Startup to consulting

Question

Hello,

If I’m not from a target school and I have one year of experience at a tech startup as a business development and partnerships associate, do you think I have a good chance of transitioning to MBB or Tier 2 consulting firms in Riyadh? note that as of now i can't pursue an MBA.

My role involves growth and market expansion. I am commercially minded and work closely with stakeholders. I have worked across multiple sectors, including banking, telecommunications, aviation, tourism, and government, and I collaborate cross-functionally with different teams.

I’m very interested in transitioning into a strategy-focused role.

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi,

It’s hard to give a clear, realistic view without seeing your full resume.

Working in a startup in business development isn't automatically a bad or a good thing. MBBs often prefer more traditional corporate profiles but in reality a lot depends on other factors too. Things like the startup’s brand, the actual impact you’ve had, and how well you show strategic exposure vs pure sales all matter quite a bit.

Happy to take a look at your CV if you want and give you more detailed feedback, free of charge.

Given your background anyway I’d focus on making your resume really clear on impact and any strategic work you’ve done, and at the same time push hard on referrals. For non-target profiles referrals can make a big difference

If you’re open to it, just send your resume over and I’ll give you a more concrete view on where you stand and what to improve.

Either way, good luck.

Regards,
Franco

Answer 2

Hello there!

Let me share my two cents:

I do think that and underappreciated pre-MBB experience is working in a startup. Especially in countries with lower level of tech expertise and young entrepreneurship (like Saudi, but also Italy - my home country), startup employees, co-founders, etc. are seen as much needed disruptive innovators
However, the question is still how to pass the first step (i.e., the Recruiter selecting your resume from the pile of resumes on their desk) -- and that is something which is honestly hard to optimize for
Since you are mentioning it, I still think that the easiest/surest way for you to get into Saudi MBB is doing an MBA (I know that the government might sponsor a part of it) in a European/US school, and then applying to Saudi offices -- I know that MENA Recruiters particularly appreciate local profiles with international education/experience

Therefore: polish your resume (get help from an MBB friend, or from a coach!) try to apply to a few consulting roles (you'll have a chance, the question is how much of a chance!), and worst case plan for an MBA -- especially if the government sponsors it

Best,

Tom

Answer 3

Hi there,

Good news on the geography: ME is booming, especially Riyadh. I am currently coaching candidates across most major firms in this region (MBB, Kearney, S&, and others).

The honest answer on MBB: it is a stretch. Not from a target school, one year of experience, no MBA — that is a hard sell at that level. For Tier 2 and boutiques in Riyadh, your odds are much better. And your background is more interesting than you might think — cross sector commercial work, stakeholder management across banking and telecoms and aviation and government, market expansion. That is very much what consulting does. You just need to package it right.

For experienced hire recruiting (which is your path here), it happens on a rolling basis. No single application window. That means you need to be networking now, not waiting.

1) Network hard. Figure out which firms are actively hiring for your profile and level. Each firm is different and timings change.
2) Get referred if you can. A referral changes everything at this stage.
3) Apply broadly. Tier 2 and boutiques first. MBB as a stretch.

Never stop recruiting until you have a signed offer in hand.

Some reading to help:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks
https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/application-tracker

A coach can help you build a proper game plan for this: https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/coaching-packages-5/31

Good luck — fingers crossed!