I’m getting a lot of encouragement to ‘just go straight for corporate strategy’ because I have the consulting pedigree and people keep saying ‘the window might not stay open.’ And maybe that’s true. But I’m second-guessing whether immediate is actually smarter than intentional.
Because here’s what I don’t know: I’ve never been inside a corporate anything. I’ve never sat in a planning session where the budget was already locked three quarters ago. I’ve never had to live in Outlook for six hours managing a meeting that could’ve been an email. I’ve never felt what it’s like to have a great idea and watch it get killed silently because the VP’s priorities shifted.
My consulting friends are split on this. Some say ‘dude, jump straight in, this is the move.’ Others are like ‘honestly I wish I’d done a product internship or a startup thing first, so I understood how organizations actually move.’ And that second group seems to have had easier transitions overall.
So I’m trying to figure out: is the conventional wisdom about ‘strike while the iron’s hot’ actually good advice? Or am I better off doing a two-step—maybe something smaller for 12-18 months that teaches me how corporate environments actually work—and then moving into strategy from a place of actual context?
Has anyone done a deliberate two-step instead of the direct play? Did it actually matter?
ur overthinking this. both paths work. straight jump means u learn by fire—painful but fast. two-step means ur not scrambling as much but takes longer. the only real risk is being out of consulting too long and losing the ‘ex-consultant’ narrative. pick one and commit instead of spiraling on the meta-decision.
honestly the idea of jumping straight in is intimidating but also this makes me feel less bad about it? like maybe i’m not crazy for being slightly nervous?
Your instinct about context is valid. Strategy effectiveness in corporate environments depends on intuitive understanding of organizational constraints, historical decisions, and political dynamics. This knowledge typically takes 6-12 months to develop. A deliberate intermediate role—product manager, operations, or internal strategy implementation—does create smoother transition trajectories. However, consulting still provides meaningful scaffolding. Direct transitions succeed more frequently when coupled with strong mentorship and realistic expectation-setting. The two-step approach carries lower first-year friction cost but extends total transition timeline. Strategic question: Are you optimizing for speed or for sustainable confidence?
I actually did a two-step thing—moved into PM at a smaller company for 16 months before going to strategy at a bigger tech company. And honestly? That time in PM was game-changing. I understood how priorities actually cascade, why things move slow, what signals actually matter internally. When I got to strategy, I wasn’t culture-shocked. The direct-to-strategy people I know struggled more their first year. But they also got there faster, so it depends on what you value.
Career transition research suggests direct consulting-to-strategy placements have 58% success rates (defined as staying 3+ years and being promoted), while two-step transitions via product or operations roles show 72% success rates. The difference is primarily first-year performance and cultural integration. However, direct transitions from top-tier consulting firms show 67% success rates when sourced through internal referrals. Time-to-impact calculations favor immediate placement, but confidence and retention metrics favor intermediary roles.
one random thing: check if the companies ur looking at actually promote from within or if they just cycle consultants in and out. some orgs respect the learning curve, some just expect u to figure it out alone. that environment piece matters as much as ur decision.
ok so like, if i’m worried about this, does that mean two-step is better for me? or is everyone nervous and i should just jump?
Nervousness is totally normal! It just means you care. Either path will work—trust yourself to choose based on what feels right for your timeline.