MBB Exit chances after being counseled out

1. Why you’re getting few interviews

There could be several reasons, some of which you can control, others you can't:

• Most corporate strategy roles require 2.5–5 years of MBB experience; 1.5 years is on the junior side.
• Your résumé or cover letter/narrative may not match what strategy teams expect.
• Geography/visa constraints or industry mismatch can filter you out automatically (e.g., if you're applying to the US and need a visa).

DM me if you want. I'd be happy to help assess what you might be doing wrong here, before you decide to explore other paths. Maybe there are some things we can tweak to increase your chances of getting more interviews.

2. Your actual chances for corporate strategy

You might have some chances for junior strategy roles (Strategy Analyst/Associate, Strategy & Ops, some internal strategy teams).
You are not competitive for manager-level or “Head of Strategy” roles. These usually require much higher tenures (5-7 years of MBB). Landing corporate strategy is possible, but you need to target the right seniority and potentially broaden your search. What seniority roles have you been applying to?

3. What to do next

Being counseled out is not a deal-breaker if explained briefly and neutrally. But you need to have a coherent narrative for why you stayed for only 1.5 years in consulting after making the pivot from the industry. If your timeline is tight, consider adjacent roles (Strategy & Ops, Chief of Staff) or Tier-2/boutique consulting to extend your strategy tenure. Doing it in another geography can also help explain why you left MBB to join a Tier-2 firm (e.g., couldn't transfer internally, so decided to apply to other companies). 

This is an incredibly tough spot, and the feeling that the past year and a half might be "for nothing" is completely understandable. Let me assure you, it wasn't. You have the MBB brand on your CV now, and that foundational training doesn't disappear.

Here is the reality check on your job search: the combination of an experienced hire background, short tenure (under two years), and the looming forced exit is what is filtering you out. Corporate HR screens are fundamentally risk-averse. They see the short duration and assume performance management issues, especially in a pure corporate strategy function that often relies on candidates who are known quantities (i.e., those who stayed for the standard 2-3 years). Your applications are likely being blindly screened out before the hiring manager even sees the quality of your pre-MBB experience.

You cannot rely on passive applications right now. Your immediate focus must be twofold: leveraging the network and being strategic about role titles. First, use your current firm affiliation—while you are still technically employed—to network aggressively. Talk to alumni, former project clients, and anyone in your extended MBB cohort. A warm introduction bypasses the HR filter that is currently killing your chances.

Second, pivot your search away from pure Corporate Strategy (which is often the most competitive and risk-averse function) and target roles where your five years of prior industry knowledge is highly valued, but now requires strategy skills. Think about roles like Strategy & Operations, Corporate Development, or Chief of Staff positions in a growth company—these are functions that appreciate the hybrid background and often have less rigid screening criteria than a Fortune 50 corporate strategy department. Trying to jump back into consulting now (especially MBB) is extremely risky; those performance metrics follow you, and the chance of recurrence is high. Get a good exit, stabilize your career, and then look for the next move in 2-3 years.

Hope this shift in perspective helps you land strong. All the best.

I'm sorry to hear about this. It must feel terrible. 

Honestly, there's not only one path.

What's certain, though, is that it wasn't all for nothing. I'm sure you learned loads, and even this experience in and of itself matured you. 

You could apply to other consulting firms, if you want to be in consulting. I know multiple examples of people who struggled in one firm but excelled in another. 

You could apply to industry roles, if you feel you'd want to do that sort of work again because you realised consulting is not your cup of tea. 

Or you could decide to pursue further education or qualifications. MBA / MiM programs are an example of this but not the only avenue. 

Meaning, for now, it makes sense to think through all these options and see which is closest to your heart.

I'm sure things will move in the direction you want them to. 

Best,
Cristian

Sorry to hear you’re going through this - don’t panic though. This situation is far more common than you think, and I’m saying that not just as an ex-McKinsey consultant but also as someone who coaches many people through consulting exits, including counseled-out cases that went on to land excellent strategy roles.

Here’s a clearer, more grounded take on where you stand and what to do next.

1. Why you’re getting low traction

There are a few structural reasons; none of them fatal:

Short MBB tenure (<2 years). Many corporate strategy teams benchmark 2.5–3 years of consulting experience. You’re below that threshold, so the ATS filter often rejects you before a human sees your profile.

Risk perception. A short stint in consulting makes HR assume “performance concern,” even if they don’t know you were counseled out. It’s not personal; it’s algorithmic screening.

Your hybrid background is being misread. Five years in industry + short MBB tenure doesn’t map neatly to most corporate strategy job descriptions. Without someone advocating for you, your application becomes an edge case.

This explains the silence - not your capability.

2. Your real competitiveness for corporate strategy

You are a realistic fit for roles at the Associate / Senior Associate level or Strategy & Ops roles in large companies or tech/growth businesses. You’re also a strong candidate for internal consulting teams, transformation roles, and Chief of Staff positions.

You’re not competitive yet for Manager or “Head of Strategy” roles - those typically go to people with 4–7 years of consulting experience.

But you’re absolutely still in the mix for strategy work. Your MBB time + prior industry experience gives you a strong story once a hiring manager actually talks to you.

3. What to do next

Stop relying on online applications. Right now, HR screeners, not hiring managers, are blocking you. Referrals will get you past that.

The most effective sources are:

• MBB alumni
• Former project teammates
• Ex-clients
• Second-degree LinkedIn connections in strategy teams

Even 10–15 good introductions can completely change your interview pipeline.

Widen the net slightly. Strategy & Ops, transformation, corporate development (junior roles), and Chief of Staff are all functions that value someone with your hybrid background and are less rigid about tenure.

Most people I’ve coached in your situation land in one of these roles and then shift to pure strategy later, once they have more runway.

Be careful about trying for another MBB. In most cases, the performance framework is similar, and the probability of running into the same issues is high. Tier-2 firms, boutiques, or strong specialist consultancies can be a smarter bridge if you want to extend your consulting track record.

Craft a clean, neutral narrative for your exit. One line is enough. Something like:

“The firm and I realized that the long-term development path wasn’t the right match. I’m grateful for the projects I worked on, and the experience clarified the kind of strategy work I want to focus on next.”

You don’t need more than this. Interviewers move on quickly once they hear a crisp, unemotional answer.

4. Should you prepare to return to your pre-MBB role?

Not at this point. You’re not back to square one. You’ve upgraded your brand, your toolkit, and your market positioning. You simply need a different go-to-market strategy.

Almost every counseled-out MBB professional I’ve coached has landed something solid, many in strategy roles, once they switched to a targeted, referral-driven search.

Hi there,

You still have a very real shot at landing a corporate strategy role. Your mix of industry experience and time at MBB is valuable, even if the tenure feels short. The slow traction you are seeing is pretty normal and often comes down to timing and networking rather than your profile. I would keep going with your applications while also leaning more on referrals since that tends to make the biggest difference. Exploring other consulting firms in a new geography can help you extend your strategy track record. You should prepare to answer why you only stayed for a year in MBB.

hey there :)

No one on the outside knows you were counseled out, and it doesn’t define your career. Many people who received tough feedback at MBB have gone on to have very successful careers in corporate strategy and beyond. With 1.5 years of MBB experience plus your prior industry experience, you are still very competitive. Focus on highlighting your skills and impact, and don’t let the exit hold you back, your next role can absolutely be a step forward, not backward.

best, Alessa :)