Dear fellow consultants,I need your advise. I graduated with an undergraduate business degree in the US (GMU to be precise), and have recently been offered a position with Wolseley, a manufacturing compnay based in the UK. My position is in the Graduate Training Program, and involves learning about bathroom fixtures, plumbing, piping, and toilets. Its in four phases: warehouse, inside/outside sales, operations manegemnt, and finance.Now my problem, thus reason for being on this Forum. My GPA is 3.85/4.00, major in finance and marketing, have 1 year of summer experience (4months* 3times) with the federal govt, Fortune 500 companies, and have worked as an Analyst/Business Advisor doing hard core analytical and business research, with an aim to increase productivity and/or effeciency.Wolseley is not intellectually challenging, but physically yes. So, if I do plan to join Wolseley, how can I enter management consulting. I graduated in May 2007, spent sometime travelling overseas, and have been applying rigirously for the past few months...but no serious leads beyond Wolseley. I have 0 interest in Wolseley, if that helps. But, should I suck it in hopes that a Management Consulting firm may view my "dirty hands on, physical experience" as worthwhile, coupled with my strong analytical, writing, and marketing skills.Please respond ASAP, as I am desperate for answers.

Ken, I do find your posting all rather bizarre. I have absolutelt no idea what your qualifications mean as they are in US terms but for someone who wants to enter MC working in the bathroom fixtures industry doesn't really look to be the way forward.There are heaps of MC firms in the US and many of them are global. I get the idea that you want to work in the UK. Have you approached any of the Fortune 500 companies you've had stints with? Surely even the Fed Govt have soem sort of project management dept? It might not be the worst idea to get a toe hold in one of these places to get some exposure to the industry for a year, 18 months and then you can put a bit of experience down on your CV, sorry - resume.The fact that you may be able to sort out a blocked pipe might not be quite what the HR numpties are attracted to.All the best.

My advice is simple. If you're serious about your career (MC or otherwise) don't take a job that you have zero interest in.Keep applying to MC firms if that is what you want to do. If you've missed the window for graduate recruitment, do some charity/volunteer work which has real opporunities for leadership/personal dev etc.That way you'll have something to set yourself apart for the next round of graduate recruitment.

I agree, and thanks for your responses. MC is my goal as you may have gathered through my background. I enjoy analyzing issues, researching best practices, meeting with clients, assessing their needs, and have strong analytical skills. I am proficient in many analytical software programs (excel, SPSS, SAS, word, etc...), and above all I enjoy writing, and meeting with people, and esp. the travel is something I look forward to.This opportunity to work at Wolseley (a manufacturing distributor) came as my applications were leading no where. I would work initially in a warehouse, followed by counter and inside sales, Ops. Management, and some financial work. Wolseley has over $2.5bn in revenue. The work initially -- would be mundane, I would lose some part of my creativity, and may not be intellectually challenging. I would learn a great deal about warehousing, and how manufacturing distributors operate from A-Z. The reason I am interested is becuase of its name, but again it is a tough sell to many HR depts. What do you think?

The Wolseley job will not be analytical at all. It will give you experience of dealing with people and will give you a good grounding for possible General Management career in any business......though I think they are a distribution business not a manfacturer.On the other hand Consulting is completely analytical. Whilst more intellectual (at first), it may give you opportunities in analytical roles in business or in project management. However it does not generally lead to senior General Management roles.IMO consulting is over rated. You have to work longer hours, for less pay, with less control over what you do, and more pressure.Little chance of going from Wolseley to consulting without doing an MBA. However I would go for it, get some experience, and in your spare time study for an MBA or CIMA. Then you have options.

Well, HR glamour girls aren't usually impressed by talk of bogs and the like on the CV. Neither do the sterotypical nail-filing retail therapy lovers get excited by talk of manufacturing, warehouses or analytical software programs. And don't expect either that you'll be able to blag your way into McKinsey or the like by flexing your muscles, growing a five o'clock shadow and charming the sassy HR vixens with blue collar roughneck talk about "dirty, hands on experience".What you do have however is a really great opportunity in my opinion. Wolseley is a good company. They take training seriously and are a good bunch to work with. "Real" people if you know what I mean, none of this lofty Wall St high city finance and metrosexual polished £400 shoes stuff and the like. Providing you're earning a half-decent crust there, I'd say this is pretty much as happy a working environment as anyone could want. You'll be able to enjoy your working environment and then go home to enjoy your home life too. You really can't get much better than that, can you?!And Warwickshire's a beautiful place to live, if that's where you're going to be based.

Thanks, and you are right it is distribution company, not manufacturing. So, it will be tough to go from this to MC, unless I do a MBA. Problem: I spoke to other employees at Wolseley, and thier bosses are never intrigued with a MBA from a top-tier business school. So, I quit my job after a few years do a MBA, and then go into MC -- is the only route. I am guessing it will be a tough sell to go directly from Wolseley to MC??

Thanks, and you are right it is distribution company, not manufacturing. So, it will be tough to go from this to MC, unless I do a MBA. Problem: I spoke to other employees at Wolseley, and thier bosses are never intrigued with a MBA from a top-tier business school. So, I quit my job after a few years do a MBA, and then go into MC -- is the only route. I am guessing it will be a tough sell to go directly from Wolseley to MC??

Is physical fitness, not a criteria for management consulting. I thought flexing those muscles, and showing those abs would be a definite entry into MC firms. You would probably achieve it during your stint at Wolseley. So, analytical + hevay lifting + physical attributes= a golden entry to McKinsey, or BCG. No??

If I may add working at Wolseley where the work is not so intellectually challenging, you may lose focus for a MBA, and it may reflect in your overall growth. You may lose your ingenuitity, and creative minds, and when you go to write the GMAT you may have a really hard time to crack above 700. Be who you are, and aim for something that is intellectually rigirous. While I admire the guys who work at Wolseley, or in plumbing they general, but as a Management Consultant we dont see eye to eye on many matters, and when of them being "analytically rigirous". Others may share the same thoughts? please share.

Can someone else please comment on the above post by dt. I have to make a real decision soon, and confused. Is it REALLY true that it will be impossible to crack the 700 by working at Wolseley?

Ken with regards to cracking 700, remember the advice you receive here is worth every penny you pay for it...

Wolseley (plumbing and heating) to MC, what a joke? You have to be kidding me right. Am I missing something?

See, I told you the bimbos wouldn't be impressed!But it's a great opportunity... personally I'd give it some serious consideration.

The Senior Vice President, why would you wnat to work at Wolseley, if everyone else thinks it is not worth the time nor efforts. Yuor previous posts do not give any clear reasons either.