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Hey Wil, Thanks for the link. Check out the crazy chart which certainly makes it look like there is a higher education bubble. Is there a business school bubble? My view is probably yes, but it's not a simple question. The answer depends on whether the cost of the education far exceeds its intrinsic value. This is difficult to answer because you probably can't value education in purely ROI terms. For investments like stocks or houses you can look at the return on investment, the higher the better. Top business schools also provide at least three valuable non-monetary benefits: 1. Personal branding that you can keep for life. This opens up lots of opportunities both professional and otherwise; 2. Networking with the best and brightest. This opens up opportunities and leads to point 3; and 3. Success breads success for you and the people in your network. This is one of the laws of power mentioned here. Law 10 – Avoid Infection – Emotional states are infectious. The unfortunate can draw misfortune not only on themselves but also on you. Associate only with happy and fortunate people.

Round 2.

Hi Peggy, I currently work full time in Sydney. I hope you understand that I'd prefer not to talk about that here though. I wouldn't want people to think that anything I say on the blog or this forum has anything to do with my employer. Cheers, Tom

Hi Peggy, Based on recent feedback, I don't think they have a strict min criterion for BCG. Typically they would want to see that you have done something to show there has been a change since you last applied. That might take 12-18 months maybe. Hope that helps.

Hi Peggy, I don't know the answer, although my feeling is that waiting 12 months would be enough. I'll try and find out the answer. Cheers, Tom

Hi Shivas, I have FB shared and tweeted your post. I think most people are spending time with family over the weekend and so may not be paying attention. Anyone going for interviews at this time would benefit from running practising interviews (as interviewer and interviewee). Where are you located?

Hi Peggy, That's fair enough, everyone is trying to keep their options open. I think big firm branding is helpful when you haven't decided what you want yet. Although, even more important than branding is to find an activity where you can combine passion, competence and market need. If you are passionate, competent and there is a need for what you have to offer - you will be unstoppable. My education was BComm (Hons) LLB as Sydney Uni.

Hi Peggy, As you know, each firm looks for slightly different things and I don't know much (read: anything) about your background or the boutique firm that has offered you a role. Having said that, if you work with one of the Australian tier ones, I don't know of any reason why you would not be able to transfer across. It depends on your objective though. If your aim is to get into a top MBA school (with consulting as your spring-board) then the Australian tier-1 boutique firms can play just as well as the MBB firms. I know a number of people from PJP who have obtained places at top US schools (eg Harvard). If this is the objective, then your best bet would be to talk to the people at the firm and see what schools past consultants have gone to. If your aim is to obtain quality strategy experience, my understanding is that this can be gained at any of the tier ones. Does that help?

Hi Peggy, That's okay, I respect your privacy. The short answer is that the MBB firms are not the be all and end all. Branding and networking are obviously important though, and the reason for my question above is that my advice depends partly on which boutique firm has offered you a position. May I suggest that you take a look at the list of Australian strategy firms that I updated recently here: http://bit.ly/el5Y0o Tier one firms are all strong. Does that help?

Peggy, Welcome to the Consulting Forum! Which firms are you looking at? Cheers, Tom

Hi Mark, This sounds like a very interesting opportunity. There are likely to be lots of companies interested in accessing the Chinese markets. If you can help companies navigate the Chinese business and regulatory landscape (read: minefield) then this would be a very valuable service. You should think about which kinds of companies you would be interested in helping. You could then do one of more of the following: 1. partner with consultants in Australia who service those kinds of companies; 2. approach companies directly to discuss ideas for expansion into China; 3. write articles or buy ad space in magazines and journals which are read by your target clients. These are just a few brief thoughts, let me know what you think. Cheers, Tom

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Mo, Networking is a helpful way to build personal profile (e.g. attending formal networking nights, or joining clubs and societies). Here are 4 other ideas for building your personal profile: Find ways to provide people with value (e.g. provide useful information, or connect people who you know have common interests) Get your ideas out there (write a blog, publish articles, write a book) Create a website which uses your name. E.g. “mo-cheeks.com” Set up a LinkedIn profile I'd be interested to hear others thoughts. Cheers, Tom

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Mo, Thanks for your questions. 1. Should you make the move to management consulting? The decision to move into consulting is a personal one. Here are three things to think about when making your decision: 1. Passion: It sounds like you have been involved in some strategy work already, did you like it? Do you genuinely enjoy solving business problems? 2. Competence: You have 9 years of experience in the IT industry, and so will likely have some helpful skills and knowledge with which you can provide significant value to clients. You can use this to help you decide which firms to apply for (some focus more on technology) and whether you may want to set up a solo practice. 3. Branding: Regardless of whether you apply to a big firm or start your own show, think about building your personal profile. 2. Is an MBA the only way to get into management consulting? No, there is always more than one way to travel from New York to London: cruise ship, 747, private jet. Each approach has its benefits. Doing an MBA is a tried and tested way to get the competence and branding you need to land an interview with a consulting firm. I'd be interested to hear others thoughts on Mo's questions. Tom

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