MBA Insider: Recruiter Q&A January 22, 2008, 6:31PM EST

The MBA Track at Siemens Consulting

The internal consulting arm of the German technology firm generally hires fewer than 10 MBAs annually for its New York office. Here's what it's looking for

Tim McNicholas
Siemens Management Consulting

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External consulting firms are not the only ones looking for MBA consultants. Siemens (SI), a global company based in Germany that specializes in electronics, electrical engineering, energy, and health care, has its own internal consulting arm seeking MBAs for consulting jobs.

Although the number of MBA consultants hired is relatively small—only three to eight MBAs are hired for the New York office annually, for example—the reward is great. Those who have a successful consulting career at the company are later considered for management opportunities, says Tim McNicholas, vice-president and partner of Siemens Management Consulting in New York. "With Siemens Management Consulting, we try to do great consulting projects, while at the same time really develop executive talent," he adds. "Some [job candidates] who come to us don't appreciate or aren't even aware that this is a leadership training ground that is an explicit part of our mandate."

McNicholas recently spoke with BusinessWeek.com reporter Francesca Di Meglio. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation.

Where do you recruit?

Our core MBA programs include Kellogg, Columbia, MIT, and Wharton. Another set of targeted schools includes Chicago, NYU, and Carnegie Mellon. The main difference is that in the core schools, we have consultants or project managers—usually alumni from those schools—who each year develop a specific marketing plan to recruit at that school. They plan ahead. What events are we going to attend? Who is going to attend? Who is going to do the presentation? What are our key messages? And they maintain a budget for that school team. They implement a full-blown, specific strategic effort with targets on how many people they're going to hire for internships and full-time positions. The targeted schools tend to have a less intense focus, maybe because we don't have an alumnus from there. We have a standard approach that includes an on-campus presentation, posting an ad in the business school's paper, and standard interviewing.

What are you looking for in an MBA candidate?

We are looking for the same attributes other external consulting firms are seeking. We're looking for people with great problem-solving skills, superior analytics, creativity, and the ability to structure and break down and solve a problem, in combination with absolutely superior communication skills. The communication skills—both verbal and written—are a key component of any consultant project. We look for maturity, judgment, and an overall presence and comfort with one's self.

How would you describe the culture of the company?

I think the people who are interested in Siemens Management Consulting are people who are intellectually curious, driven, and impact-oriented. We look for people who have a demonstrated record of achievement and want to work in a high-energy, hard-working, but fun and collegial environment.