Question on a Career Decision

Question

I’d really appreciate your advice as I weigh a career decision.

I’ve been accepted into a top UK business school for an MBA (a target school for MBB), but I’m considering deferring for a year to try securing an experienced hire consultant role at MBB—ideally in London or the Middle East.

Here’s the dilemma:

1. Should I defer my MBA by one year to attempt to join MBB now as an experienced hire? I have 5+ years of experience in the knowledge consulting arm of an MBB firm. However, I know the current market is sluggish and many offices may not be hiring.

2. Or should I proceed with the MBA and hope the consulting market improves by the time I graduate? A key advantage of doing the MBA now is that it potentially offers a quick and streamlined pipeline for consulting recruitment, and ability to pivot into Corporate Strategy or other roles if consulting doesn’t work out. But it comes at the cost of taking on student debt.

Due to a personal situation, I’m trying to enter consulting as quickly as possible. Which option offers the fastest and most realistic path?

Also, does anyone know of MBB offices (especially in London or the Middle East) that are actively hiring experienced consultants at the moment?

Thanks so much for your input!

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the MBA offer!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

First of all, unfortunately, no one can seriously answer the question of whether you will receive a consulting offer unless you apply. Therefore, I would highly advise you to apply and see what happens. If you end up with an offer, you can reassess your situation, but you need to take action, especially if you want to start a career in consulting as soon as possible.
Moreover, apart from perhaps a brief period during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has really never been a complete hiring freeze, in any region or country, for either graduates or experienced hires.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi there,

Considering the cost of an MBA, if you can postpone it without (1) losing your spot and (2) not having to do any upfront payment, it may be a good idea to try first get into MBB or other consulting firm. You are right, the market is not at its peak right now, but it’s a risk that my be worthy if you would like to avoid the financial burden of an MBA.

You can check directly in the websites of MBB for the job announcements, as experienced hires are recruited all year round without specific dates. It may also be good to reach to HR, even if there is no open positions on the websites.

3 Things that will help you join the recruiting process: (1) a strong CV that positions you as a desired candidate, (2) a cover letter and (3) referrals.

Let me know if you would like professional help with the CV and guidance to (2) and (3). The CV screening is often a step candidates don’t pass through, as there is a proper consulting way to craft a good resume. So far all my coachees have passed the screening phase after my CV review, happy to share some stories with you.

Best regards,

Mari

Answer 3

Why don't you do both?

In the sense of starting the MBA program this autumn but at the same time pursuing MBB recruiting. Then, even if the MBB recruiting doesn't work this year, you can apply next year when you'll still be in the MBA program (or soon to graduate).

If you do get the MBB role, you can almost always defer the start date.

For MBA more generally, you might find this to be useful read:

Expert Guide: Are MBAs worth it?

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

Thanks for the question. My opinion is that if your personal situation has an impact on your finances, then deferring the MBA is probably a risk worth taking if it means you also don’t have to take on additional debt.

You’re right that the MBA environment is one that will probably push you harder to prepare for applications, but with the right positioning of your profile and adequate preparation, you don’t need the MBA system to secure an MBB offer. I believe the reality is that not everyone in your MBA class who wants an MBB offer will get one anyways.

Hope that helps to make the decision, but whatever you decide, wishing you the very best. And if you do need support on that application, there is a huge community of coaches as well as fellow candidates on this platform to support your preparation.

Take care!

Answer 5

I believe the question is more around timing. In general, I would advise people to try to get to MBB before the MBA because then they have an additional attempt during the MBA (or vice versa, one additional attempt before the MBA).

In your case, it really is a person decision regarding priorities and personal risk assessment. Recruiting is not superb but also not that bad. Could be better or could be worse 1-2 years from now...

If possible, you should speed up your pre-MBA recruiting and hopefully get an answer soon enough to contact the school and ask for a deferred start.

Answer 6

Hi,

Honestly, a year is really not a long time. No harm trying now, and then if you can't get in, go to MBA.

Yes you have a personal situation (i dont know the details) but at least for the most pressing situation for most people e.g. Financials - it will still make more sense to try for MBB directly now and save the money that you would have otherwise spent on MBA.

Answer 7

Hey there :)

Given your MBB knowledge arm background and the current hiring slowdown, going straight for an experienced hire role could be tough, especially in London, where the market is still very tight. Middle East is slightly more active but still selective, and even there, many experienced roles are on hold or delayed.

So unless you have strong internal sponsorship or active conversations underway, the MBA route might be the faster and safer path. It gives you structured recruiting access, brand signaling, and backup options like Corporate Strategy. If personal timing is urgent, and you're open to the debt trade-off, starting the MBA now likely gives you a clearer shot.

Best,
Alessa :)