Hi everyone,
I’d appreciate some honest advice from the community.
I joined an MBB firm as a consultant after spending more than 5 years in industry. Unfortunately, I was counseled out a bit after the one-year mark, and by the time I leave I will have a hair over 1.5 years of tenure.
I’m currently targeting corporate strategy roles. I don’t have a strong industry preference. My main goal is to join a true strategy function, ideally outside of the industry I worked in before joining MBB. However, after applying actively for a couple of months, I’ve received very few interviews, and I’m starting to lose confidence in my chances.
I’m worried that I may end up having to go back to the same type of role I had before MBB. It feels like this would be a step backwards, and I can’t shake the feeling that joining MBB will have been “for nothing” if I end up in the same spot, especially with the pressure of eventually being unemployed very soon.
Do you think I still have a realistic chance of landing a corporate strategy role given my background, my tenure and the circumstances of my exit? Or should I start preparing myself to return to a role similar to my pre-MBB role?
I’m also considering applying to other MBB or Tier-2 firms in another geography to increase my tenure in strategy consulting. However, I’m concerned that being unemployed might raise questions, and I’m also worried about risking a similar experience again.
