Consulting -> F500 Corp Strategy

Guys, I'm currently in a non-MBB consulting firm and will be promoted to a post-MBA position next year. My question is whether it would be easy for me to get into F500 corporate strategy (non-entry level of course) given that I don't and likely won't have a MBA when I do exit from consulting?....this is of course assuming that I stay for at least 6 months after I get promoted to the post-MBA position.

 
Best Response

I'd say not impossible, but difficult. The numbers are working against you - there just aren't that many corporate strategy gigs, so when they fill them, the odds are pretty good there will be an MBB guy floating around there with a top tier MBA that's looking for a change of pace - and that's an obvious exit op for those guys. Even if that weren't the case, they will almost definitely draft the requisition specifically looking for an MBA and experience at a "top 5 management consulting firm", so if you don't fit the basic bullets you might not even make it past HR even if you're otherwise qualified.

 

that's disappointing to hear...so if I hear you correctly there are more supply (i.e. MBB guys wanting to exit) than demand (F500 corp strategy jobs) out there? Also, wouldn't the MBB guys with top tier MBA be gunning for director/VP positions as oppose to manager, which is what I would go for? Finally, from what I've seen, I believe different F500 companies will have preferences on the consulting firms that they want to hire, depending mostly on where the head strategy guy came from...is that mostly true as well?

 

It depends at what point they are exiting - turnover can be quite high at MBB. I have a few friends that only stuck it out for 2.5 / 3 years. They weren't being looked at for VP / Director roles. You might find some selection bias depending on where the head strategy guy came from. I certainly can't speak for all F500 companies with that level of specificity, but it seems reasonable to assume.

 

Bear in mind that there are multiple types of strategy roles that you can take on in a F500. There's the overarching corp strat but there are also business strategy, operations strategy, marketing strategy, etc. type roles. There are a TON of former MBB guys in business and operations strategy roles at my firm. Don't limit yourself strictly to 'corp strat' as there are a ton of other, in my opinion more interesting, options.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

Great feedback guys -- One more question, should I get a part-time MBA if I ultimately want to climb the ladder at F500 doing some type of strategy work? Or do you think consulting background can help me land a gig in corp/ops/BU strategy role without a MBA...I'm going to make an assumption that once i'm in I'll be able to navigate and be a high performer.

I probably won't get a full-time MBA since opportunity cost likely doesn't make sense (over $100k salary already, been through MC, not really drastically changing careers, etc).

 

Thanks byucko, although I think you might have misunderstood my question. Of course consultants contribute heavily to top MBA admissions and MC provides solid experience, I'm interested in whether consulting at a BOUTIQUE (but growing) firm is preferable to a Corporate Strategy role at a large F500 tech player (or vice versa), and as a corollary, is Corp Strat worth the pay cut?

Thanks again,

‎"Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good, you ask for your own destruction. When money ceases to become the means by which men deal with one another, then men become the tools of other men. Blood, whips and guns or dollars."
 

*bump

‎"Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good, you ask for your own destruction. When money ceases to become the means by which men deal with one another, then men become the tools of other men. Blood, whips and guns or dollars."
 

Hey IG, long time no see.

Though I would personally stay at the consultancy given my own preferences/goals, if MBA admissions were a key objective of mine then I'd make the move to the Corp Strat role if it really is one of the major players.

Not sure what the consulting shop specializes in, but in the Corp Strat role you can couple the experience with the previous startup success for a more holistic play of the "tech card" in the admissions process.

Also, might want to consider adding MIT-Sloan to the list if you're trying to play that Tech angle.

“Millionaires don't use astrology, billionaires do”
 

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‎"Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good, you ask for your own destruction. When money ceases to become the means by which men deal with one another, then men become the tools of other men. Blood, whips and guns or dollars."

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