Engineering degree good for IT consulting?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>I was wondering for IT consultants whether or not you would want a software engineering degree. I'm thinking about possibly doing a double major in software engineering (btw does that even exist at the undergrad level, or is CE what I'm thinking?) and econ or some other business-related field (is econ good, or do you have any suggestions for a business major that relates to consulting), so is that good enough for the consulting firms?</p>

<p>Also, I've heard that for consulting, recruiting is often more regional, so can anyone tell me some "hot spots" for consulting? I'd like to be on the west coast, and near a big city (especially Seattle, but other cities in Cali work 2), so are there any firms in Seattle?</p>

<p>thanks again!</p>

2

<p>HP Tech Solutions is the pretty big (but relatively new) IT consulting branch of HP, headquartered in Palo Alto. You also have CSC (Computer Sciences Corp), headquartered near LA. Not sure of what else is headquartered out on the west coast, but there are companies from all over the world that recruit at top U.S. universities. Infosys, for example, is headquartered in Bangalore, India but actively recruits at top U.S. schools. Accenture is also huge for recruitment in the U.S., but is headquartered in Bermuda. Your best bet will be checking out lists of companies at the school's career fair to see what kind of exposure you'll get. </p>

<p>Here's a list you might be interested in:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IT_consulting%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IT_consulting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>
[quote]
Accenture is also huge for recruitment in the U.S., but is headquartered in Bermuda.

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</p>

<p>Yeah, but that's just for tax purposes. I would be greatly surprised if Accenture had little more than a few tax lawyers and accountants in the Bermuda office.</p>

4

<p>hey thanks lennon, that is actually something I've been looking for for quite awhile. Anyways, can anyone supply an answer to the first part of my question, because thats going to be important in me choosing which college I should go to.</p>

<p>I'd like to hear from Sakky since he's an expert in Consulting (much to the amusement of CCers)</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
I was wondering for IT consultants whether or not you would want a software engineering degree. I'm thinking about possibly doing a double major in software engineering (btw does that even exist at the undergrad level, or is CE what I'm thinking?)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Software engineering exists at some schools. But probably what you're really thinking of is a degree in computer science (not CE which is more hardware focused). Or perhaps information technology/MIS. Note that some schools house their IT program within another, like a Russian doll. For example, the IT program at MIT is housed within the MIT Sloan School of Management. </p>

<p><a href="http://mitsloan.mit.edu/undergrad/information-technologies.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://mitsloan.mit.edu/undergrad/information-technologies.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
and econ or some other business-related field (is econ good, or do you have any suggestions for a business major that relates to consulting

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</p>

<p>Obviously the clearest shot is obtained by simply majoring in business itself at a top undergrad B-school, i.e. at Wharton, Sloan, Haas, etc. </p>

<p>If you don't go to such a school, then economics can serve as a substitute. However, for IT consulting, it is still probably better to get an engineering/IT/CS degree. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Also, I've heard that for consulting, recruiting is often more regional, so can anyone tell me some "hot spots" for consulting? I'd like to be on the west coast, and near a big city (especially Seattle, but other cities in Cali work 2), so are there any firms in Seattle?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Hotspots for consulting are basically any large metro area. Most prominent would be the SF Bay Area, NYC, Los Angeles/SoCal, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, and so forth. </p>

<p>However, if you sign up for one of the big IT consultancies, you should be prepared to travel a lot, and I mean A LOT. It is very easy to end up spending more days of the year away from your home region than within it.</p>

6

<p>so true... consultant get relocated all the time</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
Hotspots for consulting are basically any large metro area. Most prominent would be the SF Bay Area, NYC, Los Angeles/SoCal, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, and so forth.

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</p>

<p>Arguably the most prominent ones should be those around DC – aka “the 495 beltway venders” parasites on the back of Government/DOD</p>

8

<p>Just get a CS degree and get a MBA in Finance or MIS, Undergrad business is 100% common sense and is a waste of time.</p>

<p>I have been told this by about 11 advisor's and employers, they all recommend staying away from undergrad business.</p>

<p>I really dont want to be a Consultant, I want to work in a Company that looks to be rather than a Consultant.</p>

<p>My plan</p>

<p>I already have about 15 certs including CCNA,CCNP, MCSE, MCSA,MCDBA, GIAC, a few Citrix and a few Redhat.</p>

<p>I am a Computer engineering B.S/M.S student at UB and focus mostly on Algorithms,Systems Administration and OS Internals.</p>

<p>When I graduate in about 1.5 years, I plan to work IT, I have already made a few connections. Though I think Id like to work at an Investing company so I can stay in NYC.</p>

<p>Then after 2-3 years, of banking all of my salaries, I will go get a MBA(hopefully paid for by my employer).</p>

<p>The Business stuff to me is a Joke, I have sit in MBA classes and such, even undergrad business class and it is all common sense. So I will stay away for stuff like that.</p>

9

<p>
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I have been told this by about 11 advisor's and employers, they all recommend staying away from undergrad business.

