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Lately, I've been speaking with a number of consultants about transitioning out of consulting into a new career. The common challenge I've heard is "I don't know what roles to apply to. What would be the best fit for me?"

So this newsletter is dedicated to helping professionals - consultants and frankly generalists - answer this question.

If this is you, I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email and tell me what you're contemplating for your next step.

So, to the consultants reading this...

You’ve spent years in consulting - solving high-stakes problems, advising executives, and navigating complex business landscapes.

But now, you’re ready for something new.

Maybe you want to own your outcomes instead of handing off recommendations. Maybe you want more control over your schedule. Or maybe you’re just done with the travel grind.

The good news? Your skills are in high demand. The challenge? Deciding where to go next.

The three most common paths I see consultants take are:

• Industry roles (leading strategy, operations, strategic sales or a P&L inside a company)
• Startups (fast-paced, high-growth environments where you build and scale)
• Entrepreneurship (starting your own business, whether a startup or a boutique firm)

Each of these paths has pros, cons, and key considerations. Let’s break them down.

1. Industry: Stability and Scale

If you want to leverage your consulting skills in a corporate setting, industry roles can be a strong fit. You’ll typically move into a strategy, operations, corporate development, strategic sales or general management role, with the potential to own a P&L down the line.

✅ Pros:

• Stability: A steady paycheck, benefits, and fewer existential crises about funding.
• Resources: Larger budgets, existing infrastructure, and established processes.
• Career Progression: Clearer promotion paths, especially in Fortune 500 companies.

❌ Cons:

• Bureaucracy: Slower decision-making, competing priorities, and more red tape.
• Less Variety: Your focus narrows compared to consulting’s fast-paced, multi-client work.
• Politics: Internal alignment can be just as challenging as external problem-solving.

🚀 Good fit if: You want long-term stability, structured career progression, and the chance to apply your skills at scale.

🔑 How to make the switch: Focus on the tangible impact you’ve had in consulting - think revenue growth, cost savings, operational efficiencies. Companies hire ex-consultants to solve business problems, so position yourself as someone who drives results, not just advises on them.

2. Startups: Agility and Impact

Startups move fast, require you to wear multiple hats, and give you a front-row seat to building something from the ground up. Typical roles for ex-consultants include Chief of Staff, Head of Strategy, Growth, Operations, or Business Development.

✅ Pros:

• High Impact: Your decisions directly shape the company’s trajectory.
• Learning Curve: Exposure to multiple functions and the chance to develop new skills quickly.
• Equity Potential: If you join early, you could see meaningful financial upside.

❌ Cons:

• Uncertainty: Startups fail. Even successful ones pivot often.
• Chaos: Fewer processes, more ambiguity, long work hours and rapid changes.
• Pay Cut: Unless you’re joining at a later stage, expect lower cash compensation in exchange for equity.

🚀 Good fit if: You thrive in fast-moving environments, love solving ambiguous problems, and want to see immediate impact from your work.

🔑 How to make the switch: Startups value action over analysis. Highlight times you took initiative, built something from scratch, or worked in high-ambiguity environments. Network your way in - founders and hiring managers often rely on referrals more than traditional recruiting processes.

3. Entrepreneurship: Full Ownership

Starting your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but it requires a strong risk appetite. This could mean launching a consulting firm, SaaS product, e-commerce business, or something entirely new.

✅ Pros:

• Full Autonomy: You control your schedule, clients, and vision.
• Direct Impact: Every decision you make affects your bottom line.
• No Ceiling: Your earnings potential isn’t limited by a salary band.

❌ Cons:

• High Risk: No guaranteed income, especially in the early days.
• Operational Overhead: You’re responsible for everything - from marketing to finance to IT.
• Loneliness: You don’t have built-in colleagues or a structured environment (you have to create this yourself).

🚀 Good fit if: You’re comfortable with uncertainty, deeply passionate about a business idea, and willing to handle the operational grind that comes with building something from scratch.

🔑 How to make the switch: Define your idea, find an inexpensive way to test it to see if you can earn money from it, and create a pitch. The earlier you validate demand, the lower your risk. Build your network, refine your offering, and start small before making the leap full-time.

So, Which One’s Right for You?

Here’s a simple framework to help you decide:

• If you prioritize stability and long-term career progression → Industry
• If you want high-impact work and fast learning in a dynamic environment → Startups
• If you crave full autonomy and are willing to take on risk → Entrepreneurship

Most importantly, know what you’re optimizing for. There’s no perfect answer—just the best choice for you, right now.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve identified your preferred path, the next step is crafting a compelling narrative that positions you for success. This means:

✅ For industry and startup roles:

• Refining your resume and LinkedIn to highlight the right skills and impact
• Developing a networking strategy to connect with decision-makers
• Sharpening your storytelling to demonstrate how you drive results

✅ For entrepreneurship:

• Defining your problem statement - who you help and how you solve their pain point
• Testing revenue potential - finding a low-cost way to validate demand before committing full-time
• Creating a compelling pitch to attract customers, partners, or investors

If you need help with this transition, I’ve worked with dozens of ex-consultants to land fulfilling, high-impact roles in industry, startups, and entrepreneurship. Hit reply and let’s chat about your next move.

Until next week!

Beckie

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