New Member Introduciton - With questions

Hello All,

I likely do not fit the typical profile of this forum’s membership but would appreciate any relevant feedback you can provide on my next career steps.

Introduction/ Background: I am a 37 year old with an engineering degree from a top 10 engineering school. After working in process and mechanical engineering roles for 7 years in a large global automotive company I transitioned into our internal management consulting group where I found my niche.

I am now a manager level MC with 6 years of internal consulting experience. Up to the end of last year my company maintained an internal management consulting group (~100 people in Europe, Asia, and the US). At the end of last year my company made the decision to outsource its management consulting team (all good things must come to an end).

Current Situation: One of my former clients created a position for me to continue working within the company, still in a management consulting capacity.

Complications: Six months into the job I am enjoying the work but find it less stimulating than my former role (assignments tend to be of lesser scope and breadth). The company will likely continue to consolidate until my only opportunities will be in line management.

Questions: What steps should I take now to secure that 5 years from now I am in a stable position that fulfills and stimulates me? What career opportunities exist that I can reasonably transition into?

Answer: Pursue an executive MBA at a top 10 university and secure and opportunity that provides work/life balance* and long-term viability. Target these five opportunities:

  • Apply for a line management role in my current company
  • Switch into financial services industry by leveraging my technical background, management     consulting experience and newly minted EMBA status
  • Switch into a pure management consulting firm
  • Switch to a different corporation that that targets EMBAs (MBA management development programs)
  • Switch to a different corporation that has internal consulting (automotive, financial services, health care, pharma)

*In this context ‘work life balance’ means 50 hours or less per week, three weeks of vacation or more and less than 50% travel.

Supporting Logic:
• An EMBA will further build the skillsets required to succeed in a line management role if I find a good opportunity within my current company.
• An EMBA will provide opportunities to switch careers
o Some Investment banking roles recruit EMBAs with technical backgrounds
o Pure management consulting firms recruit EMBAs with technical backgrounds
o Corporate organizations recruit EMBAs with technical backgrounds
• An EMBA will provide opportunities to teach at small universities during retirement years

Help me with the flaws in my logic. What advice do you have?