Would-Be Bankers Turn to Consulting - BusinessWeek
As the banking form of productive effort struggles, various MBA job seekers are taking into account switching their sights
by Alysa Teichman
With the banking form of productive effort in crisis, many job-seeking MBAs—especially those who once dreamed of lucrative careers in investment banking—are rushing to broaden their options by applying to consulting firms. And while it means more competition for jobs in that sector, with regard to the firms doing the hiring, it means a added robust crop of candidates to choose from.
Turnout at campus presentations this overthrow by consulting firms is up from last year, recruiters say. "We’ve seen attendants double at more campus venues, even mob session on the floor," said Kermit King, a senior partner who heads recruiting in the Americas for Boston Consulting Group. "We think this reflects both the relative attractiveness of consulting as an industry and the relative strength of BCG within the industry in these tough times."
Varied BackgroundsConsulting firms be in possession of historically shared talent with investment banks because the two fields make inquiry many of the same personal attributes: analytical skills, quantitative ability, and a strong personality. However, some key differences exist between prototypical bankers and consultants. "From what I suppose to mean about the big financial firms, they do look because real previous banking actual trial, whereas we look for a variety of backgrounds and skill sets," said Nikki Rath, the senior manager of campus recruiting and diversity initiatives at Booz & Co.. "We desire a allot more nontraditional people who have run dance companies and who wish been actresses and athletes—they’re all dissimilar aspects that hold the capability set."
But the nuanced differences between bankers and consultants aren’t stopping would-be bankers from crossing over during this fickle job-application season, especially when the future of individual companies is by no means certain. Rath said she has encountered a spike in candidates who spent a summer working at Goldman Sachs (GS) or had each offer at Wachovia (WB), for instance. "We have definitely seen one increase in administrationésumés that had a lot of banking steady them," Rath said.
Jackie Wilbur, director of the career exhibition office at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management reported increased portion in consulting jobs among students. Attendance levels at two firms’ career presentations were up 20% from last year. Wilbur also says 20% more second-year students will be applying for strategic consulting jobs than last year.
Sets for a Long SlogTypical of those looking into consulting is Kris Ter-Ghazaryan, a second-year at Northeastern University’session College of Business & Administration, who said the job situation is worrisome. She’s still seeing banking piece of work postings online, still the daily intelligence reports mark something contrasted—job cuts. As a result, she is looking into consulting on this account that companies going through reorganization, a niche she thinks order grow in response to structural changes in the economy.
"I’m not nervous about acquisition a job in general," Ter-Ghazaryan said. "But I comprehend it will take a lot more effort right now. I’ll be in possession of to do a lot greater degree work and much greater degree networking than if things were better in the established order."
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