How difficult is it to promote from consultant level to manager? Is it that when you hit 2-2.5 years and don’t have major issues you can get promoted or is it quite hard? I see many people leave after 1.5-2 years at consultant level and curious why don’t they wait till they become a manger.
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Promotion to manager level
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Discussing with colleagues across roles in McKinsey, I came to the conclusion that moving from one role to another is a similar challenge. Obviously, it requires a different set of skills, different criteria on which you are assessed, but every time it will feel like it's pushing at the boundaries of your ability.
Usually as a new joiner you have to go through at least 2 ‘consultant’ levels before you move on to manager (e.g., business analyst, associate and only then manager). Some offices have even more levels. That means that it usually takes about 4-5 years to get to manager from a starting role, unless you already have an MBA (then it's rather 2-3 years).
Some people do wait until they make manager and leave after because it's a sought after skillset by any employer. On the other hand, it's quite easy to get a job even after 1-2 years of being in a big name consulting firm, so most people don't bother. The lifestyle is quite tough most of the time and very few find a way of being content with it long-term
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Hi there,
This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:
- Generally speaking, the more senior you get the more important factors other than your case performance will be to get promoted, especially when you become part of the leadership team. I would not say it will become more difficult per se, it is simply a different skill set you need to adapt to constantly both on-the-job and for the promotion.
- Regarding people leaving before a promotion, there really is no perfect time to exit consulting as this decision is highly driven by your personal ambition and the opportunities that are available.
In case you want a more detailed discussion on when might be your personal best time to exit, please feel free to contact me directly.
I hope this helps,
Hagen
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Hi there,
There are normally three reasons people will leave before promotion:
- They are not going get promoted, and they recognize this (up or out model)
- Despite all indication of promotion, they know the job isn't for them and don't want to keep their golden handcuffs (my personal situation - I wanted to have my life back!)
- They've received a competing offer/opportunity they just can't refuse
Getting promoted is indeed tough! You get reviews after every project and every 6 months. You're graded across a pretty extensive/intense set of metrics and your peers around you are also all top calibre.
(edited)
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Hi!
I would say each career progression has its own complexity. Becoming a manager is not necessarily harder than being promoted to Associate.
Re. your second question, it really depends on the specific person I think. Some want to become Partners, others want to leave as soon as they get an MBB brand on their CVs…
Best,
Anto
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Hello,
It wholly depends on the firm, office, and person in question. Generally speaking, promotions are a lot of work. After ~2-3 years if you are working hard, developing a strong network, making the most of your opportunities, and paying attention to the feedback you are getting, you should have gained a good skillset and be in a good starting position to get promoted. But, once again, getting the promotion is much harder than just doing the work with no issues for 2-3 years. You need to find senior people to vouch for you, be put on projects where you are essentially actively taking on managerial responsibilities without the official title (or pay), and really advocate for yourself. A lot of people aren't interested in doing this, and find other careers they are keen to pivot to.
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Promotion to Manager level is generally considered the second-most difficult promotion step in consulting (after the promotion to Partner).
There is a significant shift in the work profile and skill requirements. And hence, companies put a lot of scrutiny into it.
In terms of tenure requirement - different firms and offices have differences. The window can range from 18 months to 30 months typically.
Here is a related question - https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-did-you-earn-your-fast-track-promotion-11513
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