Planning for the Long Term

I'm currently working at a boutique/mid-sized consulting firm. I'm in my 5th week on the job, and its been a blast so far. I've never been the "go with the flow" type, and am attempting to plan long-term. If down the line, I could score a job at MBB/Booz as an EM, I could probably die a happy man. I have a bunch of questions pertaining to networking, career advancement, etc. Any help is appreciated.

  1. Suppose I work for two years at my current firm. I gain solid experience with name-brand clients and craft a strong resume. How difficult would it be to lateral as an experienced consultant to a PwC Advisory/Deloitte S&O? What about AT Kearney/Oliver Wyman?

  2. I'm looking at the MBA to consulting route longterm. Would I make for a better b-school candidate by leaving my consulting firm after two years and doing corporate finance at a F500 Company to gain different work experience? Or would two years as a consultant at firm A, two years as a consultant at more prestigious firm B, make for the better app? Since I know I want to do consulting, I feel like it makes sense to stay in the consulting industry. If its applicable, I graduated from a non-target (top 50), and am considering applying to Stern/Ross/UVA/Haas/Darthmouth.

  3. Let's say I get in contact with Consultant A at Firm X. After talking to that person, is it okay for me to reach out to Consultant B at Firm X? How soon am I allowed to reach out to the second party? Or, do I have to treat Consultant A as my point person and alienate the reminder of the firm? Where do you draw the line between aggressive networking, and pestering an entire office?

  4. Recommended credit card? I don't qualify for the SPG, and its not my company's corporate card of choice? Has anyone had good experiences with Capital One Venture? Any airline-specific cards worth looking at?

I'm sure I'll have more questions later. Thanks for the advice.

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