Written by Sameer Kamat

Which of these statements would you love to hear yourself say?
1. “I’m a strategy consultant with McKinsey”
2. “I’m an investment banker in Morgan Stanley”
3. “I am attending a top MBA program”
What if you were able to say all of these at some point in your career? That’d be pretty cool, right? Sayanta Dutta is someone who’s been there done that. While most folks struggle to get into McKinsey after an MBA, Sayanta managed to get into one of the most selective & the best strategy consulting firms in the world, without an MBA. And no, he’s not from IIT. Here’s a story that highlights the importance of potential & talent over formal qualifications.

Written by Sameer Kamat

INSEAD MBA salary numbers are among the best in the business school world when it comes to post MBA jobs. A key reason for that is the huge number of INSEAD MBA graduates who manage to get high-paying management consulting jobs. This trend continues year after year, which means there’s a story in there that goes beyond just being a mere coincidence.
Gaurav Gokhale, from the INSEAD MBA class of 2007 has managed a career transition from Information Technology to Management Consulting. From being a Business Analyst in TCS to being a Strategy Consultant with the Boston Consulting Group, it’s a career path that many software professionals can only dream of.
In this post for MBA Crystal Ball, Gaurav generously shares the ideas and tips that helped him bag a management consulting job after completing his INSEAD MBA

Written by Sameer Kamat

You already know about the top consulting recruiters in the industry. If not, read these posts on the best strategy consulting firms and the top technology, HR, finance consulting firms first.

You also know that the best consulting jobs on the campus go to MBA graduates from the top ranked bschools. But if you haven’t worked in the consulting industry before your MBA, a career change can be a big challenge.

But there’s good news. There are a few bschools that can increase your chances of becoming a consultant, even if you weren’t already one before the MBA. These are the hot-spots for getting consulting jobs that pay high post MBA salaries to compensate for the monies you pumped into the bschool coffers. McKinsey, Bain, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Deloitte Consulting and several others from the industry come over each year to recruit the best MBA talent.

Written by Sameer Kamat

Management consultant Amit (aka MBA Dropout) covered the best strategy consulting firms in another post. This time he talks about management consulting firms that focus on a niche – like technology consulting, financial consulting, HR consulting and others.

Written by Sameer Kamat

The best management consulting firms in the world (and in India) have more or less remained the same for several years. In this post, Management consultant Amit (aka MBA Dropout) lists down the top 10 strategy consulting firms.

Written by Sameer Kamat

Situational interviews or Behavioral interviews are the vague, mysterious and confusing interview questions that get thrown at you when you are trying to get the best management consulting (including the top tier strategy consulting firms) and investment banking jobs. Or for that matter MBA interviews as well. They make you feel that the tough technical questions you got for your first few jobs were so much easier in comparison. At least there was a right or wrong answer to them, and after the interview you’d know if you fared well or not. With situational interviews, most candidates are unsure of how their performance will be judged by their future boss.

Written by Sameer Kamat

From the results of a recent survey published by Poets & Quants, seems like the answer is yes. The P&Q article has a detailed listing of how many of the top business schools (primarily in the US) have been faring when it comes to popular post MBA careers. Good article, do check it out. If you don’t have the patience here’s a shorter crisper summary.

The best management consulting firms, investment banks, technology companies and several top notch companies appear to have shaken off their post recession blues and decided to give their HR teams reason to start consuming increased amounts of caffeine. Firms like McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Google, Bain & Co, Amazon, Booz, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble opened their doors to many

Written by Sameer Kamat

Management consulting jobs are very popular among MBA graduates for the intellectual stimulation, the exciting projects and the mouth-watering salaries that the industry offers. You’ll get to work with top-notch professionals and extremely talented colleagues from across the globe. You’ll also rub shoulders with the senior management (often CEO/CFO level professionals) and develop fantastic networks that can propel your career northwards.

Written by Sameer Kamat

Kabhi khushi kabhi gham! That might be the best way to describe the roller-coaster ride you can expect if you are hoping to use your MBA to change careers. In the area of MBA jobs, before the euphoria comes a lot of pain. Here are a few basic principles to keep in mind to make the entire process a little less frustrating. 

Written by Sameer Kamat

‘Hi, I’m Pattikumar Silvamaranayani. I work for McKinsey.’ Sounds good, na? Replace Patti saar’s name with your own and it sounds even better. There’s no doubt which one’s a stronger brand in that opening statement – Patti saar or McKinsey. Great brands on your CV, nice salaries, globe-trotting and the glamour.  When it comes to MBA job hunting, no wonder then that so many people want to aim for Management Consulting as a post-MBA career.