"Rejected at final round – looking for next step into consulting

Question

Hi everyone,

I’ve been nearly a year trying to break into strategy consulting. I’m 23, with a background in Psychology, and after a 2 year experience in a startup (fintech) (not typical path), I decided to prepare fully for consulting applications.

It’s been a challenging but incredibly enriching journey, I’ve learned a lot and recently made it to the final round at Kearney. The feedback in all interviews had been great but unfortunately, I made a calculation error and got slightly blocked in the last case interviews and got rejected. It's frustrating because the process was extremely slow (it started in February and just ended now, in July), and I now find myself mid-summer with no active offers or clear next steps.

I’m still very committed to entering strategy consulting, but I also feel that I can’t afford to remain unemployed any longer. Ideally, I’d like to start working in September, either in Spain or London, and continue applying to strategy consulting from there.

Do you know of any companies or roles that could serve as a good stepping stone into consulting, with faster and less intense recruitment processes than pure MBB/Big4 Strategy?

Any advice would be really appreciated 🙏

Answer 1

Sorry to hear about this. There are many available options, with a couple of (non-exhaustive) examples below:

- You could try re-joining the tech industry (incl. potentially a return to fintech). If you can get a promotion in your first year or an opportunity to manage some more junior staff, that could put you in a good position to reapply for a consulting gig.

- Alternatively, you could also join a large corporate company in either a strategic or operational role, but you'd likely need to come in at the entry level with 2 years of non-consulting experience. This might not be the fastest way, as it will take a bit longer to get promoted / show meaningful leadership experience.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that, but on the other hand: great to hear that you are still motivated! That is the mindset that will get you an offer in the end. Given your situation, I’d think about three options:

First, boutique consulting firms: ideally those with a fintech or digital focus, where your background could be a strong advantage and hiring processes are usually less competitive.

Second, inhouse strategy or corporate development roles, especially in banks, fintechs, or larger corporates: great stepping stones into consulting later. Could also become a long-term option if you grow to like it. Better WLB with solid career options.

Third, strategy or business operations roles in fintech scale-ups – your startup experience makes you a strong fit, and the work will build skills directly relevant to consulting.

In parallel, and if you're still interested, keep applying to MBB/Big4 once you’re in a role – lateral moves are very common as early as 6–12 months.

Happy to discuss if helpful!
Cheers,
Kevin

Answer 3

Sorry to hear about the interview. Consulting recruiting can definitely be an intensive process. I think Mihir and Kevin both gave great answers on some pathways. Another path that I would propose is looking to get an MBA.

You have 2 years of experience and if you apply this cycle and are able to find employment you would be at 3 years of full-time work experience (at matriculation) which is definitely doable for MBA apps. Also, getting a more formal business background and being able to leverage the resources and pathways of a business school could make the recruiting process easier since strategy consulting is a fairly popular post-MBA career.

This path is definitely a commitment from both a cost and time standpoint, but could serve as a good stepping stone and give you a bit more of a defined pathway into MBB/Big4 Strategy.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Answer 4

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejection from Kearney!

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

First of all, have you applied broadly - ideally with polished application files and strong referrals? In any case, please have a look at the Vault Consulting Rankings to explore more interesting consulting firms.
Moreover, while I'm really sorry to hear that the application process with Kearney took so long, you're unfortunately not the first to report this issue. That said, consulting application processes are typically quite swift, so this one bad experience shouldn't discourage you from applying to other consulting firms.
Lastly, if you're still unable to secure any consulting offers, I would strongly advise you to also pursue strategy or business development roles. These often provide direct exposure to strategic work that is highly valued by consulting firms later on.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 5

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear. Luck also plays a big role in this process, and it's frustrating when it works against you.

Basically, if you want to get into consulting, and are looking for an intermediary stepping stone, you should be looking at any jobs that will enable you to develop and display consulting like skills - e.g., project based work where you co-create with others, tight deadlines, fast paced, involving data analysis, structured thinking, etc.

Then once you're on the job make sure that you perform distinctively so you build a library of achievements that you can point to in future applications.

Best,
Cristian