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</p>

<p>Well, considering just how many UG business students (from the top schools) get hired into IT consulting firms, it certainly seems to me that somebody is not practicing what they're preaching. </p>

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[quote]
The Business stuff to me is a Joke, I have sit in MBA classes and such, even undergrad business class and it is all common sense. So I will stay away for stuff like that.

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</p>

<p>Well, to be honest, most of consulting (IT or otherwise) is basically common-sense. Heck, even most straight IT work basically requires little more knowledge than what you would get from just reading the documentation. </p>

<p>Look, the truth is, most of the things you learn in college, you will never use anyway. I agree that business classes are often times little more than common sense and are therefore useful solely as networking opportunities. But frankly, that by itself makes them more valuable than most other college courses (for, as I said, most college courses teach you things you will never use).</p>

10

<p>That depends what type of It you are doing, Most of the stuff I have done is Diagnostic work, which really has nothing to do with common sense, it takes alot of skills and experience to be productive.</p>

<p>I personally think people with MIS degrees aren't to capable. No offense to them but taking 2-3 semesters of computer classes doesn't say to much. I have been told to get a Engineering degree, either EE or CS or both and get a MBA. This is by alot of people who Have the EE + MBA and they are all excessively successful.</p>

<p>Ive also met alot of MIS majors and they suck at what they do.</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
That depends what type of It you are doing, Most of the stuff I have done is Diagnostic work, which really has nothing to do with common sense, it takes alot of skills and experience to be productive.</p>

<p>I personally think people with MIS degrees aren't to capable. No offense to them but taking 2-3 semesters of computer classes doesn't say to much. I have been told to get a Engineering degree, either EE or CS or both and get a MBA. This is by alot of people who Have the EE + MBA and they are all excessively successful.</p>

<p>Ive also met alot of MIS majors and they suck at what they do.

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</p>

<p>If we were just talking about sheer rigor of the major, then I would agree with you that MIS is clearly less rigorous than CS or EE. </p>

<p>But that's not the real issue on the table. The truth is, a lot of the rigor you can get is strictly unnecessary. Frankly, you just don't need to know a lot of the things that these rigorous programs put you through. </p>

<p>Of course it is true that a lot of MIS majors suck at what they do. That is why it is important to get an MIS degree at a GOOD school.</p>

12

<p>wow I'm reviving this thread from the dead lol. But its only because I didn't think it was getting replies, and its only after searching for consulting that I found people actually responded. But I digress.</p>

<p>So basically what you guys are saying is that if I want to do IT consulting, I should either do EE or CS (or both) and then get an MBA from a good school right? That sounds simple enough, but I'm worried about a few things that I was wondering if you guys could clear up for me a bit:</p>

<p>a. Although I have a good shot at USC and Michigan from what I hear, lets say that I don't go to a super prestigious school for undergrad (lets say University of Washington, which I heard is great for EE and CS btw, but its not exactly a household name like MIT), does that pretty much screw me over for getting into a good MBA program? Also, since I've heard MBA schools will make up for bad GPA (which could result from doing EECS) by having work experience, would not having a business degree and thus not getting a finance or something type job hurt me here?</p>

<p>b. I've heard people say that IT consulting is dangerous because there is a lot of outsourcing. But isn't that kind of wrong because according to CNN money, software jobs (IT would require some skills with software I would think) are the best jobs in the future, and the IT field is growing? Is there perhaps a certain specialty I could do that is less outsourced (I've heard security is a good one, but are there any IT consulting jobs in this field?)</p>

<p>thanks</p>

13

<p>There are IT guys who deal 100% with hardware and for this a CEN or EE degree may be worth it. The rest deal directly with software and a CS is fine. Many deal with both, so CEN is the best of both,</p>

<p>Getting a engineering degree is alot harder than a business degree. I mean a lot harder. To some folks, like myself, I think its worth it. I think MIS people have no right to even be around computers, i find them to be dumb dumbs. and well most are CS dropouts. </p>

<p>As for the MBA, I go to the University at Buffalo(not a household name by a long shot) and I am looking at stern for my MBA. So what you should do is get into the best school that you think fits you the best. Dont be fooled by rankings and the media. The only thing a top school will offer you over a smaller school is more research options(you wont need these with your plans. Engineering is not like other majors, as the education you receive at #220 ranked school is not much different than the #7 ranked school.</p>

<p>So like i said,m go to the school you like the best. I got into RPI but chose Buffalo, simply because I felt it was better for me. The tuition was cheaper and i couldn't have made a better choice. </p>

<p>Any job is outsourceable except a gravedigger and a garbageman. Even doctors jobs are going overseas these days. The big thing working in your advantage, is that as America remains as the top country in the world, we have a never ending need for IT people in security. You cant outsource the IT guys job that is in control of our aviation or the white house website.</p>

<p>hope that helps some.</p>

<p>Just be warned, IT is really rigorous, its not like being a new doctor and the resident asks you a question that you don't know and its ok because you are still learning. in IT you need to know everything possible. There are no excuses, and about 98% of the stuff you will need to know for your job will never be taught to you.</p>

14

<p>
[quote]
Getting a engineering degree is alot harder than a business degree. I mean a lot harder. To some folks, like myself, I think its worth it. I think MIS people have no right to even be around computers, i find them to be dumb dumbs. and well most are CS dropouts.

