Entah sejak kapan, gue punya cita-cita pengen bikin business consulting company. Bukan business consulting yang canggih banget kayak BCG atau McKinsey gitu. Gue cuma pengen bantu orang-orang yang ingin mendirikan bisnisnya sendiri. Tapi masalahnya, siapa juga yang mau menggunakan jasa konsultasi dari gue, kalo gue sendiri enggak punya pengalaman di bidang business consulting? Makanyaaa, udah sejak dua tahun yang lalu gue kepengen banget kerja di business consulting group kelas kakap kayak BCG, McKinsey, atau AT Kearney juga boleh…
Sayangnya, tiga perusahaan itu sangat-sangat selektif dalam memilih karyawannya. Setelah melalui serangkaian browsing, berikut ini 4 alternatif yang bisa gue pilih untuk mengejar cita-cita itu:
Cari beasiswa S2, kalo bisa di luar negeri
Business consulting companies itu menjual gengsi. Gue sering lihat mereka buka lowongan dengan kualifikasi minimal S2, lebih disukai yang bergelar MBA (baca: lulusan luar negeri… secara gelar MBA kan udah nggak ada lagi di Indonesia!). Dan faktanya, emang ada banyak banget lulusan luar negeri yang diterima kerja di konsultan bisnis kelas kakap itu…
Kendalanya:
Mayoritas beasiswa S2 yang ditawarkan itu ditujukan buat peneliti, orang-orang yang tidak mampu, atau orang-orang yang bekerja sosial. Nah, kalo dibilang peneliti, seumur-umur gue cuma pernah sekali bikin penelitian. Kalo dibilang tidak mampu… yaah, gue emang belum punya cukup dana buat kuliah S2 sih. Tapi masa’ iya gue mau minta surat pernyataan tidak mampu dari Pak RT?
Apply kerja di bidang business development
Biasanya, perusahaan menggunakan jasa business consultant buat bantu mereka mengembangkan bisnis perusahaan. Makanya, punya pengalaman kerja di bidang business development di perusahaan besar jelas lebih relevan dengan cita-cita gue jadi business consultant.
Kendalanya:
Sama aja kayak business consulting companies, perusahaan besar yang buka lowongan buat business development officer juga lebih suka sama lulusan S2…
Apply kerja apa aja yang penting gajinya gede
Berhubung kayaknya kuliah S2 itu syarat mutlak buat gue, jadi kayaknya gue harus cari kerja yang gaji kotornya mencapai delapan digit… Dengan pendapatan segitu, dalam sebulan gue bisa nabung banyak buat biaya kuliah gue. Masalahnya kalo gue mau kerja di konsultan bisnis bergengsi, universitas yang gue pilih buat kuliah S2 juga harus bergengsi. Dan kampus yang masuk kategori bergengsi itu biaya kuliahnya mahalll. Paling murah bisa 90 jutaan.
Kendalanya:
Gue harus rela kerja di bidang accounting/internal audit/ERP kalo mau dapet gaji segitu… Masalahnya cuma tiga bidang itu aja yang bersedia ngegaji gue sampe delapan digit (itu juga nyarinya bakalan susah banget). Pengalaman kerja gue kan emang kuat banget di tiga bidang itu. Tapiii, aduh, gue udah bosen ngaudit. Nggak gitu berminat kerja di divisi accounting. Terus gue juga udah bosen ngurusin software yang berhubungan sama ERP.
Terbitin novel gue
Gue pede banget sama novel gue yang ke dua (yang pertama udah ditolak sama penerbit) yang masih dalam proses penulisan ini. Gue banyak belajar dari kegagalan yang pertama, ditambah beberapa masukan dari penerbit yang nolak novel pertama gue itu. Nah, uang dari penjualan novel itu seeenggaknya bisa bantu nutupin setengah dari biaya kuliah S2 gue.
