Transitioning from consulting to corporate strategy - Seeking advice

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m a second-year post-MBA consultant at an MBB firm, currently exploring a transition into corporate strategy. I’d really appreciate your advice on two challenges I’m facing:

1) Positioning without a clear sector focus
As a generalist, I’ve worked across a wide range of topics and industries. While I’ve tried positioning myself as a strong “problem solver,” this doesn’t seem to resonate with corporate strategy hiring managers. They often prioritize candidates with deep sector knowledge—ideally those with both consulting and in-industry experience.

How can I sharpen my positioning to secure more corporate strategy interviews? Should I focus on specific industries or companies that are more receptive to generalist backgrounds? I’ve noticed that certain niche sectors, where it’s harder to find consultants with directly relevant experience, seem more open to candidates with broader experience.

2) Performing in corporate strategy interviews
I’ve reviewed prior discussions, but I still find it challenging to generate deep, sector- or company-specific insights during interviews. Compared to consulting cases, these feel less structured, yet interviewers expect both strong structure and nuanced perspectives. Unlike consulting interviews—where success often depends on asking the right questions—corporate strategy interviews seem to require more upfront industry knowledge and insight. Without sufficient sector experience, it’s difficult to demonstrate deep understanding of the industry and the company. This is a challenge I didn’t encounter in consulting case interviews.

How can I better prepare to deliver both structure and depth in these interviews?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer 1

Hi there,

This is a very normal challenge. What’s happening is less about your experience, and more about how it’s being read on the other side. It’s a slightly different game — not harder, just different expectations.

On your first point, the “generalist problem”:
you’re right — saying “I’m a strong problem solver” doesn’t really resonate outside consulting. It’s true, but it’s too generic. Hiring managers are trying to answer a simpler question: why you, for this business?

You don’t need deep sector expertise, but you do need a clear angle.

The easiest way to get there is to pick 1–2 threads from your experience and lean into them. That could be:

an industry you’ve touched a few times
or even a topic (growth, pricing, transformation, etc.)

Then build a story that sounds intentional. Something like:
“I’ve mainly worked on growth and commercial topics, including a couple of projects in [industry], and I’m now looking to go deeper on that from the inside.”

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to feel focused enough that someone can place you.

Also, your observation about certain sectors being more open is spot on. In practice, industries like industrials, energy, logistics, etc., are often more flexible because the talent pool is smaller. That’s usually a better entry point than highly competitive sectors where they can afford to be picky.

One more thing that makes a difference: how you describe your projects.
In consulting, we tend to emphasize the analysis. In corporate roles, they care more about:
what decision was made, and what changed because of your work.

Small shift, big impact.

On interviews, what you’re feeling is very real. These interviews are less “let’s solve this together” and more “do you already think like one of us?”

That’s why generic structures don’t land as well.

What helps is changing the way you prepare:

Instead of trying to cover a whole industry, pick a few target companies and spend a bit more time on each:
how they make money, where they’re growing, what’s not working, what competitors are doing.

You don’t need to be an expert — but you should be able to say something that feels specific to them.

And during the interview, even if you use a simple structure, add a layer of concreteness.
For example, don’t stop at:
“I’d look at market, competitors, internal capabilities…”

Add one sentence that shows you’ve thought about their context:
“…for example, given your expansion into X, I’d want to understand…”

That alone already puts you ahead of most candidates.

If I had to summarize what usually works:

don’t try to be a “generalist” — pick an angle and own it
translate your experience into decisions and impact, not just analysis
go deeper on a few companies rather than shallow on many
always bring a point of view, even if it’s not perfect

You don’t need to reinvent your profile — just make it easier for them to see the fit.

Good luck!

Best,

Soheil

Answer 2

Typically, corporate employers look for a particular set of skills and knowledge for the area in which you're hiring.

The skills you very likely already have since they're part of the consulting toolkit.

The knowledge might be the problem.

Try to reflect on the 2-3 topics your value proposition/experience in consulting revolves around. Those are the topics where it will be the easiest to find roles because you'll very clearly have something useful to bring to the employer.

About a third of my candidates are existing consultants transitioning between firms, so if you need help, reach out.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

"Strong problem solver" is what every MBB consultant says. It means nothing to a hiring manager. You need to pick a lane. Go back through your projects and look for any kind of theme. Even one or two projects in the same sector is enough to build your story around.

If there really is no pattern, go after industries where good thinking matters more than deep sector knowledge. Tech, PE-backed companies, and fast-growing consumer businesses are much more open to generalists. Goldman or a top-tier tech firm can afford to wait for someone with both consulting and in-industry experience. Many others cannot.

Your instinct on niche sectors is right. A mid-size industrial or healthcare services company will not have a long list of candidates with your background. You will stand out there in a way you simply won't at a more prestigious target.

For interviews, the shift is real. Corporate strategy is less about structure and more about having an actual view on the business. The way to get there is targeted research. Pick 10 companies you want to work for and learn each one properly. How they make money, who they compete with, what their latest earnings said, and what their big strategic bets are right now.

You don't need to know the whole industry. You just need to know that one company well enough to have an opinion.

Answer 4

Hi there,

You are in a fantastic position. 2 years in MBB puts you in a great spot for this move. That said, I read your post and though "ok, so he/she wants coaching"

You make a good salary...hire a coach to help you with this pivot. A Q&A isn't going to do you justice here.

1) Positioning as a generalist

Quite frankly, you could just switch your LinkedIn status to "open to work" and corporate strategy recruiters will reach out. Just make sure your current consultancy is prominent on your profile.

Beyond that: reach out to your entire network, figure out what you actually want (types of companies, industries, titles), and get people on the phone. Contacts of contacts. You'd be surprised how far that goes.

Ultimately, you need to tell a story and connect the dots of your past. The generalist angle is a feature for many corporate strategy teams. They want someone who can think across functions, not just one sector.

I did this myself (to interview and consider offers in Tech, Data Consulting, etc.), so feel free to reach out for support

2) Performing in corporate strategy interviews

Corporate strategy interviews are more conversational and sector-specific than MBB cases. They're testing whether you have genuine views on the industry and can contribute on day 1. Building those views takes time and targeted prep.

This is genuinely a topic where a coaching session pays for itself. Happy to help: Coaching