IB to Consulting or Consulting to IB - What's easier?

Both jobs are very hard to get into and test for different skill sets. To get into IB you need to have a solid understanding of valuation metrics alongside industry expertise. For consulting you need to have a strong consulting toolkit (e.g., structuring) and an ability to solve business problems and tell the right story. 

I have seen more people switch from IB to consulting than vice versa for a few reasons

1. They are valued for their modeling skills especially if recruiting for the PE practice
2. More candidates seem to want to go from IB to consulting than vice versa
3. For banks to take consultants the consultants will need to have very high level financial modeling skills that is typically not required for consulting projects.

Hope this helps,

Udayan

It’s generally easier to switch from investment banking to consulting than the other way around. In banking, you build solid financial analysis and modeling skills, plus you get used to a high-pressure, client-facing environment—skills you also need in consulting. Consultants deal with strategy and operations, so bringing in someone with a strong finance background can be a big plus.

Switching from consulting to investment banking is a bit tougher. Banking is super technical, especially when it comes to financial modeling and deal structuring. It’s not impossible, but you’d need to show you have the technical know-how or be willing to start at a lower level to pick up those skills.

Good question. Going from IB to consulting is more common than the other way around. There are a few reasons:

1. Technicality: Banking is a more technical skillset, often, and moving from more technical to less is generally prioritized by firms.
2. Work / Life: Although consulting is a hard job, many bankers want to move to something with a bit better balance, such as consulting. 

That said, consultants often benefit from the large, well-known brands of MBB consulting. 

There's a lot more nuance to this question, though--let's set up a free intro call and discuss!