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Strategy & operations consulting
Management Consultant
Two years of extraordinary access, and the travel is the price.
Typical pay
$100k-$250k
How you get in
Top-ranked degree plus case interview preparation
Outlook
Steady; hiring tracks the economic cycle closely
Management consultants advise organizations on strategy, operations and change. The major firms are up-or-out by design — most people leave within a few years, and the exit opportunities are the actual product being purchased.
A day in the life
- 7:00aFlight or hotel breakfast at the client site
- 8:30aClient interviews and data gathering
- 11:00aBuild the analysis model
- 1:00pLunch with the case team
- 2:00pSlide production for the steering committee
- 9:00pPartner review, then rework the deck
How to get in
Undergraduate recruiting
Duration
4 years
Cost
$40,000-$300,000
Credential
Bachelor's, heavily weighted toward target schools
- Attend a target school and maintain a strong GPA
- Prepare seriously for case interviews — this is a learnable, trainable skill
- Recruit as an analyst or business analyst
- Expect two to three years, then business school or an industry exit
MBA entry
Duration
2 years after work experience
Cost
$100,000-$250,000
Credential
MBA from a target program
- Work several years in any industry
- Complete an MBA at a school the firms recruit from
- Recruit as an associate, entering above the undergraduate level
- The standard route for career changers into consulting
Advanced degree or specialist route
Duration
Varies
Cost
$0-$200,000
Credential
PhD, MD, JD or deep industry expertise
- Bring a doctorate or genuine industry specialization
- Firms recruit advanced degree holders directly into associate roles
- Or join a boutique consultancy in your specific domain
- Boutiques offer better hours and deeper specialization than the majors
What people love
- · Exceptional pay for an entry-level role
- · Extraordinary exposure to senior decision-making
- · Exit opportunities are genuinely outstanding
- · Steep, fast skill development
What wears people down
- · 60-80 hour weeks are normal
- · Heavy travel, often four days a week
- · Up-or-out means most people are managed out
- · Recommendations frequently go unimplemented