Kendalanya:
Nulis novel itu nggak gampang… Gue butuh banyak waktu buat ngetik, edit, riset, dan inquiry buat mempertajam detail cerita. Makanya, kalo fokus gue adalah novel, gue harus cari kerja yang bisa pulang tenggo setiap harinya…
Alternatif lainnya
Sebenernya selain kerja di business consulting company, ada satu alternatif lain supaya gue bisa mencapai cita-cita utama gue buat mendirikan perusahaan konsultasi bisnis gue sendiri… Bisa aja kan, gue mulai dari berbisnis sendiri… bikin bisnis yang banyak! Terus abis itu, semua bisnis gue jual satu per satu… terus pas gue udah mulai terkenal, gue tawarin deh, jasa konsultasi buat bisnis orang lain, hehehehe.
Dulu gue pernah baca profil cewek yang punya bisnis jadi konsultan restoran. Awalnya dia bikin restoran, terus dijual. Bikin restoran lagi, dijual lagi… Terus akhirnya, sekarang dia bikin bisnis konsultasi buat restoran gitu deh.
Kendalanya:
Gue kan nggak punya cukup modal buat buka bisnis sendiri… Mesti jual tanah warisan dulu kayaknya sih, hehehehehe.
A journey to remember 
I guess, we are in the same position. But the way you write to indicate your options, it’s so near with mine.
I really want to know about the progress..
would you share if posible..
Good Luck
Dear Tondy…
I finally decided to try for option number 1, 3, 4.
I’m currently pursuing master scholarship abroad. As per today, I’m still waiting for an announcement from Australian Embassy regarding my scholarship application. But it seems like I have failed this one because I chose MBA which was not available in their priority master programs. For the next shot, I’m considering to apply for Erasmus Mundus scholarship, then early in January 2012, I am planning to apply for master in management scholarship through Chevening scholarship (MBA is not provided by Chevening).
For option number 3, I have resigned from my previous employer to get a job with higher salary in Apil 2011. Thank God in the new company, I will be promoted to a higher position by December 2011. Hope that I could save some money from my new salary.
Meanwhile, I am still trying to finish my novel. I have a feeling it could be a good one once I could finish typing until the last page. I really put my hopes up on it since saving the money from monthly salary would take a very long time until I could afford the MBA on my own.
Anyway, good luck for you too 🙂 And would you mind sharing your progress to me? It would be great knowing if I still have another options other than mine.
Riffa ,
WoW.. Congratulations for the number 3 and the promotion! you have to thank God that He really care about you.
Yeah, i see Erasmus Mundus have a good MBA program, you have to obtain a higher GMAT score don’t you ? Unless you stop pursuing MBA 🙂 . I have to tell you this story.
I have a friend who ever tell me about her stories to get a scholar ship from Sampoerna Foundation. Actually, i meet her when i looking for a GMAT teacher for my preparation. She tell me that to get an scholar ship, she prepares her self so hard to reach a high score GMAT and she got 780. As a result, she is got a hundred of email trying to offer a scholar ship, can you imagine? Than she choose Sampoerna because that is the only full scholar ship and just require her to get back after graduate. She chosing MBA, i think there is still scholar ship for MBA.
How about your GMAT ? i can give you her number if you wanna try. I assume you did really had a good background in math don’t you ? 🙂
About your novel, yeaahhh.. it is clearly appear that you have a really good taste of writing not like mine hahaha. I know you can appraise my writing skills from this board. Would you share to me what kind of novel do you write ? You know as the simple theory of business, to make a good sell you have to provide the markets needs first follow with the good promotion. I think your book supposed have a good segmentation to reach a good sell.
I’m looking for an MBA because the practical course, strategies and their case studies. I agree with the MBA scholar ship is rarely available but it is still exist and i’am not a person who really good at math so i’m not sure i can got a scholarship by reach over that 750 GMAT score. Than i change my mind and consider the MA specialization in marketing management but i’m not sure with this option. In my opinion, marketing have a very important position is business. But again, I don’t think MA can meet me with my needs i don’t know why. I have a little bucks in my saving, its only less than 30% from the amount of MBA program. So im still looking for supporting funds from my other families 🙂 . There is a MBA program in UIBS Switzerland cost 9000 euro for 9 month. Not require GMAT and as the change we have to follow Pre MBA program for 1 month. The intake period is also open for many times for every seasons. Now i still on my IELTS preparation class and plan to take the real test on December. My target is to see any funds from my others families, including my parents, uncle, aunties but no BANKS until january. I hope can join the winter quarter at 2012.
