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

(edited)

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

Hi there,

Maybe take .01% of the $335k salary and get a career coach to help you with a super serious life decision :)

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

Yes. And you're probably be hired into this. Perhaps in the Tech practice.

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

Not necessarily. Based on your experience it'd be more likely to be project lead.

3. Other ways to grow?

Hmmmm, broad question. Better answered via a coaching call where we can get a better sense of your goals, situation, overall resume, network, etc.

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