Lateral IB to consulting?

I know this has been asked before, but I'm looking for a more recent take. I'm a first year at a lower BB who went to a target with decent but not stellar grades (3.5+). Even though it's only been a few months, I feel absolutely miserable. I don't particularly enjoy the work of financial modeling and at this point I don't think I want to do PE if it's going to be more of the same work and lifestyle. Would consulting be a possible alternative? I've been reading over the case studies which are actually fun, but how do I go about trying to break in? What is the process / timeline like for lateral hires? And given that I come from banking, how would the interviews be different compared to if I was trying to get in from undergrad?

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Discussed a similar question in another thread, but I am at a MBB and have experience with this kind of transition. The short answer is, yes, this is a transition you can make. Experienced hiring is becoming more common across the board, and being in IB/from a target will only help your odds.

You will need a year before it really makes sense to transition, but it can be done pre-MBA (but it's quite difficult). The main sell here will be your story. It doesn't seem like you have a great narrative other than "I hate banking and consulting could be a good alternative," which will need to change in order to sell yourself; this can start to happen through alumni conversations, working on case studies, etc. To answer your other question, with this much experience your interview will be the exact same as an undergrad and your role will also be the same. Lateral hiring in consulting is largely the same as anywhere else in that there isn't a defined process or timeline, but you do need to take into account how little work experience you have. Feel free to ask any other questions, etc.

 

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