Business backgrounds aren't a prerequisite, although the consulting companies are looking for people with a head for numbers and a knack for problem-solving. The number of M.B.A. graduates has not kept pace with the demand for smart people in the business world, according to several career experts. So, fortunately for academics, management-consulting firms are increasingly looking to Ph.D.'s as a potential source of new hires. We're looking for talented people who can do creative problem-solving and have strong analytical skills, but we realize that most Ph.D.'s don't have any business experience and we don't expect them to. Management consultants work with senior-level managers of companies to solve problems such as how to make a company more competitive, how to best market a product, and how to streamline corporate operations.
Consulting firms are more than willing to teach Ph.D.'s about business fundamentals.
Most of the major management-consulting firms have similar training programs for Ph.D.'s. We're making an investment. Mr. Kantrow, who's been with the firm for five years, received a Ph.D. in the history of American civilization from Harvard University in 1979. After their initial training, Ph.D.'s are treated just like everyone else, notes Martin Tanner, who joined McKinsey in January 1998 after getting a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles. While business isn't a prerequisite, a comfort with numbers is.