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</p>

<p>Well, to put it all in perspective, I think it's fair to point out that I have worked with plenty of IT consultants who don't have a degree in any technical subject, but have majored in things like journalism or English. If MIS grads know less than CS grads, they at least know more than THOSE guys did. Nevertheless, those guys, despite knowing (by their own admission) relatively little, still managed to make very high salaries anyway. </p>

<p>Such is the nature of IT. Frankly speaking, you don't actually have to know that much on a broad and aggregate level. All you have to do is just happen to know a highly specific piece of technology deeply, and if that technology happens to become popular, you can rake in a boatload of money, at least for as long as that technology stays hot. Of course the perennial problem is that technologies will become white-hot for a while and then cool off very quickly. So you can make quite a bit of money for awhile, but if you don't transition to a new hot technology, you can quickly find yourself out of a job. </p>

<p>
[quote]
a. Although I have a good shot at USC and Michigan from what I hear, lets say that I don't go to a super prestigious school for undergrad (lets say University of Washington, which I heard is great for EE and CS btw, but its not exactly a household name like MIT), does that pretty much screw me over for getting into a good MBA program? Also, since I've heard MBA schools will make up for bad GPA (which could result from doing EECS) by having work experience, would not having a business degree and thus not getting a finance or something type job hurt me here?

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</p>

<p>You're not 'screwed over' by attending a not-so-famous undergrad school. But it does make things harder, specifically because the most famous schools are most likely to land you in a top job at the most prestigious firms that are then likely to land you in a top MBA program. </p>

<p>A finance job (i.e. Ibanking) is probably the most direct path to getting an MBA. But it's not for everybody. If you have no interest in finance, then don't do it. </p>

<p>
[quote]
b. I've heard people say that IT consulting is dangerous because there is a lot of outsourcing. But isn't that kind of wrong because according to CNN money, software jobs (IT would require some skills with software I would think) are the best jobs in the future, and the IT field is growing? Is there perhaps a certain specialty I could do that is less outsourced (I've heard security is a good one, but are there any IT consulting jobs in this field?)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Is IT dangerous because of outsourcing? Yes and no. There is no doubt that some IT jobs are very easily outsourced and most likely will be in the near future, if they haven't been already. I would say that any IT job that can be performed by just sitting in a room in front of a rack of computer systems, with little face-to-face interaction or input with anybody is probably a strong candidate for outsourcing. </p>

<p>On the other hand, those IT jobs that require intimate and tacit understanding of a company's processes are extremely difficult to outsource. For example, the IT analysis and integration of a particular firm's internal operations and workflow is a job that is extremely difficult to outsource, not least because most firms don't even know themselves what their actual workflow and internal ops look like. Those particular IT tasks that rely on intimate cultural knowledge, or on information that is difficult to articulate are jobs that are highly difficult to outsource. For example, the design of IT user interfaces is a job that is quite difficult to outsource, as such a job requires understanding what customers want, when the fact is, most customers themselves don't even know what they really want, and certainly can't perfectly articulate what they want. The deep linkages of IT systems to enhance internal processes is also one that is difficult to outsource.</p>

15

<p>in reference to your answer to part A, does going to an above average firm hurt you that much for MBA? My dream MBA school is Stanford (haha keep dreaming I know), but since UW can most likely land me at most at an above average firm, is that really going to keep me that out of going to a top MBA? And even then, are the lives of consultants that don't make the Big 6 or whatever in consulting not making a good living? I mean, not everyone CAN go to those firms, so how do those that go to good (but not necessarily the apex of firms) do? This is kinda where I see myself at. Not at the very top, but still going to a well above average firm. And since UW is in seattle, aren't there any firms that recruit since that is a large city?</p>

16

<p>here's something I found:</p>

<p><a href="http://depts.washington.edu/careers/job-intern/complist.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://depts.washington.edu/careers/job-intern/complist.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>this lists the companies that recruit at University of Washington. I was wondering if any of these companies are good IT consulting or good consulting firms in general. </p>

<p>Also, this is kinda random, but I'd like to work for a clothing company possibly, and I was wondering what type of consulting would be prominent at companies such as Abercrombie or Nike LOL. Is there any IT application at these places, or what type of consulting would I wanna do if I want a good chance of being a consultant for these types of companies?</p>