Advice requested: Want to create a consulting firm in the future focusing on International Relations for corporate clients

Pretty much the title. I am in my final year of university (not a target school by any means, pretty much open admissions) studying economics/finance/math and am entering the FLDP program of a F500 company with household name recognition. I also have extensive research skills (quantitative and qualitative) through research assistantships on campus in economics and political science. I am a very good writer (multiple academic publications and essay contest victories).

My ultimate goal 5-7 years from now is to open up my own consulting company. 

My current plan is to do the following:

- 2 years of FLDP with rotations relevant to my aspirations as a consultant (sourcing, FP&A, eComm, supply chain finance, etc.); potentially an additional year afterwards as well

- 1 year: masters in econometrics/analytics at popular football school but non-target (don't want to be too specific, but this program is closely aligned with my interests in political economy and is pretty much the only school that blends it with econometrics); also during this time start working on a book that provides a memorable and actionable analysis of a economic/demographic situation within a certain country and its financial implications

- 2 to 3 years at consulting firm focusing on International Relations; will likely do a MS at Johns Hopkins during this time as well as this is the premier school for International Relations

- a couple years: make a move back into corporate finance within a different industry

then, leverage connections and expertise in corporate finance functions and international relations to build a company

what things would you add/subtract/adjust on this list?

thanks in advance.

1 Comments
 

Eaque non rerum ad sit in nostrum. Omnis quam vero earum ducimus accusantium voluptates voluptatem. Aliquam laudantium delectus quam perferendis.

Voluptate impedit eum culpa deleniti harum. Blanditiis reiciendis ullam ea repellendus et repellat aut. Quod voluptate laudantium odit saepe. Sed id libero rerum ipsa explicabo vel.

Autem rerum laboriosam quis ut vero enim dicta. Veniam explicabo voluptas quisquam sit enim fugit. Aut sed ab similique ratione ab itaque. Eligendi eum laboriosam eius quia maxime.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.5%
  • Oliver Wyman 98.0%
  • LEK Consulting 97.5%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 99.0%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.5%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.0%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.5%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 99.0%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.5%
  • Oliver Wyman 98.0%
  • LEK Consulting 97.5%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (111) $232
  • Manager (167) $172
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (115) $135
  • Senior Consultant (354) $132
  • Consultant (635) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (162) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (575) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (390) $104
  • Associate Consultant (175) $100
  • 1st Year Analyst (1152) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (205) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (626) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”