Inquiry on Experienced-Hire Opportunities in Strategic Consulting

Question

Good morning,

I am exploring opportunities to transition into strategic consulting as an experienced hire and I am considering engaging with a head-hunting firm to better navigate the process.

In your view, is this a viable approach for a candidate with a senior background in Risk & Regulatory topics?

If so, could you recommend the most reputable head-hunting firms that cover the Italian consulting market?

Many thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hmm, I'm not sure you actually need a head hunter.

If I were you, I'd ask ChatGPT to give you a list of all the consulting firms in Italy.

Then I'd go through each of them to figure out if they have a Risk practice and whether they are hiring. I'd pair this up with quick chats with the recruiters.

Once you have clarity over the open opportunities and the timelines, then you can apply. As a prerequisite here - make sure you have a well-prepared CV (only 2-5% of the CVs I see are actually ready to be sent out).

In terms of how to approach an application strategy, you might find this guide useful:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

A headhunter might only benefit you if they have contacts specifically in your industry. Otherwise, they are not going to be of much help.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi,

Sharing a couple of thoughts:

Fit for Strategy Consulting
- I'm not sure what you mean by 'strategic consulting', if you refer to the broader realm if consulting firms, then yes there are specialized risk consulting firms that do exist e.g. FTI, Control Risks etc
- If you are referring to 'strategy consulting' i.e. MBB, Risk is a functional topic/capability that these firms do have, but in my experience the need for these are really small / not a core focus versus other industry topics/functional areas
Navigating the process
- I don't think a headhunter is going to incrementally help you navigate the process, with regards at least to MBB consulting. Anyone of the experienced coaches here can give you a better idea of what the requirements are and the process might look like, versus a headhunter
- What the headhunter can do - is potentially open doors i.e. get an interview for you. But frankly the pool of global/large consulting firms is not that big, and I think this is quite doable yourself. Just find out the recruiter/HR names within these firms and reach out yourself
- On a related note, MBB firms DO hire headhunters to help with experienced hires, and sometimes even have dedicated in-house sourcers, so if there is a really big need for it AND if you are an obvious fit, you are likely going to get called up sooner or later (But of course you can be proactive)

In addition, you might find the following articles helpful for you in your preparation journey:

5 Reasons Why Experienced Hires Fail the Interview

Using AI to Enhance Your Case Prep

All the best!

Answer 3

Hi,

first question in these situations is to see whether you have anyone in your network at any of the consulting firms in Italy. Exp Hire recruiting does have a big element of network - many times former clients are being brought in to MBB.

Beyond that, engage with the recruiters of the top 10-20 firms directly. No need to go via head hunter.

And just in case, make sure to have a polished linkedin profile - so that in case there is a head hunter mandated to find someone with your profile they are likely to find you.

Best,

Lukas