Does anyone know if it is possible/common to make the jump from a tier 2 consulting firm (OW, Deloitte S&O, S&, etc) before getting an MBA?
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It happens but rarely. Most firms are not keen on experienced hires at the entry-level since they typically have more than enough resources on hand who have undergone their firm's training and have already been part of the culture.
My main question for OP is.... why would you want to? If you're going to be at the firm for 2-3 years and then get an MBA, going from, say, OW to Bain isn't going to dramatically increase your odds of getting into a top MBA program and you wouldn't have the benefit of generating a strong relationship with a specific EM / Partner who will write your recommendation.
Thanks for your response. It was just out of curiosity. I've been reading a lot about PE and VC and have been developing an interest in both. It seems like both are very hard to get to post MBA as well as from a tier 2, so I was just wondering.
Ah, got it. If your ultimate goal is PE/VC, you're better off pursuing banking than consulting. While consulting DOES place into PE/VC, it does not so at near the rate of banking. That said, you are correct, you're definitely best off at MBB for PE/VC recruiting.
That said, my original statement still stands; switching to MBB pre-MBA doesn't happen often. That's not to say it never happens, it's just rare.
This.
I've been at Tier 2 for 10 months (joined straight from undergrad) and just received an offer from a PE / PE advisory firm.
Congratulations on the offer. Mind if I PM you to talk about how the recruiting process worked and a little more detail about the job?
Please do
Could you do an AMA or a summary of your experience? I'm sure there are many people interested in hearing your story.
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