Hi, i qualified from Exeter in the Summer with a BA(Hons) degree in Accounting and Finance. I am eager to break into recruitment consultancy in the not too distant future. I have been offered funding to return to uni to do a Masters in a relevant subject. My choices are International Management or Risk Management. I am worried that the Risk option might be too specialised and narrow my future employment options. Does anyone have any advise about which course to go for and/or alternative routes into the consultancy field. Thanks

u don't need a masters, just apply to the grad recruitment schemes, it is one of the few entry points into consulting.u can enter after a masters too, but the masters will hardly add any value - not a silly MSc anyway.

What does that mean, not a silly MSc anyway ?!?! It isn't because you are a consultant that you can diss people who stay in academics longer than just a bachelors degree and that might find be happy studying a subject other than business.Furthermore, from my own experience an MSc might help. Especially if you are applying for the same role as undergrads.

thanks for that "MSc student"What MSc did you do and where? has it helped you secure a work placement?

IN the UK taught MSc postgrad degrees are just watered down collection of undergraduate modules, for people who didn't do that subject as an undergrad.So - just another year of useless bullshit learning.I am doing a MEng degree, and have done a year in industry. This extra masters year is just frustrating treadign water - I would much rather have left after Bachelor year and started earning big cahunas. Alas, I picked my pathway when I was 18, and I thought like you, that the best people had the most education.Believe me you will learn more in 6 weeks of real work than 6 years of a degree. My degree is 5 years, so don't gurn at me.

Hello:I am mexican business business consultant, with almost 17 years of professional experience, 12 of them as an entrepreneur, meaning that today I lead my own firm.Let me share what happened to me, when I wonder to attend a Masters programme: At that moment, 10 years ago, I was very excited to return to school, mainly to get an MBA. However, due to workload and marriage plans, I postponed my decision until early 2003.I got my title last october. Now, some points to think about:- In my country, to perform as a consultant it is not IMPERATIVE to earn a postgraduate degree.- If you expect to develop on the field of management consulting, to get extensive client exposure is highly recommended. However the assets gain at the MBA, raises your image at any context.- On the oher hand, if you expect to gain a expertise in a specific field, a Msc. could be a wise decision.Some final tips:- Are you completelly sure that your future is in the consulting practice?- What are your colleagues doing? Are they earning posgraduate degrees?- For your clients, a MSc or a MBA means extra assets?- Which are your personal reasons?- Have you shared this with your family? What do they think?I hope this ideas could be usefull.Yours, David.

Dear sir,I have done my Post graduation in Chemistry ,I am presently working in Quality control of bulk drugs .sir i am intrested in cunsultancy field.Does any one have advise about which diploma course to go for.best regards,Arun.T9346930411

Speak for your yourself and your own institution mate. Three years is on the light side for an engineering education - in most countries it's 5 years full time. My own MEng had pretty high level courses in 4th year, and the extra content and development was quite useful to me. Why not push your point to the logical extreme and just do a six week short course at university, or sack it off altogether? There is the usual effect of diminishing returns but it's a question of striking a balance. If you've played your cards right, you have considerably more than the 6 weeks of "more valuable" work experience on graduation anyway, having used the academic and work sides to reinforce one another so that you end up with more than the sum of the parts.

yeah the courses are high level and all that - but then even in the lectures we are told "no one uses this" eg AI for Intelligent Control.My institution is a top 5 school in the UK in EEE.

Well, perhaps it's just a case of the courses being a bit too theoretical then.