When to decide which industry to focus on as a consultant?

Hi,

A very senior partner (as in a partner who had been a partner for a long time), told me that I should choose the industry with the people that I click best with.

He said to "find your tribe" regardless of that industry - It's easier to progress in an industry that you're not entirely familiar with, but with people who back you, believe in you and want to work with you. 

To answer your question: 

• A first year project leader/EM can still be a generalist, but by the time they're senior/ on track to AP >> you need to find a focus area.

I recommend that you:

• Begin making connections/ reaching out and showing your intentions about the industry that you'd like to work in - maybe try a study out - maybe it ends up being everything that you imagined, maybe not! 

  Also follow up with leadership - they sometimes see your messages and forget to respond, so follow up,follow up,follow up! Be persistant.

• Be cognisant of which partners/project leaders/APs you gel with/ who has your back - try to find your tribe
• Be cognisant of what you're enjoying when you do finally work in the industry that you want to be in - is it the actual industry that you're enjoying or the functional area e.g. strategy work/operational work

Have fun!

You're asking the right questions and this is a very common inflection point for lateral hires at MBB.

Here’s a practical take:

When is it “too late” to specialize?

You don’t need to lock into an industry six months in but by the 12–18 month mark, your case history starts to shape how you're perceived and staffed. If you're still doing generalist work or projects in industries you’re not keen on after that, it gets harder (but not impossible) to pivot later.

Most firms expect you to signal a direction by the time you're tracking toward EM/PL/M, so you're still early enough to course-correct.

Build your foundation but stay intentional

Your home office’s industry focus can be a good starting point for building credibility, especially if it's a tight-knit group. But if your heart’s not in that sector, don’t overcommit. Instead:

• Take one or two projects to build internal capital
• Use that credibility to strategically push for cross-staffing into preferred industries

Tapping into the regional network

Yes, it’s harder to get staffed outside your office early on but not impossible. Start now:

• Let staffers and mentors know your long-term interest
• Join practice area meetings, training sessions, or Slack/Teams channels for your target industry
• Offer to support BD work or short side projects; that’s often how people get pulled into new industry pipelines

From my own experience:

You don’t need to specialize now but you do need to start signaling intent and positioning yourself for a pivot. Treat the next 2–3 cases as opportunities to either build optionality or deliberately steer your trajectory.

Happy to help if you want to map out how to do that tactically across your region. You're thinking ahead in exactly the right way.

Hi!

It seems the answer is embedded in your question. :) What do you have to lose by starting network now? Go for it! Being attached to an industry you don’t feel excited about will not only hurt your chances of being staffed on different ones, but also limit your experience in case you leave the firm.

Best,

Mari 

Hi there,

You're asking this at exactly the right moment: early enough to shape your path intentionally, but close enough to key milestones that it’s smart to start thinking ahead.

1. Follow your genuine interest
   If you’re not drawn to your home office’s core industry, it’ll be hard to stay motivated and build a strong internal reputation long-term. Interest fuels effort and effort drives performance. It’s better to start nudging toward what excites you, even if that means a bit more hustle upfront.
2. Be proactive in networking
   Don’t wait for the “perfect” opportunity. Reach out actively. Message staffers, team leads, and project managers in the industries you're aiming for. Every time you become available, let them know. Join the relevant practice group (it doesn’t lock you in), attend their calls, volunteer for business development support: get your name on their radar.
3. Think functionally, not just by industry
   It’s not just about the sector but you also need to understand what type of work companies in that sector typically want (e.g., digital, org design, pricing). Then try to gain experience in those functions, even if it’s through unrelated industries for now. It builds credibility and transferable experience.
4. When is it too late?
   Usually around the EM/PM level, expectations shift toward having a defined focus. That’s when flexibility narrows. You’re still early, but your next few projects will start to shape how you're perceived. Use them to build options or steer more intentionally.

In short: align with what you’re excited about, be deliberate in building your network, and think broadly about how to position your current work to support where you want to go. 

Let me know if you would like to work through it in more detail together.

Best wishes,
Johannes

That's true. 

Ideally by the time you're a PL you can demonstrate a track record that is focused around some industries or some topics. But still, there are lots of PLs that work across topics and industries. 

It sounds a bit like you want to both find an industry focus fast and that you want to explore different things, which are two forces pointing in opposing directions. 

My recommendation would be to indeed explore. Once you get a sense of what you like or come across a group of people that you want to work more regularly with, you'll feel it. It's not something you can really force. You can 'decide' to go for a particular industry but if it turns out it's not really your thing it will be a real slog.

You might find this article helpful if you're a starting consultant:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant

Best,
Cristian

Hi,

This is an interesting question and the answer is often not very straightforward. It really depends on what you are trying to optimize for and what you are willing to take / suffer, imo.

I think the one piece of advice that is pretty common and works for most is to choose people rather than industry. But I would argue that the more senior you go, there is no guarantee that the people who you thought would support you would continue to support you - it does get more political and messier at the more senior levels. 

As to when it is 'too late' - this also would depend arguably on your office and the specific expectations given the kind of business in that region/area. For some systems, while it could be helpful to already have an industry focus as PL, it may not be a hard requirement to make the promotion to Principal. I would say that probably once you are Senior Principal or BCG's "Partner", that's when you would need to have chosen, because thats when you need to prove in the next 2-4 years where you put yourself up to be MDP that you have what it takes, and without an industry focus it is impossible to do it.

That being said, in some developing markets, even MDPs pivot their industry, due to various factors, and still survive. 

So.. try not to fret too much about this now. I think where you are now, focus on just doing a great job and understanding how to navigate the firm, and build good internal relationships. That's going to matter alot more now. 

Hey there,

Very normal to feel this way early on! Six months in, you still have time to explore — most firms expect you to narrow down around 1.5–2 years in, before moving toward Project Leader.

If you can, start gently building connections in your region now while still doing strong work at your home office. It’ll give you more options later without harming your local reputation. Feel free to reach out if you want coaching on how to navigate staffing!

Best regards,
Alessa

Ideally you should start specializing 12-18 months before you become a Manager.

Hi there, 

I don't think you need to worry too much about it yet at the consultant level. The industry focus become more important when you get to 2nd year of project leader in BCG or when you get the to later years as senior manager in Bain (you can have slightly longer time in Bain, but usually before Associate Partner). What you need to trade off now between the industry you like and the travel you need to do. 

Best,

Emily