ChemistryManagement Consultant
Self-attested. The author confirmed their identity to us. The content itself is unchecked.2 yr 3 mo total5 stepsNight Shift(anonymous)
EducationWorkResearch & projectsMoveApplications & outreachFinancialPivotSetback
Starting conditions
- Institution
- Regional Public University
- Major
- Chemistry
- GPA band
- 3.0-3.4
- Graduated
- 2017
- Location
- Chicago, United States
- No professional network
- Non-target school
- Visa constraints
Limited exposure to the destination field at the start.
The sequence5 steps
- Networking9 mo
Attended consulting information sessions and coffee chats
- Project5 moPivotal
Completed 40 practice cases with a partner
Start this earlier than feels necessary.
- Application4 mo
First recruiting cycle
First recruiting cycle. This took 4 months and was slower than expected.
Obstacle
Applied broadly without understanding what the reviewers actually screened on.
How it was resolved
Narrowed the list and applied early in the cycle rather than late.
- Setback3 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.
- Application6 mo
Second recruiting cycle
Second recruiting cycle. This took 6 months and was slower than expected.
Evidence for this step
Outcome
Management consultant offer
Boutique strategy firm
Reflection
Would repeat
- Starting the outreach earlier than felt comfortable.
Would skip
- The first application cycle, which I entered underprepared.
Biggest obstacle
Having no contacts in the field, which made every early step slower than it needed to be.
What was luck
- One person answered a cold email who did not have to.