ChemistryManagement Consultant
Self-attested. The author confirmed their identity to us. The content itself is unchecked.Starting conditions
- Institution
- Community College
- Major
- Chemistry
- GPA band
- 3.8-4.0
- Graduated
- 2018
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Non-target school
The sequence7 steps
- Research1 yr 5 mo
Ran an undergraduate research group
Ran an undergraduate research group. This took 17 months and was slower than expected.
Start this earlier than feels necessary.
- Networking6 mo
Attended consulting information sessions and coffee chats
Attended consulting information sessions and coffee chats. This took 6 months and was slower than expected.
Evidence for this stepObstacle
No existing contacts in the field, and cold outreach mostly went unanswered.
How it was resolved
Stopped sending generic messages and wrote to a much smaller, more specific list.
- Project6 mo
Completed 40 practice cases with a partner
Completed 40 practice cases with a partner. This took 6 months and was slower than expected.
- Application2 mo
First recruiting cycle
First recruiting cycle. This took 2 months and was slower than expected.
- Setback1 moPivotal
Rejected at final round at two firms
Obstacle
The plan stalled here, and it was not obvious it would recover.
How it was resolved
Asked the people who rejected me what the specific disqualifier was, then fixed exactly that instead of everything at once.
Start this earlier than feels necessary.
Evidence for this step - Internship5 mo
Summer internship at a boutique firm
Summer internship at a boutique firm. This took 5 months and was slower than expected.
Evidence for this step - Application7 mo
Second recruiting cycle
Second recruiting cycle. This took 7 months and was slower than expected.
Evidence for this step
Outcome
Associate consultant offer
Reflection
Would repeat
- Starting the outreach earlier than felt comfortable.
Would skip
- The first application cycle, which I entered underprepared.
Biggest obstacle
Underestimating how long the prerequisite work would take alongside everything else.
What was luck
- One person answered a cold email who did not have to.