By the way, my background is an architect. Iam a bit lack of business administration skills not as much as design skills. In the future, i planning to have my own firm in property investments consultant. I think that if things going well and i can finish my MBA right on time i wish i can work in Business Development division too, just same like your plan. But honestly, i still can’t figure out what is their job title in business & development division. 🙂
Keep sharing .
Tondy
Thank you 🙂 Sure I’m so grateful for everything God has given to me this way.
Well, I never try for GMAT and honestly, I’m afraid that the result won’t be good since I’m not a big fan of math. That is the reason why I always try to improve my Ms. Excel skill and I depend on it a lot at work. Anyway, about the GMAT teacher, does it really work? And how long the course takes?
I’m currently writing a novel with love life as the theme of the story. I have three reasons: the first one because it’s a popular and best-selling topic, the second one because most of my blog readers are girls who mostly love such a story like this, and third because I enjoy writing on it. It feels like I could create my own romantic scenes which may never ever happen in my real life, hehehehehe. Based on my observation, there are so many people who really fall for such a thing like that. No wonder that love scene is always available in every movie regardless the main theme of the movie.
Wow, you have saved 70% of it. I guess you’re closer to MBA rather than me then. So good luck on seeking the rest 30%. Don’t give up and change your direction. If you really want it, then go for it. And yes… I agree with you. If you are planning to run your own firm, it would be much better if you master the business administration skill also. Once again good luck on pursuing your future dreams! And thanks for sharing 🙂
About the GMAT…? so far not good..! It is always solve when doing the practise but still found a problem for the next question. There is no exactly time for the course taken, It is depend on our self confidence i think, because this is the private one. Would be different with the public course.
Yeah, love story have a lot of readers. I think you’ll gonna be lucky.
Nice to share too, but anyway , it is not 70% on my saving but
conversely 😉 i have to pursue the 70% riffa, you have to wish me luck! 🙂 🙂
Good luck for your plan.
Ciao
Ooops… I guess I have mistaken reading your previous reply :p
Hi Riffa!
I was so surprised that someone else also wants to make a consulting service for new businesses. My dream is also to have my own consulting firm for small and medium enterprises. 🙂
In 2010 I received a Fulbright scholarship for my MBA degree, and I just returned to my hometown in Manado last week. Since you said that you wanted to pursue an MBA degree, you may also apply for the scholarship. In my personal statement I told them the reason why I wanted the degree which is to gain knowledge and experience for my own consulting firm. What I’m trying to say is, everything is possible. I’ve got lots of good friends who are social workers and they were pursuing their MBA degree with me, having funded by the scholarship.
I’m currently applying (or rather, trying) to BCG and McKinsey, but I’m not quite sure what to do. I visited their website and they only have the online job application.
Anyways, wishing you the best of luck for your journey to remember, and for your novel. I would love to hear your future updates.
– Christian
Hi Christian
Wow, I’ve just known from you that Fullbright will accept MBA applicants. You know… most of scholarship programs since the beginning says no for MBA. I’ve ever heard about Fullbright before but I never try to apply because this program puts teachers & PNS as their priority right? However, if MBA is possible in Fullbright, I definitely will go for it. Too bad that I’m late for this year, but the good thing is, I still have one more year to prepare for my GMAT score. So thank you so much for sharing and encouraging me to pursue my MBA. It means a lot for me 🙂
Fyi, I have ever tried applying to BCG (and got rejected, of course :D), through their online application and it worked. At least they received my application, then they sent me notification via e-mail that the Board had decided to stop processing my resume.
Good luck for your application at BCG & McKinsey. I have a feeling that you will make it. And of course, once my novel is finished, my blog readers will be the first persons who know it.
Have a great day;
Riffa.