Before coming up to Oxford, Ravi worked in the Tobacco Division of one of India's leading conglomerates, ITC Ltd. During his five years with ITC he held multiple roles, primarily in the operations and supply chain vertical. He decided to do an MBA to complement his work experience with an understanding of management concepts and theory.

"I was looking for a career switch, to management consulting and I felt that an MBA programme was an ideal platform to achieve this," says Ravi. "I also wanted to build a lasting network and the MBA program at Oxford stood out for its diversity of students. I really appreciated how Saïd introduced me to such talented, international, smart and fun loving people from such different professional backgrounds. These people become a network for life."

Ravi feels that he successfully made the transition from one employment sector to another as a result of completing the MBA programme. "The School helped me take the first few steps towards landing an opportunity with a top management consulting firm," he says. "Meetings with Sector Consultants were very useful to get a better understanding of the realities involved with a career in consulting and how best to prepare for interviews." In particular Ravi felt that he benefited from the multiple case interview prep sessions that were organised by the Consulting OBA team. "You don't realise how important case interview preps are until you actually go through a real interview!"

This summer's Strategy Consulting Project gave Ravi what he sees as crucial real-life consulting experience, including client interaction, working with a diverse team, problem solving, presentation (oral and written) and work structure management . "I was keen on consulting from day one of my MBA and I made a point of reaching out to Oxford alumni and friends in consulting to get their guidance." Doing this not only demonstrated his interest in consulting but also allowed Ravi to hear about good opportunities.

As a result of this kind of networking he heard about an opening at Booz & Co, a leading global management consulting firm that works with the world's top businesses, governments and other institutions. He joined their Mumbai office as an associate after completing his MBA and currently works in strategy engagements across different business sectors. "The best thing about my job is that I get to work with a variety of clients to help them solve their business problems and develop strategies that have lasting impact."

Ravi would advise prospective MBA students who want to make a similar transition to network and have a well-prepared CV. "After that it is all about interview preps," he says. "Try and form a core group with whom you can practice often. Transitioning from industry to management consulting is common but to make sure you find your 'dream firm', you definitely need to start preparing well in advance and single out the top two or three firms you wish to target."