Question: I am a recent MBA graduate from a top Rated Business School and at this time I am contemplating a career in a company as opposed to joining a consulting firm and pursuing a consulting career. What are your thoughts on this idea?
The answer: This is a great hindsight question for me. This is because I received my MBA in 1969 from a top rated Business School and because I have worked in both corporations and the consulting arena during my 40- year professional career.
These are the differences I have experienced:
1. When you join a company right out of a Mba Program and you work in Finance, Marketing or Operations, at the outset, you are assigned tactical tasks. Go do this, take care of this and that. You are acting upon direction given to you by your supervisor. You are executing practical hands on stuff.
This can become quite a transition, because in your MBA you were doing analytical stuff, and now all on a sudden, in the workplace you find yourself doing tasks that have been thought out by others. This can be a great advantage for your future career, you learn by doing.
2. Whereas, when you join a consulting company you become an assistant or join a team where you will be asked to analyze stuff, do research, do a lot of data analysis and work as an analytical support person.
Here you continue what you were doing in your MBA program although the work would be much more focused and specific. This type of work has benefits for one's future career.
So, where should one go to, right after MBA? Well it depends on your individual future plans and ambitions. If you like doing things, executing, making things happen then go and directly work for a company, do not worry about what you do, just do it, be the best executor and soon you will see your career flourish.
