Don’t stress out about what you want to do - most people don’t know; just try to explore your options.
B.E. Manufacturing
CGPA: 9.57
EXPERIENCE
Sep 2019 - present
BCG
Associate
BCG works with top business and government bodies across different sectors. At BCG I have had exposure to practice areas like energy, consumer durables and industrial goods along with functional areas like operations, consumer insight and go-to-market strategy.
Jan 2019 - Jun 2019
Amazon
Area Manager Intern
My PS2 at Amazon gave me exposure to operation management especially in an-ecommerce set up. I chose this internship because I wanted to explore e-commerce and operations before assessing whether to enter the field full time.
May 2018 - Jul 2018
Institute of Automotive management Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
Research Intern
I worked on some technical problem statements which involved designing redundant configurations for robotic assembly lines. It was an enriching experience and provided me with a lot of exposure to core operations management research.
QnA
It is a challenging job as it typically consumes 60-70 hours of work a week. Since my role is client facing, most of my time goes in interacting with the clients and devising solutions for their business problems. Collective brainstorming sessions with the team and identifying the future course of action for the client takes up the majority of time. Then a good fraction of time also goes into making presentations detailing our approach and solutions.
The first round was resume shortlisting and that was followed by 3-4 case interviews, a month later.
40 days are enough for case preparation. Case prep typically happens in groups of 2-4 and there are ample online & offline resources to guide you through the same. Typically consulting firms also assign buddies who help you help you get better at the process. The case prep period will not only help you learn how consulting companies solve client problems but will also help you think and communicate in a more structured and comprehensive manner.
You can further build a strong foundation in college and set yourself for consulting prep by doing some electives like supply chain management, operation management and finance electives.
I wanted to do operations management and I realized that a place like BCG will give me a lot of exposure in the industrial sector & will help me understand how companies across different sectors function. I did my internship at Amazon which gave me a lot of exposure to one type of operations and BCG on the other hand introduced me to a completely different side of operations in sectors like energy, cement, mining, metallurgy and young start-ups as well.
I approached Prof. Spengler at TU Braunschweig through one of my professors at BITS, Prof. Sangwan. Prof. Sangwan’s recommendation made it easy for me to get a research internship there. My experience at the Institute of Automotive Management, TU Braunschweigh was amazing. I worked on some highly technical problem statements around designing redundant configurations for robotic assembly lines and I learnt a lot.
In academia, you deal with very theoretical, challenging problems and are working on future problems and hence the development process is really slow. In management roles in industry, immediate client impact can be seen and problems aren’t that technologically challenging as compared to academia. As a result, industry or corporate is much more fast paced as compared to research. A lot depends on the role also, like the R&D sector in industry is very similar to academia. But the management side of the industry majorly focuses on clients needs.
It really helped me, but my main motivation behind PoRs wasn’t getting a job. I didn’t take them with the motive of going into consulting but because I was really passionate about working for those organizations. The PORs helped me gain confidence and provided me exposure. My advice would be to not take PORs just for the sake of landing your dream job but instead only if you really like working for that post, else it’s not worth it.
I wanted to be sure about the field that I wanted to pursue my MS in and what I expected out of the course. Consulting would provide me exposure to multiple sectors and functional areas and hence I chose corporate before going for Masters.
Multiple options open up depending upon where you are pursuing your masters. You can get into academia & do a PhD or work in MNCs and choose the kind of sector you want to work in.
In the academic hours, I attended all the classes which helped me to get a good understanding of the concepts while being in the class itself and thus for the rest of the time, it was really easy to manage the co-curriculars and manage PORs. I utilized the breaks between classes to study. So just managing my time effectively along with following a daily schedule really helped me - I would allocate the amount of time across academics, co-curriculars, personal hobbies and social life.
Initially I was focused to score well due to a lower BITSAT score and self doubt about whether I would be able to compete in a place like BITS. But later in second and third years, it was mostly because of my genuine interest in those courses. I really liked my mechanical and manufacturing courses. I was lucky to have figured this out early in life and this was the main reason for my high CG. It's good and really helpful to identify what works best for you - classroom based learning or online learning. Ever since my first year, I was very sure that studying regularly was my thing and that suited me. I wanted to apply for masters and that was one more reason for me focusing on my CG.
There is a massive set of learnings I took away from BITS. Firstly, with our academics, we tend to develop a feeling of ownership while choosing our courses and making our timetables. Secondly, the 0% attendance rule gives you the freedom to choose your career and brings a lot of independence to pursue what interests you. On the softer side, understanding how to deal with people in teams due to the clubs and departments is something which will surely help you. Largely BITS has a great social culture in terms of clubs and departments, fests, unions, etc. which helps you understand how different people think and function. Dealing with a diverse set of people while being at BITS is something which will help you in future. Moreover the bonds that you form at BITS stay with you for a lifetime.
I gave GRE in my 3-2 post midsems. Given I was planning to sit for placements in 4-1, I was worried I might be short on time closer to applications. Moreover, a timely attempt would be give me the window to repeat the GRE if I didn’t score that well in my first attempt. In terms of preparations, I started brushing up my vocabulary first and closer to the exam, I started attempting the problems in GRE books. I tried to improve my Quant later and did a lot of practice questions to ensure I was consistently getting a full score. I was trying to make sure that I didn't make silly mistakes and improved my accuracy.
No, it isn’t that necessary to pursue an MBA to grow in Consulting. There are undergrads who didn’t pursue MBA but have grown to become Partners at BCG. Thus, there isn’t a set formula for growth.
Work in consulting companies by trying to get an internship and see if you really like it. Talk to your seniors who are already in this field. Develop a strong problem-solving ability and try to do case studies & competitions. Learn to work in a team and improve your communication skills. Develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills.
My advice to students who are confused right now is that first of all don't stress yourself too much, as in college you have a limited view but as and when you step out you will get a much broader view.
Secondly, plan for the short term if you don't have very long term goals. Gain as much exposure as you can while being in college, and experiment and explore all the options. Always remember that you can switch jobs even after placements.
Lastly, chase something only if you are really interested in it and not blindly. Don't put yourself under pressure and just keep exploring.