Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

Can yous transition from consulting(Tier 2/Big 4) to PE/VC/HF with a top tier MBA?

I wanted to know if it’d be possible to move into PE/VC/HF from consulting post an MBA. Assuming that the only experience you have is consulting and then you do the MBA.

3 Answers
400+ Views
59
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
Jun
Coach
edited on Sep 11, 2024
Experienced consultant in healthcare strategy and private equity advisory

Hi there! I have pivoted into a venture capital/fund-of-funds investment role after a stint at a management consulting boutique post-MBA. Location is US so only speaking for the US. VC recruiting used to be a lot more unstructured in both style and time-line as compared to consulting, but nowadays you see consulting (along with finance and entrepreneurship) being one of the core pre-requisites into a VC career, although these pre-req might not be equally weighted. I have seen a fair number of consulting folks joining venture capital or the mid/front office of a PE shop. The skillsets you develop from management consulting is definitely one of things that VCs look for. Similar to consulting, networking plays a HUGE role in VC recruiting. Happy to chat more offline if you have other questions.

Anonymous A
on Sep 11, 2024
Thank you very much I wanted to ask when you say “I have pivoted into a venture capital/fund-of-funds investment role after a stint at a management consulting boutique post-MBA” does that mean you did consulting after your mba and then VC or you did consutling mba and then once mba finished you applied for VC. Also I understand you say USA but how common is it to be able to move from a US role to another country after some time. In the uk at least ik associates have been allowed to move to USA or Dubai office from the UK through banks like Goldman, is that as common in VC or harder?
Jun
Coach
on Sep 12, 2024
Experienced consultant in healthcare strategy and private equity advisory
@Anonymous My path is MBA > consulting > VC/FoF investment; I know a person in my MBA class where he did management consulting > MBA > an internship in a corporate > corporate venture capital (CVC). VC is a highly network-based industry. There are a few ways to differentiate, and where you source your deals/what kind of founders are in your network is one of them. While global banks/global consulting shops allow folks to move to different geo/offices, it is more rare in VC, because (1) the VCs with the scale of a global institution e.g., Goldman who have the structure and standard in place to move folks around are rare and (2) VC is a highly network driven business, which means that if you move to a different geo, the network needs to be built from the ground up (unless it's somewhere you have lived/worked previously so building network is not from scratch). That said, VC is also a highly mobile industry, meaning you could co-invest with other funds/network with anyone globally without limit. I have seen folks who grew up in multiple cultures move across different geos (e.g., British Americans investing in both USA and the UK and so they live in both places).
on Sep 14, 2024
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer & top performer

Hi,

Yes this is possible.

I was from a T2, and I knew someone from there who went to H/S/W and then a bulge for M&A.

Florian
Coach
on Sep 11, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

Yes, it is possible. Many people have done it, especially from MBB.

Most have focused their time in consulting on PE topics and clients.

You can also check for yourself by filtering LinkedIn based on previous and current employers. This gives you a great insight into possible career trajectories.

Cheers,
Florian

on Sep 11, 2024
What are some PE topics for consulting under what category would that come under? Strat or management or something else? (Thank you for you reply btw)
Florian
Coach
on Sep 12, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU
Every firm has an individual practice, for instance at McKinsey it's called Private Equity & Principal Investors Practice.
Similar Questions
Consulting
Sustainability Case Interview
on Oct 10, 2024
UK
2 Answers
400+ Views
Top answer by
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | most experience in consulting, interviewing and coaching
30
2 Answers
400+ Views
Consulting
Networking with Bain & Company Zurich office
on Jan 13, 2025
DACH
6 Answers
2.3k Views
Top answer by
Free 15m intro call | First session -50% | Bain Consultant | Hiring team | 250+ successful candidates
33
6 Answers
2.3k Views
+3
Consulting
What to expect from OC&C Hirevue?
on Oct 07, 2024
UK
7 Answers
10.0k Views
Top answer by
769
7 Answers
10.0k Views
+4
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely
You are a true consultant! Thank you for consulting us on how to make PrepLounge even better!