How easy is to change from big 4 firms to management consulting firms? Please take into account into your description the experience, and the consulting field (audit, taxes, finance, advisory, IT, sustainability, risk), requirements in studies and/or certifications.
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Which management consulting firms? Big 4 also have management consulting lines (e.g. Deloitte S&O). Are you talking about the top strategy firms (MBB)? 2nd tier (OW, LEK, ATK, etc.)? Or any management consulting firm period?
I've seen during my internships ; Big 4 MC switch to MBB. I've even seen Big 4 Audit go to Big 4 MC but I haven't seen a Big 4 audit switch to MBB. (At least in Australia);
For the first, Generally you would have built expertise or do projects in an area the MBB need someone. E.g. alot of consulting work with Retail perhaps, and they're looking for a retail expert (More of an experienced hire 2-4 years) (However it would be advisable to know someone in these firms prior so you know if they have shortfall which you can fill). You can generally apply even with up to a years experience for an MBB firm in Australia as-well however you will start at the UG level. In both cases you would be in their "Consulting" practice not an expert/research/industry position to my knowledge. I find the US is alot more flexible with this option, as here in Australia it's quite rare for this happen.
For the second option, To my understanding (It seems the US is alot more anal about this) but it would just depend on your networking within the firm. Do you get along well with your partners, and do you have friends in the other team. To my knowledge generally the first steps would be having a coffee with the Partner in the other team explaining why you want to do S&O, they will then refer to your Partner if he's a good worker XYZ and then hopefully if theirs a vacancy you'll get moved. For this scenario I find Australia is more flexible than the US but I could be wrong.
Note: I've had a friend try this with another one of the Big 4 who I wont mention and literally they then changed his compensation to be under average of his starting class and were just generally in regards shitty to him for him simply mentioning "He wanted to transfer" from an accounting function to an consulting/advisory function. He ended up going to a competitor for a better package.
So in the end, it's definitley possible will just depend on your offices culture and the people. YMMV
From Big 4 advisory, happens all the time. Big 4 audit/tax, it's a very long shot. But it's happened before. Shitload of networking, preparation and luck.
One of my fellow interns did - she moved from audit to consulting (S&O). But her "transfer" was intern in audit -> intern in consulting. She did networked a lot though.
Advice on Switching from Big 4 Advisory -> MC/SC (Originally Posted: 09/22/2015)
Hi everyone! I’m currently working for a Big 4 Advisory group, and looking to try and transfer to a MC or Strategy Consulting role (not necessarily within the same firm). Overall the main reason for this is simply an interest in the work. While I obviously would like to work for the most prestigious firm possible, I’m certainly open to working for a smaller boutique firm if they can give me the experience that I want. Having said that, I would rather not leave Big 4 for a firm no one has ever heard of, so I would at least like a fairly recognizable name.
I was hoping someone could help me with the following questions (further details on my background below): - Given my background, what sort of firms (in terms of prestige) might I have a reasonable chance of getting in to? - What is the likelihood that if I accept an Analyst (or “entry level”) role, I could get promoted faster than someone who is coming straight out of college, due to having my previous 2 years of experience in Big 4? - Many of the Analyst roles I have read into so far require applicants to have graduated within the past year. Does anyone know of any firms who may be more receptive to hiring someone into an Analyst role who has a little more experience out of college? - Since I cannot use campus recruiting in my position, what would we the best way to try and connect with people from various firms (recruiters on Linkedin, just directly applying, etc.)? - If I do land an interview, which parts of my job in Advisory should I highlight to show that I can make the transition over to MC/SC?
Academic Background:
As far as academics, I attended a relatively non-target public university (typically #100-#150 range in the U.S. News rankings, if that helps). I obtained a B.S. in Economics with a minor in Computer Science, graduating with approximately a 3.9 GPA. I also participated in numerous extracurricular activities, and was a Division 1 athlete and team captain for one of my school’s athletic teams. I am open to returning to grad school to get my MBA (in fact, this is my intention) when the time is right.
Work Experience:
I’m currently beginning my third year in a Big 4 Advisory practice. Prior to this, I had an internship working with an Investment Management group within the IT pyramid of a Fortune 100 company. I started at this Big 4 firm right out of college, and was recently promoted at the end of my second year with the firm. For about one year I was mostly involved with typical entry-level Advisory functions, such as controls testing and SOX compliance. The work did not particularly interest me so I switched over to the Cyber Risk group (within Advisory but separate from Assurance), and have been working with clients to implement security frameworks, as well as general process improvement functions. I have a large amount of experience managing projects/budgets, and have worked on clients across numerous industries.
Objective:
Given that I only have 2 years of work experience post-undergrad, I understand that I am highly unlikely to be able to move over to MC (and certainly not SC) and immediately come in at a senior level. I’m perfectly okay with taking an entry level Analyst position if necessary (I would almost even prefer this to make sure I learn all the necessary skills before promotion). Ideally I would like to work for a fairly prestigious firm, but I do not necessarily need to be at the highest level of prestige to be happy switching. Location doesn’t particularly matter, as I am able to relocate no problem and am willing to go just about anywhere in the U.S. (and potentially even abroad).
Historically I’ve been pretty good at interviewing and completing case studies, so if I do land an interview I am confident that I can make a good impression! The difficulty of course is landing the interview in the first place.
Thanks in advance for everyone’s help!
I have a good friend that switched over from HR role at a BB to MC at a Big 4 after 1 year of WE. I think the move is not impossible, however from my understanding some Big 4s are aggressively hiring for their MC right now. So if you can ask for your friends to refer you in, that'll be the quickest way to hear back.
Big 4 --> M/B/B (Originally Posted: 04/25/2008)
Is it possible to move to M/B/B after a couple of years at a Big 4 in Audit? I come from a non-target, but I had a great GPA and EC's. I have also had great ratings so far in Big 4 and would be able to get recommendations from Managers, Partners, etc. If I do have a shot, what would be the best way to start the process? Headhunters? Calling offices directly? Thanks for the help!
Your best route to MBB would likely be through the bschool recruiting process. Pre-MBA experienced hires are quite rare (particularly in the U.S.).
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