How to transit from consultant to corporate strategy as generalist?

Hi,

Most of the consultants leaving for an industry position are in your same position and there are a couple of things you can do:

1. Target the right roles
There are roles where consulting skills matter more than industry expertise, such as:

• Corporate strategy
• Business development
• Transformation / PMO
• CEO office / Chief of Staff

These are the most natural exits; after 1–2 years you can then move into more specialized roles.

2. Don’t position yourself as a generalist
You have an advantage; you can tailor your story. Highlight:

• Relevant projects in that industry/function
• Transferable skills (growth, pricing, ops)

Your CV should mirror the role, not present you as “broad”.

3. Networking
Focus on ex-consultants in those roles and people who made a similar move; you don’t need a perfect background match.

At the end of the day, you don’t win on industry depth, you win on structured thinking + relevant positioning.

DM me know if you want to discuss further
Best,
Franco

Hey! Hope all is well :)

First and foremost, congratulations on the MBB pedigree. You are already in a superb spot, and you've already set yourself up for success!

You're asking a really good question — and quite a common one for those coming out of the industry

As consultants, we actually have more to leverage than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. Yes, it helps to identify two or three sectors where you've genuinely doubled down — and you should definitely lean into those for sectorial-specific roles. But the more important question to ask yourself is: what is core to my toolkit that puts me ahead of the other candidates, regardless of industry?

For any of my colleagues here at the leadership level and above, I think we'd be able to agree that you can frame it around three or more things. My top pointers are:

1. The ability to crack the case elegantly — structuring ambiguous problems and driving to a crisp answer faster than anyone else in the room
2. Stretching your team in a sustainable way — guiding, coaching, and protecting them while still delivering
3. Shaping your client's agenda, even without them knowing it — the quiet influence that separates great consultants from good ones

These three skills are genuinely transferrable — to any industry, any role, any context - we've done this time and time again. They're especially valued in corporate strategy, where you're often operating with the same ambiguity and stakeholder complexity you navigated daily in consulting

So my practical suggestion would be to bucket your positioning two ways:

• Double down on your sectorial experience — even as a generalist, you've likely touched two or three industries more deeply than others. Own those
• Lead with your transferrable, non-negotiable skills — the ones above that no industry-specialist candidate can easily replicate

Then combine both when reaching out to alumni from your firm / your MBA. A warm referral from someone who gets the MBB experience (or the identity for those who have went through your MBA) — and can vouch for what that training actually means — is often what gets you into the recruitment pipeline with ease

Hope this helps — feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss this further!

Best of luck,

Karim

hey there :)

this is a very common situation and you’re not at a disadvantage, you just need to position it right. instead of selling yourself as a generalist, anchor your story around 1–2 “themes” you’ve repeatedly worked on, like growth strategy or transformations, and show how that transfers across industries.

for interviews, referrals still matter most, but you don’t need perfect overlap. reach out with a clear angle like “I’ve done X type of work and am interested in applying it to your industry” rather than trying to match their exact background.

against specialists, win on structured thinking, CEO-level exposure, and ability to ramp up quickly. companies hire ex-consultants for versatility, not deep niche expertise.

if you want, I can help sharpen your positioning and narrative :)

best,
Alessa :)

Hi there,

So, first of all... you are in a fantastic position. MBB post MBA, multiple years in, diverse experience... you're in a great spot. Don't let job description language shake you.

On securing interviews: quite frankly, you could just switch your LinkedIn status to "open to work" and have recruiters reaching out within days. Make sure your current firm is clearly listed. That alone opens a lot of doors.

Beyond that... network, network, network. Reach out to your entire network. Contacts of contacts. Figure out what you want (types of jobs, skills, roles, titles) and then get speaking to people. Don't wait for job boards. The best roles get filled before they're posted.

On positioning against specialists: you need to tell a story and connect the dots of your past. What problems have you solved? What decisions have you shaped? That story is more powerful than you think, and it translates well even without a single sector focus. Basically: put yourself out there.

This is genuinely one of those situations where a coaching session would do more than any Q&A. The story crafting piece is hard to do in writing... a 30 minute call changes everything: book a session here.

And for the broader thinking on career transitions and playing the long game... search The Consulting Offer Blueprint on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Good luck with it.

