INSIDE VSB
Charting New Paths VSB is well known for graduates pursuing careers in more traditional business fields such as finance, accounting and marketing, among others with great success. However, two industries that are gaining significant momentum are management consulting and fashion. Although the career paths are quite distinct, they share similar keys to success: peer-to-peer engagement through student societies, alumni networking and mentoring, and the cultivation of employer partnerships.
Careers in Management Consulting The consulting industry represents one of the largest sectors of the business world, yet as recently as five or six years ago, there were few Villanova graduates entering the field at the internship or entry levels. Now, consulting is the third most popular career path upon graduation for VSB students. Among the 76 class of 2019 Villanova graduates whose first post-graduation role was consulting, 41 were from VSB. Students are landing highly coveted internships and full-time opportunities with firms such as Accenture, Ankura, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte Consulting, EY, FTI, McKinsey & Company, Mercer, Oliver Wyman, Protiviti, and Strategy&. Much of the momentum toward consulting has been driven by students, who formed the Villanova Consulting Group (VCG) a few years ago as a means to increase awareness and help students prepare for the unique case interview method used by consulting firms. VCG offers numerous educational and training opportunities through professional-development workshops and organizes events that feature VU alumni who work in consulting. VCG's Faculty Advisor, Steve Kelly, professor of practice, Management & Operations—who was a senior partner at McKinsey & Company—advises students with an interest in consulting, and helps them pursue opportunities with leading firms. In 2018, under the guidance of Stephen Andriole, PhD, the Thomas G. Labrecque Professor of Business Technology, VSB created the Management Consulting concentration. The concentration builds creative problem-solving skills and helps students apply their theoretical knowledge of business against real-world challenges. The VSB O’Donnell Center for Professional Development and the University Career Center have been instrumental in building the momentum toward consulting by supporting the efforts of VCG, expanding and nurturing alumni relationships, and developing key industry recruiting partnerships.
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According to VCG President Ha Dinh ’21 VSB, the group—which now boasts nearly 500 members—aims to engage students from a wide range of backgrounds, majors and areas of interest.
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Success in management consulting is not dependent on your course of study, but rather demonstrating the ability to solve problems and having a willingness to work with people.”
