smurfit masters - need help!

srg2729

hi,
Im currrently in my last year studying commerce. I plan on doing a masters next year to get into management consultancy. I've noticed that there are a few options which lead to this. If anyone has done the masters in management consultancy in smurfit, or others like strategic management and planning or project management, I'd appreciate some advice and opininons on which masters is better etc.
Thanks!

PK2008

Well it kind of depends on your background. If you have significant work experiince then you might consider doing the MBA which would be a sought after qualification by management consulting firms and join a consulting firm as an experienced hire, though Im guessing you are going straight from undergrad to post grad in which case you would probably be better applying to consulting firms' graduate programmes- you dont actually need a masters to do that so you can just go for it and do a masters in a few years if you need to.

If you really want to go straight into post grad then it doesnt really matter which one of those masters you pick (from the employers point of view) as they are all relevant to management consulting.

However I would say that the masters in management consulting will at least give you more of a flavour for the industry and may give you exposure to the big firms through coursework so from your point of view that one maybe more valuable.

Competition for consulting firms is fierce so I would recommend doing the one which you have a genuine interest in as this will help you achieve better results which is one (of many) attributes consulting firms look far.

Max001

OP, I've been a management consultant for several years now and have friends who've worked in different Big 4 companies, plus I've employed consultants on a variety of projects. If you've talked to consultants in the Big 4, which I assume is where you wish to go, and have received a balanced view of what your early career will be like - fine. If not, you may want to, before you commit yourself. What I'm saying is, go in with your eyes open. Many people get a shock when they find out what its really like.

cerebus

One thing you could do is check to see what employers actively recruit from the various courses/colleges you are considering. Many companies will have a relationship with a number of schools, and even specific courses at these schools, and will target graduates from these.

If you touch base with the career services office in Smurfit they should be able to provide some information about where graduates from the masters in management consultancy have gone afterwards - think of it as a due diligence exercise before you make an investment in your education.

Max001 wrote: »

OP, I've been a management consultant for several years now and have friends who've worked in different Big 4 companies, plus I've employed consultants on a variety of projects. If you've talked to consultants in the Big 4, which I assume is where you wish to go, and have received a balanced view of what your early career will be like - fine. If not, you may want to, before you commit yourself. What I'm saying is, go in with your eyes open. Many people get a shock when they find out what its really like.

Just wondering, when you say Big 4, what firms do you mean? Do you mean the strategy shops like McKinsey, Bain and BCG? I'm just interested who you have as #1-#4

stephen369

hey just wondering have you made a decision on the course?? I am going doing the project management course. I applied for the consultancy course as well but project management was my first choice...