That's a great topic. I've worked with a few other candidates in this same situation. 

First, I recommend you take a step back and genuinely reflect on where you want to go. What sort of industry? What sort of role. 

Then try to reflect on whether you have relevant experience for that and to what degree. Then reflect on whether your other professional experiences taught you anything useful that is transferable for the role / industry that you're targeting. 

Then, with all of this in mind, start researching for roles / getting in touch with headhunters / reaching out to the people who are already in these roles. And, of course, start asking around in your network. 

If you haven't approached people for coffee chats before, you might find this framework useful:

• • Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

And if you have any questions, or need any help, drop me a line.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

This is a very common situation, and you’re actually in a strong position. Most MBB generalists don’t leave with deep industry specialization — they leave with strong problem-solving and strategic skills.

The key is positioning. Right now your profile likely feels broad but not anchored. To fix that, pick 1–2 target industries and tailor your story around them by highlighting relevant projects or themes (e.g. growth, pricing, transformation). You don’t need perfect experience, just a clear direction.

For networking, focus on shared context (same firm, alumni, similar transitions) rather than exact industry match. Approach it as learning about the space, not proving you belong.

Against industry candidates, your advantage is different. You bring structured thinking, speed, and cross-industry perspective, which is exactly what many corporate strategy teams value.

Happy to help you shape your narrative if useful - feel free to reach out!

Best
Evelina

Generalist backgrounds are more transferable than you think. The challenge is not your experience. It is how you are framing it.

On getting interviews: industry requirements in job postings are often a wish list. Your MBB brand opens doors most industry candidates cannot. A warm referral matters more than ticking every box.

On networking without a direct connection: lead with the problems you have solved, not the industries you worked in. People respond to relevant experience, not sector labels.

On positioning against specialists: your edge is breadth and structured thinking. Specialists know their industry but often think narrowly. Your cross-industry pattern recognition is valuable, especially at companies going through transformation.

Three practical things:

• Pick two or three industries where your work overlaps most and go deep there
• For each company, find the most relevant thread in your background and lead with that
• Do not position yourself as a generalist to everyone

Corporate strategy teams often value consulting pedigree over industry tenure. Structured thinking is harder to find than domain knowledge, which can be learned on the job.

Lead with your thinking, not your sector list.

It's a really common situation for MBB generalists, and you're spot on – corporate roles often look for that specific industry lens, which can feel counter-intuitive after demonstrating incredible versatility in consulting. The honest truth is, many corporate hiring managers, especially those without a consulting background themselves, tend to optimize for "ready-made" candidates who can hit the ground running with minimal sector-specific ramp-up. It's often about de-risking the hire and ensuring immediate, perceived relevance.

For networking, broaden your scope beyond direct industry overlaps. Target former consultants who have successfully made the jump into corporate strategy, even if into different industries, or anyone in a corporate strategy role whose career path you admire. The key is to demonstrate transferable problem-solving skills rather than exact industry knowledge. Focus your outreach on specific strategic challenges they might be facing, showing how your diverse project experience equips you to tackle similar complex issues, regardless of sector.

When positioning yourself, you absolutely need to actively bridge the gap for them. Instead of simply listing diverse projects, focus on the strategic methodologies you applied and the tangible business impact you created. For instance, if you did a market entry strategy for tech, describe the strategic framework, competitive analysis, and financial modeling, then connect it to how those same skills are critical for a similar challenge in, say, retail. Frame your generalist background as a strength – a broad perspective and ability to apply best practices from across sectors – which is often what companies say they want, but need to be shown explicitly.

It requires more proactive translation on your end, but your core skills are incredibly valuable. All the best with the search!

Hi there :) I have been there myself. Job postings often sound incredibly specific, but there is almost always a good reason why a generalist fits perfectly. Companies interview you exactly BECAUSE of your consulting skillset. Most hiring managers are completely convinced that you can build the specific industry expertise along the way. They want your problem-solving power, not just deep sector knowledge.

The key is to build a strong personal story. You need to connect the dots for them and explain exactly why your cross-industry background makes you the best fit for the role. Pitch your diverse toolkit confidently, and the lack of a single industry focus won't hold you back at all.

Good luck with the transition, always here to support! :)