I am thinking about jumping in the consultancy bandwagon as an analyst (i'm 23-just left uni) but wondered where can consultancy take me in the longer term? Will ten years at Deloitte consulting set me up for a job in industry and if so-doing what? I know it depends on what you've been doing at Deloitte but do consultants ever start work for their clients?You consultants out there got any examples?Thanks in advance, Lt

Jumping the fence happens all the time - at all levels. Most firms have 'anti-poaching' clauses in their contracts to prevent it, but it still happens regularly... 10 years in Deloitte will certainly give you a good start, as long as you specialise sensibly!

'Specialise sensibly'-you mean by ensuring you keep to a five year plan and build up sufficient expertise and expereince to make you attractive to a sector, rather than a hair-brained consultant with no real industrial marketeable value?Could you give some examples of what careers people have pursued 'the other side of the fence' as such and at what level they have gone in at?Cheers, Lt

In the last three months or so, my team has lost one junior consultant (with less than two years exp) to a big Pharma company, working as an in-house project mgr. We've also lost a more senior consultant to a bank as a their resident change expert. Yes, you've summed up "specialising sensibly" very well - you need to try and manage your consulting assignments (as far as possible) so that you build up a coherent CV that makes you attractive as either an industry or a subject matter expert.

Cheers Mungojerry, Glad to hear its possible with a bit of self managemetn adn keeping a career focus etc... My plan is to begin to specialise after a couple of years worth 'trying' various projects and industries and when i'm in a position to stop trains, planes and automobiles on a monday and friday night, to jump ship to industry and enjoy possibly a less demanding work/life balance than consultancy. Still, at 22 I've got plenty of time yet I guess.Thanks Lt

Mungo, do I take it from the above that your team works in the pharma space? Thanks in advance Eeby

Yes, but the focus is mainly on change/od/it/finance issues...