Impact of consulting exit into a niche industry CoS role

Question

Hello everyone, hope you are doing well. I need your advice on a tricky situation I am facing regarding my exit option. Thanks in advance.

I have completed two years at the India office of a T2 strategy consulting firm. I have been experiencing frequent burn outs due to high intensity and long work hours (14 hours average), plus there has been a noticeable deterioration in the firm's culture this year (poor policies, lack of concern for well being, etc.). To add to this, my current case manager is a big micro manager, though there is a chance I will be released from this case in a few weeks or a couple of months. The office strength has less than halved in the past 6 to 8 months. I have been looking for an exit from the firm since 6 months and have recently landed a Chief of Staff (COO's office) role at a omni-channel D2C jewellery mid-size company (2000 employees). I am evaluating possible options from here:

1/ Resign my consulting firm - I have the CoS offer, but I am concerned if this will "slot" me into the retail industry for the future career. I have spoken with 4 to 6 current and ex employees of the firm, and the general sense is that the company will offer a good breather (9-10 hour, average intensity days), but don't expect to stay longer than a year. The leadership does not have clarity for the direction of the company, including where to deploy CoS members after 1 or 1.5 years when they are due for transition into a business / leadership role within the company. Other not-so-major cons include angry behavior from some other CxO's (whom I will interact with less), and not much concern by the leadership for the people of the firm.

Besides, one of my college seniors has founded a startup and I am positive he is looking to take me. I interned there 2 years ago and they offered me a full time role, but my plan was to move into consulting. The startup is a sustainability software platform, but is only SEED funded (USD 3 Mn) around 18 months ago (total strength ~30 employees). I am positive they will offer me any role I am willing to take. Also, the office is in another city from where I live, but they might allow me to work remote/hybrid. I haven't yet spoken with them regarding my search for jobs now.

Finally, I have a month until the joining date of the retail company, and I might land something else during the next one month.

2/ Stay with my current consulting firm - I can either go on an immediate sabbatical (which highly depends on my current case management and HR approvals, and I believe they will create obstacles) to search calmly for the next 3-4 months and probably get a better offer than my current one (one where I hope to stay longer term).

Or, I could continue working on the case. There is a chance that my current case assignment ends in a few weeks/months, and then I might be staffed on a case with better people and slightly lesser intensity.

Answer 1

Hi there,

you’re thinking about this in a very structured way because each of your options has clear trade-offs.

1. The Chief of Staff offer
This role can be a great short-term reset if you’re burned out and need breathing space. It gives you exposure to leadership, operations, and decision-making, and can round out your consulting profile with internal execution experience. The main risk, as you noted, is getting “pigeonholed” in a niche industry like D2C retail. That said, a one-year CoS role will not define your career forever if you keep your exit narrative focused on building operational and leadership experience. The key is to stay proactive about what you learn there and how you frame it later.

2. The startup option
Joining a small, mission-driven startup could give you autonomy and excitement, but it carries obvious risk. If you’re looking for a long-term, low-intensity recovery role, a seed-stage startup can sometimes be more chaotic than consulting. Still, if you believe strongly in the founder and the problem they’re solving, it can be a great entrepreneurial learning curve.

3. Staying in consulting or taking a short sabbatical
If you have even a small chance of getting a sabbatical, that’s worth exploring. It could give you time to rest, network, and find a better long-term fit without rushing into something purely to escape burnout. However, if HR and your case team are unsupportive, you may find that the energy cost of staying outweighs the benefit.

My take
If you feel genuinely depleted, the CoS role looks like a good bridge rather than a dead end. It gives you time to recover, learn how businesses actually run day-to-day, and plan your next move strategically. You can always pivot back to strategy or corporate roles later, especially with your consulting background.It’s better to move toward something that energizes you than just away from what’s draining you.

Best of luck!