Recruiting Strategy
Can I break into consulting from a medical or non-business background?
I came through a medical path rather than business and am considering a switch into consulting. I don't have obvious consulting experience on my resume yet. What do I need to do to make a non-traditional profile credible for MBB or other strategy firms?
Ian’s Answer
I worked with people that were previously professional violinists, flautists, dentists, etc. Trust me, any profession can get into MBB!
However, there are a few things you need to do to improve your odds:
Get some consulting-related experience (bro-bono consulting projects, academies, etc.)
Network
Adjust your resume and make it a 10/10 (change your wording etc. to change the way it's pitched)
The biggest gap is nothing on your resume that shows you have historically been interested in consulting (hence my point #1). You also ideally want to apply through your university itself.My view: Try now and see what happens. If it doesn't work, then go the MBA route (if that's what makes sense for you individually)If you are genuinely interested in transitioning to consulting, your best bet is to do an MBA. The PhD route is for an entirely different purpose/career. You absolutely can get into MBB from a PhD, but it's just not that common!A PhD does not lead to a higher salary (holding the same hiring role constant), and certainly seems far more roundabout a path than just doing an MBA.Remember, an MD/MBA is a route to consider! I knew a number of people at Stern that were also pursuing a Doctorate and MBA simultaneously...let's just say they were highly marketable :)Good luck!