CISO to Digital Strategy

Hi there,

Are you sure you're applying properly?

You already have six years at Big4 plus CISO experience. The issue may be how you're applying, not a missing degree.

1) Have you had your resume professionally reviewed?

2) Are you applying WITH referrals and networking?

If not, maybe fix that before committing $100k to a degree!

If you do pursue one, ESCP sounds more aligned with the work you actually want to do. But I would not choose UCL purely for the brand.

Finally, this is a major life decision with downstream ramifications. You wouldn't decide your entire investment portfolio off of a Q&A. Invest in a 1 hour session with a career coach, just like you would a financial advisor.

hey there :)

With 6 years of Big 4 IT Risk experience plus CISO experience, I actually wouldn’t rush into another degree. Your main challenge is probably positioning rather than credentials. For Technology Strategy, you want your CV to show strategic ownership, business impact and transformation rather than primarily risk and compliance.

If you do decide to pursue a degree, I’d lean towards ESCP because the content is more directly aligned with your target and the business school network is relevant for consulting. I wouldn’t choose UCL purely for the brand name.

Before investing the time and money, I’d first try to get feedback from recruiters or consultants on your CV and potentially reposition your experience toward technology strategy. That could have a much bigger impact on your chances.

Best, Alessa :)

Hi,

Probably get a proper CV review first - someone qualified needs to have a good look at your detailed experience and see what exactly the issue is, and whether or not your CV is even crafted to the best potential.

Getting an additional degree isnt always the best idea.

All the best!

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejections!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

• First of all, I do not think a missing Master's is the real bottleneck here. With six years of Big 4 IT Risk plus CISO experience, the rejections most likely come from positioning, so a resume that reads like risk and security instead of strategy and transformation, or applications without referrals. I would fix this first, since a degree will not repair a positioning problem.
• Moreover, if you still want to do one of the two programs, I would choose the EMIB at ESCP. A business degree supports your technology strategy story much more directly than a science and policy program.
• Lastly, I would advise you to invest in the application side in parallel, so a professional review of your resume and cover letter, at best with an experienced coach like me, referrals from former Big 4 colleagues, and direct conversations with people in the target practices, since this is what usually turns such rejections around.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting firm.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there, 

Do you have a sense as to why you're getting rejected? Have you asked for feedback from your applications? Have you spoken with more senior people in the industry about your profile and your plan to retransition? 

This might then help you pin down the actual problem and move from there. I wouldn't assume that what you need is a Masters (though that might indeed be part of the answer). 

Best,
Cristian