Students

• The preferred hire for healthcare consulting is someone with directly related, relevant healthcare experience as well as business experience. For this reason, MPH/MBA students are often recruited for healthcare consulting positions. Single track MPH students are recruited as well, for analyst, associate and consultant positions, depending on prior experience.

• Mailman School of Public Health graduates have been hired by firms including The Analytica Group, Booz & Company, Booz Allen and Hamilton, Boston Consulting Group, Datamonitor, Deloitte Consulting, Gold Healthcare Strategies, Integrated Healthcare, KPMG, The Lewin Group, McKinsey, Mercer, PricewaterhouseCoopers,  and Towers Perrin. 

• For a consulting industry overview visit WetFeet. Click on Careers or Industries and then go to Consulting. 

• Visit Vault for the Career Guide to Consulting, Guide to Case Interviews and more.

• Consulting firms start reviewing resumes early in the fall. Therefore, students graduating in the spring should plan to send resumes and cover letters by the end of November. If you are a first year student seeking a summer internship, plan to send resumes and cover letters by the end of December.

• MPH/MBA students are entitled to receive all of the services offered by Columbia Business School's Career Managment Center (Uris Hall - Morningside Campus). Contact the Career Management Center at the Business School for resume book and resume drop deadlines as well as information on corporate presentations and interview sign up procedures. 

• Single track students may attend employer presentations and selected job fairs hosted by the Columbia University Center for Career Education Morningside - East Campus.  Visit the Mailman Career Services Workshops/Events calendar for information. 

• Resources on the Office of Career Services website can help you with your career exploration and interview preparation activities.

Additional Resources, Tips, and Suggestions

Suggestions to Improve Your Marketability

• Learn Microsoft ACCESS, POWERPOINT, EXCEL, ORACLE.

• Take as many finance and budgeting/accounting courses as possible.

• Analytic/quantitative and interpersonal skills are key.  Equally important, particularly at firms such as Mercer, are computer experience, programming experience, managed care and insurance industry experience.

• Emphasize your knowledge of healthcare – this is what makes you unique.  Any healthcare work experience is important.

• Emphasize your technical skills, project management skills, problem solving and analytical skills, quantitative skills and your flexibility.

• Practice responding to case questions. Visit Vault Career Insider and WetFeet for resources. Also visit Interviewing page on Career Services website.

• Include courses taken on your resume, particularly those that will illustrate your analytical/quantitative skills (biostatistics, epidemiology etc.)

• RN/MBA’s and MD/MBA’s are sought after in healthcare consulting.

Tips from Recent Alumni Panels

• PowerPoint and spreadsheet knowledge are a must.
  

• Risk taking, ambitious candidates are valued.

• Volunteer work at place such as United Hospital Fund adds credibility to a resume and provides good contacts. Other experience that is valued includes quality research with an investment firm, venture capital experience and experience with bureaucracies such as the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

• Bottom line, firms are looking for people with good management skills.

Consulting Hierarchy

• Sr. Consultant

• Consultant

• Associate

• Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Analyst

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