I often hear that you become very valuable if you are a manager in consulting, why so?
except finance, there are jobs that are willing to pay a lot more?
I often hear that you become very valuable if you are a manager in consulting, why so?
Hi,
I was a manager at MBB - sharing my perspective based on what I observed at my clients as well as from headhunter/recruiting discussions. The value comes from a couple of things:
Some of these traits you get exposed to already as a consultant. But often never at the same intensity or strategic level as a manager.
Hope this helps to clarify!
This is truly a stamp of approval!
If you can manage at MBB for example, you can well-and-truly do it all. The skills you need to posses include (but are not limited to):
There 2 key reasons for this:
1. You have proven yourself to reach leadership role in a very challenging environment
2. You have built valuable set of skills that include:
- Stakeholder managements
- Leading problem solving of complex topics
- Motivating and managing the team's morale
- Endurance to work hard and commitment to deliver
Those are valuable skills in any organization hence the point that you heard
Because it is not easy to become a manager in the first place and a lot of consultants also choose to voluntarily leave at this level. Job opportunities for MBB managers are abundant and some even pay considerably higher. A lot of people agree it is one of the best levels to exit from MBB
Why is it hard? Typically it takes 4-5 years to get to manager and this means you would have to survive nearly a dozen reviews and show constant growth and development
It is a complex profession and it is typically at this level that a consultant becomes truly independent meaning they can work without supervision and guide others. Partners love good managers because they don't have to worry about the day to day project and can focus on other things
except finance, there are jobs that are willing to pay a lot more?
I thought most post-MBA consultant can make it to manager but most want to leave to somewhere else. It doesn't seem to be the case then
Yes some industry roles will pay higher than MBB for manager level hires. On the second point - not all MBA associates make it to manager and some leave voluntarily. And typically those with pre-MBA consulting experience tend to out perform
Hi, especially for the years in consulting (6+) and for the ability to lead a brilliant team and manage a client with different exposure (from the C1 levels to the bottom)
Best,
Antonello
Hi there,
To get into consulting is very hard as it’s a huge competition among candidates.
People also become more valuable while working in consulting as they learn such skills like:
Do you need any further help?
All the best,
GB
Hi Anonymous,
I agree to the existing answers as they show your implicit and explicit achievements in your role as manager.
However I'd like to look at the question from a more rationale and economical point of view:
Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!
Robert