Mechanical Engineering Student Seeking Advice on MBA Career Paths

Hi everyone, I am looking for perspective from people who have taken non traditional paths into finance or leadership roles.

I am currently a junior mechanical engineering student at a non target school and was born and raised in Silicon Valley. I already have a technical engineering internship lined up for this summer, and my post graduation goal is to move back to the Bay Area and begin my career there.

Longer term, I am strongly considering pursuing an MBA after a few years of work, but I am still trying to understand which paths make the most sense coming from an engineering background.

I am very interested in investment banking or consulting, as finance has always fascinated me, but I am also trying to be realistic about whether roles in tech leadership, strategy, or product and operations might be a better fit or a more natural transition post MBA.

Since I do not come from a finance background, I would appreciate advice on the following:

• What industries or pre MBA roles best position engineers for investment banking or consulting
• Whether investment banking or consulting is a practical post MBA pivot from engineering
• How post MBA tech leadership or strategy roles compare in compensation, career trajectory, and long term optionality
• What I should be doing now in terms of work experience, side learning, networking, or test prep to position myself for a strong MBA program

If anyone here has followed a similar path from engineering into an MBA and then finance, consulting, or tech leadership, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience and what you would do differently in hindsight.

Thanks in advance, and happy to provide more context if helpful.