Get Mentored – Answers to your queries – Volume 5

Your Name: Guru
Subject: Landing a Consulting Job – Advise needed
Message: Dear Ms.Sulbha

Firstly, I would like to appreciate you taking some time to help all aspiring consultants like me. I would also thank consultingnetwork.in for providing a great platform.

To introduce myself – I am Guru, have a degree in Engineering(I.T) from Bharatiar University, TN. I have 5 yrs of progressive industry experience – starting off as a software engineer in Infosys to moving to Sales/BD/planning roles in Cisco & few companies and finally my start-up (8 months), which we had to wind up last month.

It has been more of a learning journey, in line of my goal to be an entrepreneur [which would explain my move to sales]. At this point of time I would like to pursue a career in consulting before I decide to embark on entrepreneurship again.

I’ve started learning & preparing for the typical consulting interviews[Wetfeet/Vault guides/Case interviews]. I still have my own doubts on whether I would be able to land a consulting job without a MBA degree.

I would need your inputs on how should I go about it.

P.S: You could also check out my profile in Linkedin for more info
http://in.linkedin.com/in/gurupandian

Sincerely

Guru

Dear Guru,
You have a varied experience in terms of experience. Depending on the experience you have gained you should look for opportunity in consulting. If you feel you have the relevant experience that can be useful to firm and its clients then nothing can stop you from getting what you aspire. But before you look out for opportunity evaluate your experience and field where you want to work.
You should explore IT consulting as you have IT background and to enter into a consulting domain MBA is a preferable but not a prerequisite. With your current preparation coupled with your experience can certainly get an opportunity in consulting firms.
All the best.

Your Name: Bhavna
Subject: IMCI EDMC
Message: Hi,
I am a 2008 pass out Electronic and Telecommunication Engineer from Mumbai University .I am currently working in Pre Sales Role in an enterprise communications company. My aim is to enter the Management Consulting Profession.To prove my Aim i have started a course offered from IMCI called eDMC.Will this course help and will this add value to my CV. Please suggest what are the specific skill set that a person should have to enter this line. Also I would want to know whether as a consultant and engineer are we expected to know technical details of our telecom technology.

Thanks

Warm Regards,
Bhavna

Dear Bhavna,
Post your engineering I would suggest you should try to get into some consulting firm, if you can’t make it to the premium ones try go get exposure from second tier firms. That will be more beneficial to you. The course being offered by IMCI is not registered or recognized by any government organization so I can’t really say what value it will add to your CV. Plus the course content is based on book Management Consulting by Milan Kubr which can give you the theoretical concept about consulting but real learning happens only when you are at work or exposed to real life situations. I would suggest you should look for a change and try to move out of pre sales role otherwise you get branded with sales experience. You can even look out to work for knowledge centre of big consulting firm. After getting exposure for couple of years you should look for acquiring a management degree from a reputed college for further growth in your career.
Wrt to technical knowledge, consultancy firms look out for aptitude rather than technical application. Since you are an engineer it is implied that you know your subject but more importantly you should know how, where, what can be applied from your subject that can be of benefit to the client.

Your Name: Ashish Kalra
Subject: Interview And CV Tips
Message: Hello
I am currently studying my post graduation . I am looking for an intern position in Consulting but in vain. I am getting where I actually lack. Maybe My CV is not suited for Consulting Role. Please help me with this
–
Dear Ashish,
CV is just a filter to get opportunity to get into the interviewing room. If you are looking for an intern position, graduation is required qualification needed. But to get into consulting firm it is not just only academics that recruiters are looking for. They look for people who have done things beyond just the academics. They want people who have participated in extracurricular events, managed events at school/ college level, are good debater or orator etc. Please see if you had exposure to any of these, if yes do include them in your resume it will add value to it.

Your Name: Vamsi Tetali
Subject: Experienced non-mba’s entry into consulting
Message: Dear Ma’am,

Thank you for providing this opportunity to benefit from your experience in consulting.

I am a Mechanical engineering graduate from a top NIT in India. I have 3.5 years of professional experience since I finished under graduation. The first 18 months of this has been in Tata Motors and the rest is in my family business. My family\’s firm is a channel partner for major MNCs in Hyderabad region and through this experience I have gained a large amount of sales and operations management experience.

My present career goal is to enter into the management consulting industry. I do not have an MBA and have no plans of getting one from within India in the near future.

I am keen on being advised by you on the options I have in terms of making a successful entry into a Management Consulting firm in India. What role in the consulting hierarchy could my professional experience fetch me at this point? What do you feel is the best way for me to approach applying to consulting firms in India?

I have good analytical and communication skills and have a lot of experience in dealing with clients. I have high scores on standardized tests and also have a good, consistent academic record.

Thanks again for being involved in this mentor ship initiative.

Dear Vamsi,
Consulting firms do hire engineers if they have the right aptitude and attitude. At present as you have not mentioned about your role in Tata Motors and I assume it must be related to your technical subject then it will not be really the relevant experience for you. But your family business can be counted as relevant experience for you if you have advised clients on their business, its model, financial structure and many such things that would have added value to their business or would have helped them enhance their revenue or reduce cost.
If you have the requisite experience then coupled with you qualifications and exposure you have a fair chance of getting a call from consulting firms.
One of the best ways to apply to consulting firms if either through some personal contacts or through some good recruitment consultants who are working these firms. You may also apply directly through career website of the firm.

Your Name: GSL
Subject: How to make an interview call from top consulting firm ?
Message: Dear Sulbha,

I am Subbulakshmi G. Completed my B.E in Civil with First Class Honours. I have nearly three years of experience in various fields.

Job experiences as follows.
1. Assistant Manager in a Real estate firm. (10 months)
2. Junior Design Engineer in SGT India Pvt Ltd an MNC and a  lead building Designer at USA (6 months)
3. Retail Manager in Rajai Silks a Fashion and Traditional Woman’s Apparel Retail Outlet. (1yr and 4 months)

I have a wide learning experience in these three different fields yet the period is short. Now am in interested to work for a top tier consulting firm.

I have listed a few roles played by me:
1. I am good orator and awarded best orator of the year.
2. Competent State level Hockey Player.
3. Awarded best Manger of the year.
4. Leaded a few clubs and groups.
5. Good Problem solver. Analyzed sales report and increased the sale from 40% to 95%.

From the above list its clear am a good problem solver, possess good analytical skills, communication and leading ability. Hope I possess all the skills required for consulting job.

 Its clear my job profile is inconsistent. I want to know, consistency in job plays a vital role in recruiting a consultant? If so , How to approach them ?  how to make the top tier consultancy firm to call me for an interview and prove my skills to them? 
I am sure you can help me out and Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Subbulakshmi G
–
Dear Subbulakshmi,
You have certainly got experience in different fields and your two out of three experiences are of relatively short duration than usual. From all the above experience I am unable to comprehend your area of interest. It is very important that you answers yourself what do you really enjoy doing and want to see yourself doing in next 3/5/10 years.
I would suggest you should try to find out your area of interest and work towards excelling in that field. Please do not enter into any field just because it looks fascinating or interesting to others. It is very important that you have clear bend of mind towards it and you will enjoy working there and feel you can excel there consistently.
To answer your question, yes your profile is inconsistent and just on the basis of CV it will be difficult to get call from tier one consulting firm. If you have contact in consulting firms, try seeking their help because personal contact may help you get an interview call. Otherwise you may try to approach tier 2 firm to gain experience and get flavor of working in a consulting environment.
All the best.

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