Chemistry Graduate interested in consulting

Question

consulting dubai entry level MENA

New answer on Sep 30, 2023

5 Answers

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Anonymous A asked on Aug 15, 2023

I live in MENA and I am aware that the competition here for consulting is rough. But I do want to get in, and I have skills but my network is currently not as strong enough. I also am not american-educated and have a degree in Chemistry.

I have a few questions:
1. When is the hiring cycles for the firms here in Dubai, Riyadh, or Qatar?
2. How do I refine my casing skills, what books do I have to learn, analysis tools that are handy?
3. Any networking advice?
4. Any advice for anyone who wants to get-in?

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Answer 1

Best answer

Benjamin

Expert

Content Creator

replied on Aug 19, 2023

Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer & top performer

Hi,

I'll share a couple of pointers on question #2-4 based on my own experience - I too came from a non-traditional background (I studied History).

2. How do I refine my casing skills, what books do I have to learn, analysis tools that are handy?

End of the day, you need to be outcome driven to break into consulting
A word of caution on existing books out there - many of them are old and have been written by individuals who have not really spent a significant time in consulting
A coach can be immensely helpful in building the right skills, but it is not the only path - this is up to you to decide whether you feel you can identify and then build the right skills yourself

3. Any networking advice?

Be creative - try and find multiple/different avenues and connection points to help you network
E.g. your school is one obvious point, but ask around your friends and family, or even think about reaching out to other Chemistry majors who have entered consulting
Don't be afraid of rejection - sometimes people will not reply you, and that's okay. But don't let that stop you from reaching out

4. Any advice for anyone who wants to get-in?

Consulting is an extremely competitive field, and candidates are becoming even more competitive due to the wide array of preparation available
If you really want to break into consulting, I do think you need to be fully dedicated to this
There are many paths to consulting, and not one ‘standard’ profile that is accepted. When i broke into consulting after college, I had zero internships in my CV, but I leveraged my learnings of my military service in an elite military unit to bring my mindset and approach to the next level and more importantly to help me crush the competition

All the best!

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Answer 2

Sophia

Expert

replied on Aug 29, 2023

Top-Ranked Coach on PrepLounge for 3 years| 6+ years of coaching

Hello,

To answer your questions:

1. When is the hiring cycles for the firms here in Dubai, Riyadh, or Qatar?

This will vary by firm/office/region, so be sure to check the websites of the companies you are interested in applying for! Generally, recruiting tends to be most active in late Summer/early Fall

2. How do I refine my casing skills, what books do I have to learn, analysis tools that are handy?

I always recommend candidates start out by learning what the case interview actually is. You can read an intro book like Case Interview Secrets or Case In Point, look at guides here on PrepLounge or company websites, and watch videos of experts doing a case. Once you’ve understood the basics of a case interview (structuring an answer, some common frameworks, case maths, etc.), I suggest diving into live case practice, where you do mock case interviews with a friend, case partner, or coach. There’s really no substitute for live case practice – this is the most important part of case study preparation.

3. Any networking advice?

Do it 😊 Networking is very important but often overlooked by candidates at the beginning stages. Talking to people who work at the company you are interested in will help you get a better understanding of what working there looks like and what the firms are looking for. Getting a referral is the best thing you can do to increase your chances of getting an interview, particularly if you are not coming from a target school background. I would try looking for different channels for networking: going to firm and industry events, cold-emailing and connecting on LinkedIn, going through alumni networks, etc.

4. Any advice for anyone who wants to get-in?

I’d think about getting coaching, if you are able to! Coaching can help you direct and fast-track your case prep, and can be particularly useful for candidates coming from non-traditional backgrounds to help them frame their narrative in a way that’s best suited for consulting.

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Answer 3

Samer

Expert

replied on Aug 15, 2023

Strong Consulting and Teaching career, having mentored 50+ MENA consulting candidates

Hello sir!

Coming from a non-American university is not necessarily a knockout for yourself. However, not coming from a target university might make it a bit harder to land an interview for sure!

Your goal should be to expand your network as much as possible, so that you would be able to land referrals in different companies and secure an interview.

As for your questions, here are my short answers:
1- Hiring cycles are usually in September and April within the company I used to work for. These might change from one company to another. You should note that, through referrals, hiring cycles are not much of an issue as these companies can hire continuously.

2- Case in point for me is the best book out there that can get you started. Once you finish reading it, make sure to practice cases with your friends and then with professionals (once you're proficient enough)

3- For networking, try to leverage your colleagues and friends, but also, don't hesitate to attend events for consultants, reach out for employees on Linkedin with very specific asks, attend universities' career fair, try to (informally) join a consulting club in any university

4- My only advice is that if you truly want the job, you will get it. So keep up the hustle!

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Answer 4

Cristian

Expert

Content Creator

replied on Aug 18, 2023

#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Hi there!

Great to hear that you have a clear target.

Let me take your questions one by one.

1. When is the hiring cycles for the firms here in Dubai, Riyadh, or Qatar?

Always go straight to the source regarding timelines i.e., ask the recruiter from your target firm and office. Deadlines change and they tend to also be different from role to role. It's always best to keep in touch directly with those who set them.
2. How do I refine my casing skills, what books do I have to learn, analysis tools that are handy?

This is a very big question. Aside from the obvious advice you might receive, I'd recommend you get a coach early on in the process. For the price of a session, you can get all their assets, a clear application strategy and a strong understanding of what to focus on with your prep.

3. Any networking advice?

Yes, read this guide and use the tips as soon as you can:

Free Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

4. Any advice for anyone who wants to get-in?

Lots of it.

First of all, if you're thinking of applying, get going with developing an amazing application strategy. More about this hear:

Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Second, here are some of the skills that you should focus on developing:

Free Guide: What Do Management Consultants Do?

Best of luck!
Cristian

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Practising for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> SoyTechnologies

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Answer 5

Ian

Expert

Content Creator

replied on Sep 30, 2023

Hi there,

#1 thing you can do here is networking. The more you network, the more you'll answer these questions AND improve your odds of being invited to interview.

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Chemistry Graduate interested in consulting

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