As a senior manager in consulting with three years of experience, I’m beginning to feel like I need a new direction. However, I’m uncertain about how my skills would translate to the tech industry.
Many of the clear paths seem mismatched:
- Program Manager positions - These roles often appear to offer less responsibility than what I’m accustomed to.
- Engineering leadership roles - I lack the extensive technical expertise typically required for these.
- Product management director jobs - Most require specific industry knowledge that I haven’t acquired.
My consulting experience has equipped me to handle various tasks, including project delivery and strategic planning, but I’m more of a generalist rather than an expert in any one field. This flexibility seems to contrast with what many tech companies seek.
Has anyone else transitioned successfully from consulting to tech? I’m eager to learn which roles suited your background.
Honestly? You’re overthinking this. Three years of consulting and you think tech companies won’t want you? Come on. Most tech “leadership” is just consulting with better perks. Start with implementation specialist or solutions consulting roles - they’re basically what you’re already doing, just at software companies. Once you’re in, moving around internally is way easier than breaking in from outside. Stop waiting for perfect title matches and apply to anything that’s 70% close. Worst case? You’ll make more money while you figure it out.
Been there! Jumped from Deloitte to fintech 18 months ago - best career move I’ve made. Don’t hunt for the “perfect” role. Just get your foot in the door somewhere that gets what consulting brings to the table. I landed in strategy & ops, which is basically internal consulting projects. Tech companies are way messier than they let on and they’re dying for people who can diagnose problems fast and actually deliver. Three years of client work? You’ll run circles around half the team when it comes to structured thinking and performing under pressure.
Look into transformation and digital initiative roles - they’re perfect for leveraging your consulting background in tech’s fast-paced world. Tons of established tech companies are going through major changes right now and they specifically want consultants who get change management. Your three years exposed you to different industries and business models, which becomes huge when tech companies expand into new markets. Don’t see your generalist background as a weakness - it’s strategic versatility. Companies like Salesforce, Adobe, and enterprise software firms constantly hire ex-consultants for go-to-market strategy roles where you’d work between product teams and enterprise clients. Here’s what most people miss: tech companies desperately need translators who can explain complex solutions to traditional businesses. Your consulting experience is exactly that bridge. Target companies in rapid growth or market expansion mode - they care way more about structured thinking and execution than deep technical skills.
Your consulting background is perfect timing! Tech companies are desperate for people who can execute without constant hand-holding. Look into chief of staff roles - they’re everywhere right now and love hiring strategic consultants!
the transition’s easier than you’d expect. I jumped from McKinsey to a SaaS startup two years back - they loved my consulting background for scaling ops. Customer success leadership is gold for ex-consultants. You’ve already got the stakeholder management and problem-solving chops down. also look at ‘business operations’ roles at growth-stage companies. they’re basically internal consulting.
Tech companies actually love consulting backgrounds way more than you’d expect, especially for revenue ops and biz dev roles. Your strategic planning experience? Perfect for technical project management at big players like Microsoft or Google - they desperately need people who can bridge business and tech teams. Look at ‘Technical Program Manager’ or ‘Solutions Architect’ roles. These let you use your client skills while picking up technical knowledge on the side. Tons of consultants get in through partnerships or business ops, then move around internally once they get the product. Don’t see your generalist background as a weakness - it’s actually gold for cross-functional work.