From Industry to Consulting: Seeking Insights on Joining the Big 4 in Europe

You’ve got a solid foundation — 5+ years of industry experience across project delivery, sales exposure, and regulated environments (especially pharma in Switzerland) is very transferable to consulting.

At a Big 4 firm like PwC, you'd likely be considered for an Experienced Associate or Senior Associate role, depending on the team’s needs and how well your experience maps to their current project pipeline. You’re unlikely to come in above Manager unless you’ve led large-scale transformation projects or owned significant client relationships - even so, it's unlikely in this type of environment and they would give you the levelling just below Manager at its best; unless the team you are joining is a team of Individual Contributors (IC) with deep technical skills.

A few tips to strengthen your transition:

• Tailor your CV to speak their language — emphasize stakeholder management, cross-functional coordination, process improvement, etc.
• Highlight any quantifiable impact (cost savings, timelines met, team size, etc.)
• Leverage your prior student project experience with Big 4 — reach out to those connections
• Position yourself as someone who can bridge technical depth with client-facing delivery — especially valuable in operations, pharma/life sciences, or transformation-focused teams

This is a great way to get your foot in the door and build project-based credibility.

Let me know if you have further questions!

Hi there, 

Firstly, congrats on arriving to what it is that you want, and initiating steps to achieve it. Not everyone even gets that far.

Let's address your 2nd question first:

WIth 2,5 years of work experience, the Big 4 consulting firms are likely going to consider you for three potential positions: 1) Entry level analyst; 2) Sr. Associate; 3) Junior Manager.

Which of these positions you would land will depend heavily on the experiences you have from your current role, how well you frame those, and how well you perform in the interview process with the firm.

Now, some additional advice on making this move:

1. Make sure to review the different roles you could achieve on entry to the Big 4, and make up your own mind as to which role you believe would be the best fit. It's enticing to always go for the most senior role, but make sure to contemplate whether you will succeed in that role right away or not. It may be better for your career to start one level below, and impress the hell out of everyone in that position first.

2. Consulting interviews can be quite tricky, so make sure you prepare for them. Start preparing early! Practice cases with trusted advisors (e.g., friends or coaches), research the exact interview structure of the firm you are applying for, etc.

3. Most consulting firms test personal fit (e.g., PEI at McKinsey) as well as cases. Make sure you don't underestimate the importance of this element of the interviews.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely, 
Thor

You have a great background. 

I would suggest you approach this top down.

1. You identify the 5-10 firms you'd want to join, out of which 3-4 are prob your favs
2. You get in touch with the recruiter from that firm and the specific office you're targeting. You reach out with a polished CV, say you want to apply and want to have a 5-10 min discussion to clarify the role.
3. You discuss with the recruiters about what role would be best, what is the application process and timeline. Try to also clarify with them whether you would be better suited for a generalist or specialist role. On the latter, your past experience might be very useful and give you an edge in the recruiting process

At the end of this you should have a clear set of targets, clarity of the process and is required from you. 

Feel free to reach out directly if you have any specific questions.

Also, you might find this guide useful:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

With your background in engineering, gas, and pharma, you’d be a strong fit for several EY teams — especially where technical expertise meets transformation work. Roles worth exploring include:

• EY-Parthenon Strategy and Transactions (SaT): focus on growth strategy, commercial due diligence, or M&A integration for industrial or life sciences clients
• EY Business Consulting – Operations or Supply Chain: optimization, process improvement, and transformation projects across manufacturing and energy sectors
• EY Climate Change & Sustainability Services: particularly relevant given your energy and pharma exposure, helping clients with decarbonization, ESG strategy, or sustainable operations
• EY Technology Risk or Transformation: if you’ve managed digital or systems projects in your current roles

Most likely, you’d join at the Senior Consultant level, with the potential to fast-track to Manager depending on leadership experience.

I’ve supported candidates making similar industry-to-consulting transitions - please feel free to reach out!

Best,
Evelina

Hey there

With your 5 years of experience across project management, QA, and engineering, you’d typically fit into a Senior Consultant or Manager track in Big 4 consulting, depending on the practice and country. Advisory roles in operations, strategy, or pharma/life sciences would align well. To make the move, highlight your cross-industry experience, project leadership, and any quantifiable impact, and tailor your CV to show problem-solving and client-facing skills. Networking with current consultants and preparing for case interviews will be key.

Best,
Alessa

Hello,

Your background already gives you a strong foundation for consulting. With about 5 years of total experience, you’d likely fit best at the Senior Associate or Consultant level, depending on the firm and practice area. Emphasize your project management, cross-functional collaboration, and client-facing experience as those translate directly into consulting skills. You could also reach out to current consultants in PwC Switzerland to understand which service line best aligns with your experience and interests. 

Just apply...

You rank would be of a senior consultant.