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FAANG exits from Strategy&

strategy&
Recent activity on May 11, 2020
7 Answers
3.2 k Views
Anonymous A asked on May 09, 2020

Hey Everyone,

I work at S& in Germany, I'm very much focused on TMT and to be frank, it seems the industry perception of S& in the TMT sector is very strong (I guess here the PwC backing helps). I am yet to look at exit opportunities, especially given the current pandemic. But I am wondering how likely is an exit into one of the top tech companies given I am not in MBB.

As a bit of a background, I also have an advanced degree in engineering from Oxbridge, UK.

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Raj
Expert
Content Creator
replied on May 09, 2020
FREE 15MIN CONSULTATION | #1 Strategy& / OW coach | >70 5* reviews |90% offers ⇨ prep-success.super.site | MENA, DE, UK

Hey there,

I used to work in the TMT team at S& in the UK and moved into tech (though was also considering FAANG in the media space), so understand the move you are making.

In general, I can say that I had quite a few ex-colleagues who made the move to FAANG (enough of them to indicate the MBB delta was smaller than you think). These moves included Facebook strategy & ops, Google strategy, Amazon Product, Netflix content strategy, Apple BizOps. I also recruited for Netflix's content strategy team in AMS.

That said, no doubt there will advantage of being at MBB in getting in the door and ease of signalling with the brand (globally). But in general, I would place personal profile above firm brand after that point. To get the foot in the door however, it is worth emphasizing the most relevant cases / clients you worked on that would be relevant.

Hope that helps. Ping me if you want to know more.

Raj

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Anonymous replied on May 11, 2020

Hi there,

Speaking from experience with tech firms (though from anothre region), tech firms are generally in need of good people and they hire more ex-consultants than MBB exits. So it is possible to go to FAANG with a Tier 2 background. Tech firms are less stringent on whether it is MBB or not MBB; more often they see candidates as consultant vs non-consultant.

As long as you have the matching qualities they are looking for the role, and perform well in the interview, should be quite possible to make it.

Best,

Emily

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Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on May 10, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Two main things here:

  1. There are many Tier2-3 alumnus in FAANG, I would encourage you to leverage LinkedIn to try to contact them
  2. Once you are called for an interview, it all depends on your performance. Here background, experience, etc. does not count.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on May 10, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi,

100% you have a strong resume thanks to S&, your TMT focus,and your education. This shows that you have the great combination of both technical/expert skills and strategic/communication skills

You will likely get pulled into internal strategy/management/director roles in TMT. Make sure to continue getting experience in TMT!

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Anonymous replied on May 09, 2020

In short, your chances are high, if you have the relevant experience.

MBBs have an advantage over the other firms in terms of their alumni network. However, that shouldn't be a showstopper since FAANG do partner with a lot of headhunters who do not discriminate between MBBs and "tier 2" consultants, specifically when your previous work experience is heavily focused on TMT.

My recommendation is to
1) start building up a network of connections working in the field of your interest in FAANG (be in the analytics, or strategy, etc.) - after a certain time, you might hear from them regarding specific vacancies
2) get in touch with headhunters, let them know you are interested in this move - and they will keep updating once something opens up.

I hope this helps.

Best

Khaled

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Vlad
Expert
replied on May 10, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

There are many Tier2 / Big4 alums in Faang. Chances are pretty much the same. Once you are invited for an interview - everything depends on your performance

Best

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Anonymous replied on May 11, 2020

Dear A,



I think that Strategy& has really strong take on the TMT sector and therefore the exit to the FAANG companies from the Strategy& are also common. Maybe you could look into alumni base of the company, and see who is working for which company . And try to look through this person for your exit options. However, I need to say that now, due to COVID, exit option are not great, but I hope that they will improve in one or two year.

Best,

André

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