<p>so I'm going to be a rising junior in chemE this fall, and to be honest.... I still don't know what I wanna do. I'm pretty sure that I don't want to work a purely technical engineering job and be stuck in a plant/refinery/lab the rest of my life.</p>
<p>what are some of my options? I hear 'management' getting mentioned a lot, but I'm in the dark about the details. is it managing company assets or people or what? and does it actually require technical knowledge or just business skills?</p>
<p>I also hear 'consulting' getting thrown around a lot. what exactly is it that you're consulting? and do I need an MBA for this?</p>
<p>lastly, if I were to apply to b-school, what are some of the specific things they are looking for? I guess good gpa/gmat is a given, but in terms of qualities/traits, courses taken, work experience, etc.</p>
<p>My advice is to get a full-time job after college and work at least 3 years in your field before you apply to MBA schools. By then, you will know if management is right for you after gaining exposure and experience in a company. The average age of MBA students is mid-to-late 20s.</p>
<p>The engineers you meet in business school come from a variety of backgrounds. It's not about what you study but how you will use you MBA to propel your career even further.</p>
<p>I have a BS in ChemE and am pursuing an MBA. I spent the last 9 years as an engineer the pharmaceutical arena and have found that my entrepreneurial desires weren't being fullfilled. That, and I go laid off from work. I'm in consulting now, and can see myself liking this.</p>
<p>Every field has a need for people with an MBA, engineering is no exception. </p>
<p>Operations management is a big need, and doesn't require an MBA to get into. However, an MBA will help you to advance to director level and beyond.</p>
<p>Consulting is big. You can consult in anything from business management, strategy, SAP, technology development, etc. Anything really. The analytical skills you learn as an engineer coupled with a sound business education make you attractive to any industry. Or, like me, you can narrow your scope to a specific industry, field, or technology.</p>
<p>There's also a lot of engineers (especially industrial) with an MBA in brand management, sales, and marketing roles. Using their understanding of supply chain management (also good for engineers with MBA) coupled with markety analysis skills and backgorunds these people generally rise fast in corporate settings.</p>
<p>Don't let an engineering degree make you think you have to be an engineer. Set your sight out 5 years and ask yourself what do you want to be doing? Also, if you want to be technical, don't think that an MS is the only direction to go either. I think it takes a lot of inner reflection to answer these questions. If you want to apply technology and not just develop it (or improve it) than an MBA may be your best course of action.</p>