Right level to apply when starting in consulting

Question

Hi All,

I did my bachelors in information technology and then worked as a software developer/business analyst for ~4 years

Decided to pursue MBA and after completing MBA i have been working in Pricing(~3 years)in an ecommerce company in Germany

I am looking for opportunities in Consulting so I was wondering at what level should I apply?

Should it be Consultant or Senior Consultant?

I was considering to apply as a senior consultant but i have absolutely no background/experience in consulting before.

Thanks a lot for a short feedback here!

Answer 1

Hi Anonymous,

given your seniority, you should apply for the equivalent position of an Associate at McKinsey or Consultant at BCG – which is the traditional post-MBA role. The step after that in the career progression is a manager position, and it would not fit with the experience you have developed so far. In some companies/geographies, given you have some years of post-MBA experience, you may be able to negotiate a faster track to promotion after you received an offer.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Answer 2

Your background is very similar to mine when I applied to BCG, and I entered as a 1st year consultant just like any brand new MBA.

Honestly, you don't want to start too high up anyway: you will need time to learn the methodology and consulting toolkit. Once there, you will learn & grow quickly, with a career and salary progression unlike anything outside: promotion every couple of years at first, salary growth north of 10% / year... Besides - no matter what level you apply for, the company likely will consider you for what THEY think is appropriate.

Answer 3

The position is called experience hire and there is loads of them in consulting companies. They come from totally different backgrounds (industrial companies, investment banks, even army etc.).

If you ask whether Consultant or Senior Consultant - I would say it does not matter so much. I would go for senior consultant

Answer 4

Hi,

The exact name of the role depends on the company.

In your case, it should be one level below the project manager (E.g. Associate at McKinsey)

Best!

Answer 5

Hello! In all honesty, experienced hires are proving to be quite hard to integrate into MBB. They are much harder to... (read entire answer)

Hello! In all honesty, experienced hires are proving to be quite hard to integrate into MBB. They are much harder to mold, there is much to learn about our ways of working and e... (read entire answer)