs

3) I personally know many people who transitioned. The key thing here is working for consulting / transaction services, not audit

4) Forget about the startup - it has low chances and will not contribute. Please concentrate on prep. Coach / good partners will help

5) Associate at MCK, Consultant at BCG / Bain

6) No windows, just apply. Would be a bit harder in Jan / May with MBA recruitments

Best

Answer 3

Hello!

To your questions:

1) Yes, I believe you have chance. You should take very good care of your CV and CL, since it´s what´s going to get you through the 1st screening.

2) Same as 1.

3) I know people who have done it. However, why not applying to MBB directly instead of going through T2 first?

4) Most of your focus should be on the prep, but you can also spend time on networking. This will also have a good ROI.

5) Associate in MCK and Consultant inBCG & Bain.

6) Depends totally in the office you are interested in.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 4

Welcome back Dennis,
1. yes, engineers are highly appreciated from consulting, especially in some specific practices
2. yes, I recommend to strongly motivate it in your application
3. some of my ex-colleagues came from tier2, have a look on LinkedIn for a quick check
4. no, just focus on interview prep. You already have enough experiences to apply
5. no, consultant for Bain and BCG and associate for McK (even junior associate can be good with 4y of exp, for references: https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/experienced-professionals )

Best,
Antonello