Questions about admission chance for unique profile

[Curious]

Recently took the GMAT and got a 740 (47/82% on Quant & 46/99% on Verbal). I graduated from a top 25 university with a history degree and a GPA of 3.75 in 2006. I have been working at a top 5 international executive search as a research analyst since graduation and my internships were as an I-Banking analyst at a boutique bank in the southeast and as a sales & trading intern for a highly regarding mid-market I-Bank. My sales & trading internship was short becuase I spent part of the summer doing tsunami reconstruction work in Sri Lanka.

I am debating between staying for a third year at my firm and then applying to b-school, or going back into the world of capital markets as a analyst this year and applying two years from now. I think that I want to do either i-banking or strategy consulting after getting MBA, and I am curious about two things (the second of which is not admissions question):

1) Which would be better, staying where I am for a third year and then applying or going to a bank for 2 years and then applying?
2) Do you believe that in order to have a shot at associate job at an I-Bank or strategy consulting firm, do you need to have worked as an analyst before b-school?

[Guest]

I've worked at a bulge-bracket investment bank and interviewed MBA candidates. I'm assuming that by i-banking, you mean that you would like to work for the investment banking division within an investment bank.

You do not need to have worked in banking to secure a banking job, post MBA. In your case, given that you have been out of college and been working for some time, it will be difficult for you to get a job in banking w/o an MBA - as the bulk of recruiting is done at the undergrad level and at the MBA level.

You'll also find that many people entering banking post-MBA did not do banking pre-MBA. In fact, many people that did banking pre-MBA do not want to go back to banking post-MBA.

Also before you make your decision regarding your next step do some serious career research. I-banking and strategy consulting are VERY different job functions, requiring VERY different skill-sets and personality type.

[So Worried...]

If you started working in 2006 (your graduation), then how could you are becoming a 3rd year analyst? (even if you started in January 2006) - It's only July 07.

My advice would be to switch to a different career that's more unique than executive search, unless you are getting promoted after 2nd year and have a lot more responsibility than an analyst.

Internships in IBK or Consulting won't really count.

Career switch post MBA to IBK associate or Management consulting is not difficult if you prep well in interview.

Sorry for being so critical, but that's what matter most. ;) That's my honest advice. Good luck!

PS: In return, could people who are reading this (especially MBA Consultants) reply to my post on July 20th - titled "Help! Please evaluate!" I will do the same to help each other out. Thanks!

So Worried....