<p>I created this thread to ask about the flexibility of an MBA. If one were to work for a Bulge Bracket consulting firm for 3-5 years, then graduate from a top MBA program, would that person have to go back to consulting? I've heard that bankers who didn't like the long, grueling hours typically gravitate towards another field, but do other fields have that same flexibility?</p>
<p>Also, using my HBS example: say that same person who just graduated from HBS and has a decent amount of work experience in consulting wants to try his hand at banking...does he have a shot? I mean, the person has no work experience in banking, so does having that MBA from a top firm mean that he can get a job at a top ibank (at the associate level) without any ibank work-experience? </p>
<p>I know this question must seem quite elementary to most, but unfortunately this is not the case with me...so please, enlighten the ignorant!</p>
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so does having that MBA from a top firm mean that he can get a job at a top ibank (at the associate level) without any ibank work-experience?
<p>For an MBA candidate looking the change fields, the summer job that person gets between first and second year of business school will often be determinative of future career path.</p>
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I created this thread to ask about the flexibility of an MBA. If one were to work for a Bulge Bracket consulting firm for 3-5 years, then graduate from a top MBA program, would that person have to go back to consulting? I've heard that bankers who didn't like the long, grueling hours typically gravitate towards another field, but do other fields have that same flexibility?
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<p>Most consultants eventually leave consulting for another field. In fact, most people enter consulting with the express purpose of getting into another field, and just use consulting as a way to see different industries and build their network. Very few people actually intend to do consulting for the long haul. </p>
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Also, using my HBS example: say that same person who just graduated from HBS and has a decent amount of work experience in consulting wants to try his hand at banking...does he have a shot? I mean, the person has no work experience in banking, so does having that MBA from a top firm mean that he can get a job at a top ibank (at the associate level) without any ibank work-experience?
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<p>He has an excellent shot. I know many who have done just that. Sallyawp is correct, it depends strongly on whatever summer internship you get. But even if you don't have a good internship, you still have an excellent shot.</p>
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work for a Bulge Bracket consulting firm for 3-5 years
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<p>Just for the record, there's no such thing as a "Bulge Bracket consulting firm".</p>
<p>The term "Bulge Bracket" has long been associated with the top tier/ elite Investment Banks (i.e. Goldman, Morgan, Merrill, Salomon, Lehman, First Boston) because they underwrote the "Bulge" (or majority) of securities decade after decade (those six firms have held the top 5-6 spots for fixed income and equity underwriting for every decade over the last 50 years give or take) as evidenced by the top line of tombstone ads ("bulged together") that cite the firms involved in major deals done published by financial papers such as the WSJ.</p>
<p>The point is simply this: don't use the term "bulge bracket consulting firm" if you are interviewing.</p>