IT professional Program Manager

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• It is almost impossible to transition from the expert track to the general track at Bain, as the expert track is more specialized and focused on a specific industry or function. Moreover, given your work experience, I do not see any benefits in joining the generalist track as this track is mainly for consultants who are still undecided on their specific industry.
• Having experience as a program manager in IT may be beneficial in your application, as you likely have some project management and problem-solving experience. However, it may also be helpful to gain additional experience in areas such as strategy, consulting, or business analysis to increase your chances of being considered for a consulting role at Bain.
• As for the opportunity to be a management assistant, it may be beneficial in terms of learning more about strategic methods and gaining some exposure to the consulting industry. However, it may not necessarily be a deciding factor in your application for a consulting role at Bain. It is important to highlight your relevant skills and experiences in your application and to demonstrate your passion for consulting and your fit with Bain's culture.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your Bain application and interviews, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

What sort of career are you interested in that would truly be meaningful to you?

This question should guide you towards a new role that sets you up for success. Choosing one role over another because it's easier to get in is not a good strategy, generally speaking.

Everyone is specialized and generalist at the same time and you can play your cards both ways. If generalist consulting is what you want to do, go for that. If you feel like you have some gaps to close to get there, that's what we're here for.

Let me know if you'd like to go deeper on this - happy to guide you through the MBB specialist/generalist maze.

Best of luck!

Moritz

With 10 years of experience, it depends on where you go with your career. If you are aiming to build on your IT expertise, then an expert path may be the way to go. If you are looking to broaden your skills, I would go with the consultant stage.

Normally, it is quite rare to go from expert to generalist within the same company. And, if you go in senior enough, you will be expected to specialise in a certain field anyways.

On the opportunity, it depends on how well your profile hits the key Bain criteria. You may need to explain a bit more what the role is, what skills it will give you to get a more detailed answer.

Hi there,

1)  So far I am working as a Program Manager in IT. Is it easier to get there if I first apply first as an expert and a few years  later change to Consulting or is the changes in both ways the same?

Receiving an invitation for an expert role should be easier if they have openings matching your profile. However, switching to generalist later on might not be necessarily easy. Your best bet would be to find someone that could refer you and leverage that connection to also understand the best path in your target office.

2) Additional I have an opportunity at the moment to be a management assistant. Would that give me any benefit in the application as I learn more about strategies methods?

It depends on what you would cover in your day-to-day job. The close to the actual work in strategy consulting, the more you could benefit.

Best,

Francesco

Hello,

Here are my thoughts:

1) Given that you have 10 years of work experience, it may be worth that you apply using the expert track to maximize your chances and best position yourself to succeed

2) If you apply in general consulting, I doubt that they will be able to justify hiring you at Principal or Manager (which should ideally be appropriate for your workex) because you do not have any consulting experience

3) Thus, if you apply in general consulting, you may have to apply as an Associate/Consultant - which will neither make your happy, nor will the company be able to get the best out of you.

Hope this helps!

Feel free to reach out to me directly if you need any help!

All the best :)

Rushabh

Hi there,

I actually pivoted from IT into strategy consulting!

My path of choice was MBA which may or may not be right for you.

Ultimately, expert track is going to be much easier for you. However, you need to go in eyes wide open and recognize that expert to generalist doesn't really happen.

Look to add more generalist consulting (pro bono) to your resume, network extensively, and see what opportunities come up.

If you enter as an IT expert, you will likely stay as an expert. Transitioning back from the expert to the “generalist” track is quite complex. 

They will not change their view of you if you take on a more managerial role.