You've identified the problem really well. 

I've seen this situation a few times, both when I was in the firm and then as a coach advising candidates. 

I typically tell people NOT to push for the more senior position, especially if they want to prioritise a mid to long-term career in consulting. 

MBBs tend to recommend the position they believe you would best adapt to, given your experience. I absolutely understand this can be frustrating to some people. The alternative to this is going in a more senior role and being absolutely swamped (i.e., your skills don't match the expectations) or un-staffable (you have a higher daily charge and the team doesn't want to take you on because you don't have a strong value prop). I've seen a few people leave after 1 year because they were burned out as a consequence of this.

Going in at a more junior role gives you the luxury of gradually learning and having space to grow. And if you plan on being in the firm mid to long term, the promotion timelines will even out anyway over time. 

If you're starting soon, sharing with you two guides with a few tips that might help you settle in smoothly:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Best,
Cristian

In this case I really feel the consulting firm is not only providing you with a fair offer, but also setting you up for success.

You seem to believe that they are not recognizing your experience. Well, not at all. If that was the case, they would be giving you a AC1 role. But no, they are giving you a Consultant role, but asking you to perform as a Senior Associate Consultant.

And if you perform well as a SAC, at the end of those 12 months, they will promote you to Consultant 2.

Sure, you could join as a Consultant 2. But in that case, you will have to perform as a Consultant 2. You make 15% more and have a strong chance of being asked to leave after 12 months. Moreover, when it is time to consider who can move up to project manager… you'll barely have any consulting experience… you face a serious risk of not making it.

They're doing this for your own good.

They see the green-ness in you and they are setting you up for success, not failure.

This is an insanely fast-paced environment filled with type A personalities and the “best of the best”. 

Start off how they recommend so that you can ensure you move up, NOT out.

Consulting Survival Guide - Tips for Your Consulting Career
 

The Pros and Cons of Working at a Top Consulting Firm

Hi there,

if you don’t have prior consulting experience, the first months will likely be painful, no matter what. You want to give yourself enough time to adjust and learn the ropes. The higher your entry level, the higher and more immediate the expectations that you hit the ground running. 
 

If the firm suggests for you to start at C1, it is not because they want to get you for “cheap“ but because they likely have experience with lateral hires with similar backgrounds as you. You can try to negotiate for a higher signing bonus to compensate a bit for salary differences in your first year.

In consulting, promotions happen faster than in corporate jobs. So if you perform, you will reach the next level in a timely manner. But you want to make sure that you set yourself up for being able to perform in the first place.

Best

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offer! In terms of your questions:

1) I would like to negotiate an entry level as a second year Consultant given the number of years of experience that I have. Do you think it's feasible?

Being a 1st year consultant seems fine given your experience - Benjamin provided a great explanation as to why. It might be possible to negotiate if you have an “opportunity cost” (i.e. another offer), although I don't think it makes much sense for the points below.

2) On the other hand, I'm afraid that if I join as second year consultant , the pressure and expectations would be very high that I won't be able to keep up especially that I don't come from a consulting background. 

This is a reasonable preoccupation. I agree that 1st year consultant would be safer in your case. The extra one year of seniority long term won’t matter much in any case.

3) However, I'm also scared to regret not negotiating if I realize that people with similar profile as mine have joined as 2nd year Consultant which might impact my motivation.

If they proposed that position, it is unlikely that people with a similar seniority would get a higher position, unless their experience/interview performance was different. That's exactly because they will anticipate the issue. So I would not worry about this. Still, if you want, you might double-check on LinkedIn for your specific office.

4) Should I negotiate the seniority in my case?

Overall I think their proposal is fair. Unless you have a consulting offer for a higher position or find evidence that other people joined at a higher position in your target office with the same seniority/experience and would like to take the risk of more pressure, I would not recommend negotiating on this point. You might still negotiate on a signing bonus or relocation bonus if available in your target office.

All the best for a great start!

Francesco

Hi there,

Agree with Ian and Benjamin here!

I'd start as proposed but negotiate for a fast-track promotion window. Check out my book Consulting Career Secrets on how to get there! :-)

All the best,

Florian

Hey, congrats on the offer!

I suggest you join as a C1. Believe me, the recruiting team knows better and they are doing you a favour anyway, letting you do the SA's work for 1 year. It's gonna be tough out there without prior consulting experience, believe me.

Good luck,
Nick

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