Consulting exit after 1.5 years at MBB?
Associate-level, currently at $115K base and expecting target comp next year
Industry role (strategy team) is comparable base with ~75% of the bonus. Work seems interesting, team seems nice, hours are legitimately ~45-50 a week.
I’m currently hitting 70h/week easily and that’s without “expected to respond ASAP” time. Likely have runway to promotion next cycle but not sure if it’s worth it anymore. I am tired.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to consider when evaluating a consulting exit after 1.5 years at MBB:
Work-Life Balance: Consulting is notorious for its demanding hours, and your current 70-hour weeks are a prime example. Transitioning to an industry role with 45-50 hours per week can significantly improve your quality of life. Many ex-consultants cite this as a key reason for leaving, as it allows for better work-life balance without sacrificing career growth.
Compensation: While the industry role offers a comparable base salary and ~75% of the bonus, you should evaluate the total compensation package, including long-term incentives like equity or profit-sharing. Some roles in industry also offer a "piece of the upside," which can be a game-changer for wealth accumulation.
Career Progression: Staying at MBB for another cycle could position you for a promotion, which might open doors to even more lucrative exit opportunities. However, if you're already feeling burnt out, the trade-off might not be worth it. Remember, your career is a marathon, not a sprint.
Skill Transferability: Consulting experience, especially at MBB, is highly transferable. Even with 1.5 years under your belt, you’ve likely developed skills that will allow you to excel in an industry strategy role. As WSO threads often highlight, 1 year in consulting is often equivalent to 1.5-2 years in industry in terms of learning and development.
Team and Role Fit: The fact that the industry role seems interesting, the team is nice, and the hours are manageable is a strong positive. A supportive team and engaging work can make a significant difference in job satisfaction.
Long-Term Goals: Reflect on your long-term career aspirations. If the industry role aligns with your goals and offers a clear path for growth, it might be the right move. On the other hand, if you see yourself leveraging the MBB brand for a specific future opportunity, it could be worth sticking it out a bit longer.
Ultimately, if you're feeling tired and burnt out, the industry role could provide a much-needed reset while still offering strong career prospects. However, weigh the decision carefully, especially if you’re close to a promotion cycle.
Sources: Q&A: Strategy consulting Associate Partner offering career advice, Q&A: Strategy consulting Associate Partner offering career advice, Q&A: Deloitte S&O -> F500 Corp. Strategy -> M7 -> MBB, 5 most important things I learned when exiting consulting
So what would the paycut look like? Not enough details to really provide any advice on the total comp side.
That being said, as long as it's a relatively stable company and not an early stage company - looks solid.
Recently started searching out an exit at the Senior Consultant level and getting Manager level interviews at startups (which I'm personally okay with taking that chance of less job security).
$5K and yes it’s a large company
In that case, I think it's definitely a solid exit in this market. That's a very tiny paycut.
Hot take, but 115k base is a bit on the low end for 1.5 years MBB... I and multiple people I've seen have done better than that.
Made a similar move to you. The main questions to ask yourself are:
1. Have you learned 80% of what you want / need to learn from Consulting?
2. Can you find an interesting corporate role that matches your skill set? [Seems like a yes]
3. Is the current and future pay comparable enough that you don't need to downgrade lifestyle? [Seems like a yes]
4. Is the WLB materially better and sustainable? [Seems like a yes]
You have 3 of the 4 boxed off from what you posted. Time to jump ship. Sure, your next progression in corporate may be a bit slower vs. having stayed another 1-2 years in Consulting and then jumping ship, but who cares? This is just a job. If you've found something you like, that interests you with similar compensation and better WLB then go for it.
How did you define the 80% for yourself?
You've been exposed to a broad enough variety of projects that account for good portion of possible projects out there and have done enough reps of them that each time you do the same type of project you learn fewer new things.
Thank you! Still need to define the 80% for myself…I hit my initial goals but there’s an infinite amount to learn in consulting. I would definitely say yes to the rest of the questions
You're only 1.5 years in, here are some of the things you may be missing. I say that because 18 months in, I had no clue
This shit is hard, nobody is going to fault you for getting off the hamster wheel. As somebody in their mid 30s, now is the time you want to be grinding away to accelerate your career, because the 60+ hours per week + travel that I currently do are much harder than they were for me 10 years ago
I wrote about exits a few years ago, most of this still rings true IMO https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/consulting/5-most-important-things-i-learned-when-exiting-consulting
Hope this helps
This is a balanced take which I appreciate…comp progression is probably my main concern tbh, but I have no intention of making it to manager-level in my current role since that’s easily the hardest job. Will have to think more on it
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