BCG Workshop on “Careers in Consulting” held on August 10, 2005

“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, consult,” this is a common misconception among many people about the coveted profession of consulting. Consulting is a job which stimulates your intellect, deals with people and impacts the way an organization does business. Many B-school students aspire to join top global consulting firms when they graduate. The main reasons for this are the excellent pay packets, foreign postings and luxurious life-styles that accompany such jobs. But the knowledge about the job content and clarity about long-term career goals can help students make a firm decision. These were some of the views expressed in a talk on “Careers in Consulting” held at IIM Calcutta on August 10. The guest speakers included Vikram Bhalla, Saurabh Tripathi and other IIM Calcutta alumni from Boston Consulting Group, one of the top global consulting firms.

The guests gave their juniors an insight into the career path and nature of assignments of a consultant. Vikram Bhalla, a 1996 batch IIM Calcutta alumnus and now Partner in BCG, emphasized the importance of being sure of what one wants to do in life before taking the plunge. He looked back at his experience as a graduating student conceding that he feels he had chosen the right career but for wrong reasons due to lack of information. “The students face tremendous peer pressure but they should find out what they are really passionate about and take their career decision over a longer term, rather than in just 3 months before placements,” says Bhalla.

The speaker asserted that consulting can provide one with an accelerated career path along with exposure to a broad spectrum of management problems. Saurabh Tripathi, Principal, BCG and a 33rd Batcher from IIMC, discussed the kind of assignments a consultant works on using real industrial examples while Shaleen Sinha (38th Batch) reiterated how a consultant gets opportunities to work in projects with motley client teams and gain experience in various businesses.

The talk turned out to be an eye-opener for many students. “I have now realized that consulting is not a monotonous but an enriching profession with challenging assignments in diverse environments,” said Abhishek Roy, one such student. “Students at IIM Calcutta have a wider array of coveted career options to choose from, including Consulting, Investment Banking, Private Equity and even Hedge Funds, which translates into a greater dilemma for them. In this scenario, such events become particularly meaningful for our students,” opined Anupam Agarwal, another student.

The guests were also happy to return to their alma mater after a long time. They were also impressed by the huge turnout. As Shaleen said, “We hold such events at IIMC because students are very responsive and grasp the relevant issues easily, making for a fruitful interaction.” The final advice to the graduating class was summed up by Vikram Bhalla as he quoted Steve Jobs’ famous words: “You’ve got to find what you love… Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”