Career switch from civil engineering to consulting

Civil engineer consulting Implementation operations
New answer on Dec 31, 2020
6 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on Nov 15, 2020

Hello,

I am working on switching from my current role (civil engineering) and to move to either implementation/operations consulting or capital and infrastructure projects. I have a PMP and a master's in engineering management, but not enough business/management experience. My work is rather technical. Any recommended courses to fill the gap to enable me to do that career switch?

Thanks a lot,

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 15, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

Two main tips for you

Do Industry Research

I have a template, so feel free to reach out if interested!

Some key tips:

  1. List all the major industries that you'll need to learn
  2. Create a template that you can fill in with research. This would include things like
    1. Industry summary
    2. Total market size
    3. Major players
    4. Cost drivers
    5. Revenue drivers
    6. Major trends
    7. etc.
  3. Fill in the template for each industry one by one. Use google to find the relevant information and piece it together. Over time, you'll get more and more efficient as you see which sites are good for what

Definitely a good idea to partner with someone equal to you! You can each research an industry and present it to each other.

Do Daily Reading to Build Background Knowledge

1) Read the Economist AND the Financial Times daily

2) There are some excellent articles written about all sorts of topics (especially consulting) here: https://www.spencertom.com/category/management-consulting/

3) Read BCG Insights and McKinsey Insights

4) Anything by Malcolm Gladwell (it's not consulting-specific but I daresay his books are the most quoted/referenced among consultants...due to the type of thinking/communication he embodies)

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Adi
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 15, 2020
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Hey there,

I dont see any reason at all why you wont be successful. Unless you are thinking of an MBA, I would advise you dont invest 100s or 1000s of $ in technical/online course. Once you get in a global consulting firm they will provide ample training. Key thing is to smash the interview process, have a solid CV to get through to interview.

I ran Accenture UK & Ireland's Supply Chain and Operations practice in London, so can give you plenty of tips and insights on your aspirations. Please feel free to message me and we can discuss this in detail. Here's summary for you:

1. Accenture & Big 4 have invested heavily in their product engineering and operations capability and are growing in that space

2. They are always looking for people with complex capital projects & engineering experience; Aerospace & Manufacturing industries are the primary focus. Industry X.0 is the next big deal

3. You will have to prep like you would to get into consulting: CV, case, FIT interview etc

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Anonymous A on Nov 15, 2020

Hi Adi, thank you for your elaborate reply. The problem is that I already have 8 years of engineering experience, and it seems these companies are looking for engineers with 3-4 years of experience. Do you recommend I still apply?

Henning
Expert
replied on Nov 15, 2020
Bain | passed >15 MBB interviews as a candidate
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Anonymous A on Nov 21, 2020

Thank you. I'll start with this and then move to case preparation.

Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 31, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, aerospace engineering here :)

Feel free to text me for sharing my experience

Best

Antonello

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Gaurav
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 08, 2020
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hello there!

I totally agree with the experts that it's possible and you can succeed.
Maybe in addition I would say that after completing some courses you could find a coach to provide you with all the basics and help you in case interviews preparation,

Good luck!

GB

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Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 16, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

I feel the pain. I transition from Architecture to Management Consuting. It can be done! I also met a doctor in the office, who had the same issues.

Feel free to PM

Cheers,

Clara

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Ian gave the best answer

Ian

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