It's great to hear about your background and your career goals. Based on the information you've provided, I can offer some insights and suggestions to help you achieve your ambitions.

Expert Track Opportunities: In order to reach your goal of becoming a VP/SVP of a respected company within the next 7 years, there are a few potential expert tracks you can consider:

• Industry Expertise: Building deep industry knowledge and becoming a recognized expert in your field can help you stand out and gain credibility. Focus on staying up to date with industry trends, networking with industry leaders, and actively contributing to thought leadership through publications or speaking engagements.
• Leadership Development: Seek opportunities to take on leadership roles within your current organization or through external engagements. This could include leading cross-functional projects, mentoring junior colleagues, or volunteering for leadership positions in professional associations.
• Strategic Partnerships: Cultivating strategic relationships with key stakeholders in your industry can provide valuable connections and open doors to new opportunities. Look for ways to collaborate with industry influencers, participate in industry conferences, and engage in collaborative initiatives.

Starting Position: While starting off as a Consultant/Associate can provide valuable consulting experience and exposure to different industries and business challenges, your extensive experience as a Principal Product Manager may also position you for more senior roles within consulting firms. Consider leveraging your domain expertise and leadership experience to negotiate a higher starting position that aligns with your career goals. From my experience, it's possible for you to enter as a manager or Associate Partner.

Alternative Growth Paths: In addition to consulting, there are other avenues you can explore to accelerate your career growth:

• Executive Education: Consider pursuing executive education programs or certifications that focus on leadership development, strategy, and management. These programs can enhance your skill set and broaden your perspective.
• Entrepreneurship: If you have a passion for innovation and creating your own path, exploring entrepreneurship may be a viable option. Starting your own venture or joining an early-stage startup can provide unique growth opportunities and allow you to have a direct impact on shaping a company's direction.
• Board Positions: As you progress in your career, consider seeking board positions in relevant organizations or industry associations. Serving on boards can provide exposure to high-level decision-making and broaden your network.

Remember, each career path is unique, and it's important to assess your own strengths, interests, and opportunities. Consider seeking advice from mentors or career coaches who can provide personalized guidance based on your specific circumstances.

Best of luck in your career journey!

Hi there, 

Interesting background!

Realistically, if you switch to MBB as a generalist, you'll start as an Associate, which is something you might not want to do. However, if you do go ahead with that and you perform well, you could get fast-tracked and make Partner in 7 years or less. 

Then it would be easy to transition into SVP/VP roles. I've worked with people with a similar background making a transition at AP level, so this is totally doable.

Alternatively, you could try to move to a different firm and negotiate a more senior role within the same industry. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi Dia,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in your career thus far!

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

• First of all, considering your career aspiration, MBB (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) could indeed offer an accelerated growth path. MBB firms highly value diverse experiences and the unique perspectives that come with them, so your background in product management and engineering could be a significant asset. However, entering at a Consultant/Associate level might be necessary due to the steep learning curve and unique nature of strategy consulting work. I would advise you to reach out directly to the recruiters at these firms to discuss potential roles that might align with your profile.
• Moreover, regarding your question about expert tracks, MBB firms often have specific tracks for experienced professionals. For instance, McKinsey has the 'Expert Career Track' that could help you to leverage your existing expertise while working on consulting projects. These tracks can be a fast way to reach higher positions within the firm.
• Lastly, aside from MBB, another path to consider could be leadership roles in smaller or boutique consulting firms. These firms might offer you a higher starting position and faster growth, especially if they have a focus on industries or topics where you have deep expertise.

You can find more on this topic here: Boutique consulting companies.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming career decisions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

It's less comon, but if you can bring specific industry or functional expertise, they may take you on board. For your level, it would probably be at a Manager role, and you'd have to accept a pay cut.

Hi Dia,

1) Are there certain expert tracks that can get me to where I want to over the next 7 years?

If you mean expert tracks in consulting: depending on your skillset you could apply for an expert position – I helped candidates with a similar level of experience to land into MBB. 

Whether that's the best path depends on the other options you might have available.

2) I assume I'll need to start off as a Consultant/Associate vs a higher position?

If you apply as generalist you might have to start for a few months as an Associate/Consultant and then move to Manager if everything works well. For the expert track, it depends on the company and position.

3) Other ways to grow?

Depending on your CV and experience, you might be better off switching to a competitor rather than MBB with your seniority.

Best,

Francesco

Hello,

To answer your questions:

1. Are there certain expert track that can get me to where I want to over the next 7 years?

Yes, I would say there exists paths for someone with your background to get to VP/SVP level in 7 years or so. I'm not sure if by expert track you mean a specialized knowledge practice (i.e., you consult mostly for clients in your industry area of expertise and also give expert advice to other teams working with such clients) or a consulting career trajectory in general. If you are referring to the former - you'll likely be able to start off in a more senior position as your industry experience will count for more, but progression tends to be slower. So ex ante, without knowing more details about you as a candidate, I don't think expert track offers huge advantages over a generalist consulting position if your ultimate goal is to get to VP/SVP in 7 years.

2. I assume I'll need to start off as a Consultant/Associate vs a higher position?

Depending on your years of experience and responsibilities in your current position (e.g., have you been managing a team for a while?), you may be started off as Senior Consultant/Associate. Occasionally people can come in at the managerial level, though this is not super common. The position would be up for discussion between you and HR.

3. Other ways to grow?

Depends on what you are interested in, but a potential move to consider that wouldn't involve a salary cut could be a lateral move to a competitor