Bridge and Insight Introductions 2010

So I have now attended both the McKinsey introduction to Insight and the intro to Bridge to BCG. Both programs were interesting. None of the information was too new, but I find the more people I talk to, the more confident I feel about how I fit into the cultures of each firm. It is for this reason that I would encourage you to go to these types of events even if you don't think you need to hear "another pitch." I won't elaborate too much on where I personally feel more comfortable because I don't want to influence anyone's thought process.

Briefly, I have always thought the McKinsey programs felt a little bit too structured and felt a little standoffish (it might actually be that their presentations are just more formal and very professional), but this last program was very welcoming. The folks giving the talks were all very personable. Most of the McKinsey events that I have been to in the past were run by men and this program was predominantly run by women, which may have accounted for the more welcoming feel. I don't know if that was a strategic/planned decision or not, but whatever the reason, I got a better feel at this talk than I have at ones in the past.

The introduction to BCG program was actually extremely impressive. I am always impressed by the view from their 32nd floor office (overlooking the Boston Harbor). The speaker was the newly appointed head of the healthcare practice for the Americas and was very enthusiastic about the work they do there. It is nice to see someone that is still so excited about consulting after 16 years. It seems like business at BCG is really great. Some of the other firms are delaying their new hires start date while BCG is actually trying to push it up and from talking to the folks last night, it seems like hiring will be up significantly this next season. There were plenty of consultants around to talk to after the presentation which was nice...they are all quite nice people and very easy to get along with...overall this event was enough to really get you excited about the upcoming recruiting season.

I will probably get back to working on my resume this weekend. I have really reworked the resume since last year just to make sure it has the impact I am looking for...but that's a topic for another day.

PhD Consultant Blog

As some of you may have seen in the comments from my last post, one of my readers is a PhD who is in the process of making the transition into consulting (sounds familiar). As far as I can tell, she has just accepted a position with one of the "Big 4" firms, but won't start work until September. She will be blogging about the transition from science to consulting and will be sharing some insight about what it is like to start out at her new job. She has also added a little perspective about her experience with applying to firms, which may be of interest to those of us still in the process.

While the blog is new and not fully developed yet, it looks like it could be a promising resource in the future and I would recommend checking in on it every now and then to see what kind of firsthand knowledge you might be able to pick up! Shee already has comments from Steve Shu, which is a pretty good seal of approval!

Here is the link:
http://phdconsultant.wordpress.com/

Bridge to BCG and McKinsey Insight 2010

So it looks like the consulting recruiting season is already starting to begin again. It seems like the last year has gone very quickly (which is both a good and bad thing)...all in all, I'm very excited to get back to this whole process. It might seem a little twisted, but I actually enjoy practicing cases and helping other people through the process!

I had some folks ask about the Bridge and Insight programs, deadlines, locations, etc...last week I didn't have all the info and promised I'd post it once I had it in hand. For those of you who aren't familiar with these programs, I have a post on them from last year that can catch you up on the details. Briefly, they are 3 day programs that the companies sponsor to give you a taste of what consulting is like. From what I hear, they are a great chance to learn and network.

So here's what you all wanted...the info:

Insight Healthcare (you can use the same link for Engineering and Science Insight)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 17 – 20, 2010
Application deadline: April 25, 2010
http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/apd/Opportunities.aspx


Bridge to BCG
Workshop deadline: Friday, May 7th
Workshop dates
* July 8-9 in BCG’s Boston office
* July 22-23 in BCG's Chicago Office
* July 22-23 in BCG's New York office
* July 29-30 in BCG’s San Francisco office
If you have any questions, please email them to Bridge2BCG@bcg.com

For application info, use the following link:
http://www.bcg.com/careers/adc.aspx

For the Bridge program, I think that they schedule you to attend the program at the office that is most local for you...this may be different this year, but last year there wasn't a lot of flexibility with this policy.