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Spinning a PoliSci degree w/ a general business minor

consulting
New answer on Oct 02, 2019
3 Answers
2.0 k Views
Sam asked on Oct 02, 2019

Good afternoon all,

I'm a current political science major that has had a change of heart in terms of career paths/career trejectory. I went online to Deloitte's website & took their career assessment & it came up with consulting. I've taken many classes with a heavy concentration in law & I'm currently taking a couple marketing classes too. With this major I bring to the table strong analytical & research skills combined with the ability to grasp and tackle complex dyanmic probelms. However, I'm worried that since I've only had some local political internships that this does not make me a competetive candidate in the world of consulting compared to others. Are there any suggestions that could lead me to become a better candiate?

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Daniel
Expert
Content Creator
updated an answer on Oct 02, 2019
McKinsey / ex-Interviewer at McKinsey / I will coach you to rock those interviews

Dear Sam,

I’ve had the same challenge when I decided to enter consulting. I also was coming from political science background and had only public sector/politics experience. This is not an impediment. In contrary, today MBB are trying to diversify their consulting pool. During my time at McKinsey I’ve met people with so many different backgrounds (from theology and philosophy to veterinary medicine and space science). So, it is less about what background you are coming from but more about what you are bringing with you/what experiences you’ve had in your professional life and studies so far. Have you proven yourself at analytical tasks? Are you creative? Have you shown some leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit? Do you know your way with numbers? If the answer to these questions is yes, you have a very good shot at being a successful candidate for MBB! The secret here is to be able to showcase all of those qualities in your CV – if you manage to do that, it’s pretty irrelevant what background you are coming from. So, good luck! :)

(edited)

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Vlad
Expert
replied on Oct 02, 2019
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I Believe the best one is getting another business internship or getting some entrepreneurial experience (but the last one is tough)

Best

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Udayan
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Oct 02, 2019
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /12 years recruiting experience

MBB hires people who have studied all sorts of degrees, including classics, languages and political science. You will be fine, it is completely okay to have a change of heart. Make sure you practice case studies and do well on them.

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Daniel gave the best answer

Daniel

Content Creator
McKinsey / ex-Interviewer at McKinsey / I will coach you to rock those interviews
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