Hi, I'm currently a final year at Imperial in the UK (target for London MBB) and want to work in consulting in the US after graduation.
I've tried my luck at applying directly for US offices but got rejected at CV screening everywhere. This might be only due to US campus recruiting, as I've received interviews at T2s and did an internship in consulting last year in London.
My situation is that I have a US permanent resident card, which gives me right to work but requires that I be in the US. This means staying in London post grad is a risk.
My question is should I pursue an MiM in the US at a target to try for recruiting again in a year's time, or just move to the US and try to use my Imperial undergrad and networking to break in without additional education? I have reservations about both routes, but would love to hear any input.
My thinking for each is:
MiM: The postgrad schools are not targets in the same way undergrads are, so it may end up being an expensive waste.
Move, no further education: 95% of recruiting happens through on-campus so moving with nothing but a dream isn't going to pan out well.
Thank you
Looking to move to the USA for grad consulting - MiM or just take another job and apply later?
Hi there,
Q: Should I pursue an MiM in the US at a target to try for recruiting again in a year's time, or just move to the US and try to use my Imperial undergrad and networking to break in without additional education?
If these are the only two options you would like to consider, I would recommend trying first to break into consulting without additional education, leveraging referrals (your option 2).
If that doesn’t work, then you might consider working for a few years and applying again after that. If that also doesn’t work, you can enroll in an MBA and apply again after that.
I don’t see the advantage of the MIM, unless you are sure you won’t be considered with your current background.
An additional option would be to join a consulting firm in the UK and transfer to the US after a few years (they should be able to help with the visa after you reach a certain seniority).
Good luck!
Francesco
Hi there,
Firstly, message Imperial to get my course - we currently have a contract where you can get access to my full course for free! This should help with your screening issues.
My view is you should take the 3rd option: You need to do another round of networking and applying to try to get a US role before moving. Did you apply to 40+ firms and network with them beforehand and get your resume professionally reviewed?
If not, you need another round done right!
Additionally, you can always apply to do a degree in the US in parallel….see which one(s) land and make your choice then.
Hi there,
you should definitely try to secure some internal referrals for the US offices you want to apply to. If you got rejected everywhere at CV screening stage, chances are that your application documents are not “adequate enough” for a US audience and might have to be tailored in a different way. Sure, there could be timing issues with certain recruiting windows but if a firm thought you had a compelling profile, they’d typically let you know when to re-apply again rather than just reject you.
If you had more traction in the UK with your applications, you could also consider starting a consulting job there and then trying to transfer internally to one of their US locations after 2 years. Or applying to US firms again after that time but as an experienced hire.
If consulting is the kind of career you want to be in, then you should make sure to get a consulting job asap. At least you would be gaining relevant experience. Things like location could be adjusted over time as well.
Best
1st option: I don't thing the MiM will improve your situation in any way, so I would rule out this option
2nd option: I don't think you need to move to the US in order to network. As such, the best option would be to network extensively, but from the UK.
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