Is the Post-MBB Career Really as Bright as Advertised?

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, I wonder if this is your own experience or just a collection of hearsay. Can you shed some light on this?
• Moreover, while I think you are right to say that "success is subjective", what you describe in the previous paragraphs may not be the definition of "future career success" for everyone. Also, I do not think that the "prestige" of a company, whatever that may be, is the key measure, if any, of career success.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hey there, 

It is true that MBB is not a guarantee of success. It is also true that the definition of success is different for different people and it evolves over time. When picking careers and jobs, it can be helpful to do a bit of thinking around the following:

1. What are your personal long-term goals? Where would you like to be 10 years down the line, what city/country, what kind of role, what industry, what compensation? Do you want to start a family / have kids? If yes, how do you want to split your time between work / kids?
2. What job/role can you pick now that would help you get to where you want to be long-term? Would consulting today help you get a better role in a few years in an industry you are interested in? Or would consulting help you figure out which industry would be interesting for you? Or is consulting the path you would see yourself on long-term?
3. If you are considering multiple paths to get to where you'd like to be long-term, what are each path's pros and cons? For this, you can do some research: talk to your parents / your friends' parents, career counselors at the university / professors, do some internet research (happy to share my take on consulting pros/cons with you - feel free to reach out)

Try to pick a job that you want/can help you fulfill your goals, rather than a job that you think other people might find interesting/cool. Define career success for yourself. And remember, there are multiple ways to get to the same goal, so if one doesn't work, try another.

All the best!

Maria

Hi there,

This can be summarized in a few sentences.

It depends on what you make of it (mainly based on personal preferences and effort). After a couple of years, MBB does open many doors and provide you with tons of flexibility to do whatever you want afterward (corporate, entrepreneurial, or something else completely like a relaxed career with a focus on family and friends).

Cheers,

Florian

Hey there 🙂, post-MBB careers can be incredibly successful, but it all depends on your choices and how you define success. Many ex-MBB consultants have taken paths that led to phenomenal outcomes—some have landed strategic roles at tech giants like Google, Amazon, or Meta, while others have founded unicorn startups such as Airbnb or DoorDash, and many have thrived in private equity or venture capital. On the other hand, success can mean stability and deep industry expertise for some, even if that involves changing roles every few years. Ultimately, it’s about aligning your career moves with your personal goals, leveraging your network, and being adaptable. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat more about this. Best, Alessa 😇

Hello there,

Is the Post-MBB Career Really as Bright as Advertised?

Yes. Usually one is able to choose from a variety of good options, due to the brand weight, the network you’ll build internally and the alumni community that continues to help ex consultants. Bright here meaning to continue to thrive in a fast-paced career as well as to slow down and chose a more sustainable one. I was thinking here and I couldn’t remember a single colleague that has left consulting and is not in a good job right now.

Best,

Mari

The value of having experience at an MBB firm goes beyond just a "fancy bullet point" on a resume, at least in my personal experience. While I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, if someone receives an offer, I would always encourage them to take it. The opportunity offers a unique learning experience that can be truly transformative.

The insights gained from navigating complex dynamics, the problem-solving skills developed while tackling challenging issues, the self-awareness of what I can and cannot handle, along with coaching, mentorship, and valuable connections — these are far more important than the financial rewards after leaving (though, of course, money still matters).

While luck plays a role in any career and is ultimately beyond anyone’s control. The experience is like planting seeds in a garden. While the growth may take time, what you cultivate stays with you and shapes everything that comes after.

So a couple of great points already mentioned by other coaches, and i'll just add a few more angles. 

I guess the first question is what the hype and 'exceptional' exit opportunities actually means. 

And then you have to also disaggregate peoples choice of going into a 'less prestigious' company or role. 

If you are assuming that everyone has the same goals, aspirations and dreams, then that's a little too reductionist and lacks a ton of nuance.

So if we are talking on general levels, then the question becomes does MBB value add, on average, to someone's ability to proceed in the corporate world? The data, if ever collected, would I think prove this to be true.

Most people I know had quite interesting careers. Not necessarily all becoming CEOs, but still a lot of people being what we would generally consider as successful people.

Of course, many other just had regular careers, staying long at analysis roles, adn only moving to middle management roles after only a reasonable time, no different than what would happen to an "average" respectable professional. 

And some below this, moving to a different role and not having much of a progression afterwards.

Is it a guarantee of success? No. But most of them had some acceleration in their career, either based on landing a good job after MBB, or by building an interesting network that they leveraged on the long run. Overall I would say it was positive for most of them.

But this is not the real question.

The real question is: those that were highly successful would be any less successful if they hadn't joined MBB? Could they even be more successful?

A lot of them would be successful anyway. MBB recruit highly talented, highly coachable, driven, high potential people. So a lot of them would be successful anyway.

Having said this, I do believe that strategy consulting is in general a powerful career accelerator.

My personal experience: of my cohort, after 20 years of experience, I would say that +70% could be considered to be in the first group of highly successful, with about half of these reaching executive level (and a few more on that path).

Hi,

At this current moment, due to the over economics, it might appear that post-MBB career is not as bright as people said in the past. However, I think 2 important measurements are to compare (1) career with and without MBB experience for the same person, (2) someone with MBB experience vs. someone doesn’t at the same time now. 
For (1), key is what the person has learned and takeaway that are transferrable. I think consulting still allows you to acquire a lot of skillsets within a short time. 
For (2), while MBB experience might not be as hot as data scientist at this moment, it still gives quite good flexibility in what you can do afterwards. 
Just my 2 cents.

Best,
Emily 
 

Hey there, 

Not everyone has the same exit opportunities, yes - this is true. But moreover, not everyone would have come into MBB with the same experiences and backgrounds nor made the most of their MBB experience as others - so also we cant expect everyone to have the same futures post MBB.

That said, the great opportunities do exist... But a lot of it is on how you go after the opportunities! 

All the best