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How do I make the switch from an HR consulting company to a strategy consulting company?

Christoph asked on Jul 31, 2017 - 1 answer

Hey,

I am currently working as a management consultant in a consulting company which has its main focus von talent development, leadership development and coaching. 80% of our work is delivering trainings for other companies to improve their employee's skills.

I've studied business psychology and want to make the switch into a more management / strategy focussed consulting company (such as McKinsey, Accenture Strategy, goetzpartners, ...). Do you have any tipps for my on how to make a successful switch? I got a few rejections due to my past focus on HR topics - although my studies included economics and I've been self-employed for several year next to my studies and jobs.

Thank you in advance,

Chris

1.5k Views
Francesco
Prep4Success Expert
replied on Jul 31, 2017
#1 Expert for coaching sessions (2.100+) | Ex BCG | 1.000+ reviews with 100% recommendation rate

Hi Christoph,

as your background is a bit unusual for strategy firms, I would say there are two major ways for you to break into strategy consulting (not necessarily mutually exclusive):

  1. Do an MBA at a school which is a target one for the firms you are interested in
  2. Start an in-depth networking process with current consultant of your target companies, trying to obtain a referral in order to be invited for an interview

Of course, it could also be useful to check on LinkedIn whether there have been alumni of your current company who managed to break into one of your target companies, and if so, which particular path they followed.

For more information on the referral process, you can check the following link:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/open-house-at-bcg-311

Hope this helps,

Francesco

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