Dear community,
Is it possible to work as a consultant with a phd in geology, specialized focus oil & gas industry, with no background in economics/business studies? I feel like technically diversity is wanted, but in reality it is very difficult to get through the interviews without learning each and every case by heart. My cv got me an interview with McKinsey, but they told me I didn’t 100 percent follow the structure they wanted which I didn’t anticipate.
Thank you!
Hi there,
Q: Is it possible to work as a consultant with a phd in geology?
Sure. The fact they invited you at McKinsey already confirms your profile fits, otherwise you would have not passed the screening.
There are two different steps to get the offer. The first is to get the interview. The second is to pass the interview.
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GET THE INTERVIEW
You already managed to pass the screening for McKinsey, so you are probably fine with this. In any case, for your next applications (I guess you are planning to apply to BCG and Bain) I would recommend to consider the following.
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1) CV
The key elements they will look for and that you can optimize are:
The fact you don't have consulting experience is not a problem if you structure your CV correclty.
Red flags include:
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2) COVER LETTER
You can structure a cover in 4 parts:
In part 2 you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others.
It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.
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3) REFERRALS
To find a referral, you should follow three main steps:
As general tips:
You should prepare three main things before the call:
You can find more information on networking and referrals here:
▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation
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PASS THE INTERVIEW
After you managed to get an invitation you need to find out how to pass the interview. You can find more on that at the link below.
▶ How to Prepare for an MBB Interview
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Best,
Francesco
Hi there,
yes, absolutely you can! I estimate that at least 50% of MBB consultants has no economic studies, we have a lot of different background (including doctors, engineers, PhDs in political science …just to mention a few). the best confirmation that your profile would be valuable is your CV passing the McKinsey filter (and CV pass is the lowest chance step, <5%).
I am not sure that I understood correctly what you didnt pass: the interview or what, but this is not uncommon if you haven't practiced or prepared (enough). Considering the 1% chance to get the offer from MBB, it is worth having a strategy on how to prepare and invest good time in that. You can also consider a coach to support you on the journey, the ROI is high on this investment.
If you want to orient how to move, feel free to reach out, happy to connect.
All the best,
Lucie
Was this answer helpful?
100% it's possible!
In fact, the “best” consultant in our Sydney office was an ex professional violinist (played at the Sydney Opera house). My first Partner was a former flautist. I worked with consultants who were doctors, lawyers, English majors etc. in a prior life.
Do you want to know your problem? This statement:
“without learning each and every case by heart”
You are approaching casing wrong.
Do NOT memorize!
Rather, learn how to break down any problem in an objective-driven, structured way.
Here's some intro reading to casing: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case
Hi there,
Fellow O&G geologist and former McKinsey consultant here.
Your question is a bit misleading since you obviously were invited to the interviews and McKinsey genuinely wanted you to succeed in those to give you an offer. Experienced hires from all areas are highly sought after, including O&G geos.
The real problem is that unfortunately you weren’t prepared for the interviews. Nobody is naturally good at casing (and PEI for that matter) and successful candidates often spend weeks or even months preparing.
Good news is that your CV generates interest among MBB so keep it up and start preparing properly!
Give me a shout if I can support you in any way. Best of luck!
(edited)
Yes - your degree has very little influence on whether you get in or not. What matters most is your interview performance. In fact given your background you would be in very high demand for projects in the oil & gas industry.
In terms of how to prepare - it is not about learning each case by heart but learning the process of how to approach any case. Those are two fundamentally different points and once you get that you will be able to approach any case you tackle.
Best,
Udayan
