consulting vs. banking

College Majors Business Majors
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<p>Actually, it proves a lot. It shows that people who are not exactly social were able to reach the apex of business success. No, Gates did not invent the computer. You need to read up on the history of computer development. More importantly, Trump was far from being social during his college days. He’s known for having had little to no friends back in Wharton and spending more comfortable moments with his professors on Friday nights. Even today, he is networking from a purely professional and business perspective, not from a ‘let’s go party and get drunk’ viewpoint.</p>

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<p>Very few people who work on weekends are bad communicators. Of course, anomalies exist, but they are just that: anomalies in a sea of norms. No, you’re not expected to party every weekend in college. Any form of intelligence would tell you that occasional partying is healthy, but the excess party goers will deter their own prospects.</p>

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<p>Because accounting professors are boring, accountants must be anti-social, ergo consulting and IB must be more ‘hipper’ and ‘social.’ Good logic.</p>

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<p>If the numbers are the same. Very rarely does this happen. Those who club twice every weekend will perform worse than those who club every twice or three times a month.</p>

<p>I’m sure I’ve asked you already, but have you actually worked in any respectable firm as a formal intern or a full-time employee, now or in the past? No offense, but everything you utter wreaks of BS. Most of us here actually have first hand exposure to the atmosphere in places like the Big 4 and M/B/B. Dawgy’s original post is especially correct in describing your type of attitude towards college. Accept it now before reality slaps you in the face: you will not join the elite club of consultants, investment bankers, or accountants. </p>

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<p>Are you in high school? </p>

<p>I attend RSB, so I can’t speak for the Wharton students and other high caliber b-schools, but the middle of the week is when you’re only able to do moderate amounts of work while working part-time or doing EC’s. Weekends will inevitably be the only time left to perfect your studies in order to get the 3.8’ish GPA. Yes, you DO need around a 3.8 to get a good position in a good firm. Getting leadership positions in EC’s are also important.</p>

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<p>Agreed. Too many people don’t understand this point.</p>

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<p>You’re of course right, but they don’t get the point. Once they actually join the workforce in corporate America, they will learn to open their eyes. For now, they are simply idealists who are preaching what they wish to believe.</p>

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<p>I could tell you where I work to show the fact that people who actually have a life can accomplish more because of their natural ability to start up a random conversation with another human being, not a book.</p>

<p>But if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me because you think that bookwarms should rule the world. They don’t, just look at the president of the US, the governor of california or how most CEO’s of fortune 500 companies are all “frat dogs”</p>

<p>Your ability to point out a HUGE MINORITY means nothing. </p>

<p>and about the high school part… no im not. im a college student, and I work 10 hrs a week at most. if studying is so important to you why don’t you cut back on your EC’s cuz it sounds like you are trying to pad your resume.</p>

<p>And to finish, I don’t have a 3.8, I do have a 3.5, but let me tell you this… I will never regret losing nights in the library to fun and adventure. If me and some nerd both made the interview at any company, I would land it and the nerd would not.</p>

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<p>but the minority are the ones receiving the top job offers.</p>

<p>My life easily refutes your first statement. I am very much a homebody, but i doubt you can chat up a stranger better than I.</p>

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<p>I’ve never seen so much immaturity. How naive.</p>

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<p>btw interpersonal communication is very diverse. the guy who parties with his frat all the time can say he has good interpersonal skills… the guy who leads a team of volunteers on a community service project can say he has good interpersonal skills… and then it’s possible that both of them can’t effectively communicate with each other when put to work together.</p>

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<p>hallerbigballer your talking out of no where. your examples contradict yourself. </p>

<p>For ex.
You state

  1. Donald trump is social.
  2. People who don’t get smashed every saturday night aren’t social.
  3. Donald trump does not drink, AT ALL
  4. Therefore Donald Trump is not social
  5. Your logic fails</p>

<p>And I’m not even on the debate team :D</p>

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<p>You assume of course that there aren’t that many people who have social capital AND have high GPAs. Its easier for the nerd to at least fake sufficient social skills to land a job. Its harder for the hard partying club hopper to fake sufficient evidence of academic caliber to land a job (after screwing up his/her grades). Banking, consulting, and business doesn’t require an abundance of social capital. I can assure you a venture capitalist searching to invest in some 20-somethings startup will not be aided because s/he can down outrageous amounts of alcohol. On the other hand, it would help if the person was social enough to have a conversation and come across as a decent human being. Most “nerds” don’t have much difficulty doing that. </p>

<p>Also social capital isn’t measured by whether the individuals parties hard every weekend. If social capital was measured by the amount of tang and booze an individual got, consulting and IBs would be rushing to get to ASU. As these firms recruit at pretty selective schools (which aren’t as focused in that sort of social life), it tells you that the kids there have enough social skills to get the job done.</p>

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<p>screw all of you high school nerds, you have no idea what it takes to network and make it.</p>

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<p>personal attacks always show desperation.
good job.</p>

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<p>To the OP - I’m not sure of redhare’s background, but having been a management consulting professional for a decent while at a top firm, I can say that his statements are very accurate. </p>

<p>My average workweek would be 9am-7 or 8pm, with one night till 11 per week, and maybe once a month i’d have to come in for a few hours on saturday to get something done. I pulled one all-nighter in a 12-month period. There were <em>thinks</em> 3 or 4 weeks where my hours went up to 80-90, those were weeks leading up to a major presentation or deliverable. That definitely sucked long and hard, but it was rare.</p>

<p>The travel was a big plus. I racked up FF miles and Starwood/Hilton points like you wouldn’t believe, so i can basically take a vacation for free now. You can normally take a return trip to a city other than your home, if you want to visit someplace and are willing to pack for 2 weeks. Lots of consultants visit friends this way, or see interesting cities / go to concerts. And it’s a fantastic entree to business school - percentagewise, it’s easier to get into a top MBA program coming from a mgmt consultancy than from a finance position, even if finance wins by sheer volume. The money does not suck, and there’s less attrition among Associate+ level staff than in banking because it’s not a pyramid structure (i.e., if you can sell business, you can be a partner - it’s not like there’s one MD for the department and everyone’s killing each other to get that one job). You can do a lot worse.</p>