There is a saying that “accountants often have the worst personal finances”.

In our view, it is alarming the frequency with which we encounter senior strategists who are unable to successfully strategically orientate their own careers. While results focused on behalf of clients and long since schooled in the art of data gathering and analysing incomprehensible amounts of data – and then managing large teams who undertake the same functions, they are unable to apply the same logic to their own careers. The pragmatic training in how to successfully apply methodologies and toolkits in a timely fashion to solve a diverse range of complex strategic and operational issues for others is simply not applied to building a fast-track career for themselves.

One of three things usually occurs. Firstly, the individual has not set the goals at the outset of his or her career. Secondly, the goals may be set early but through poor decision-making the “thread of the career” becomes lost on the journey. Thirdly, the individual is simply not aware of the opportunities available to them.

Whether his or her aspirations lie in scaling the heights of industry or advising the world’s leading corporations from the blanket of a leading consulting firm there is an optimal path to success that often goes unrecognised.

There are many pitfalls along the way:

For example, a talented and dedicated Engineering graduate fresh out of Oxbridge may be seduced by purely financial incentives and not fully realise the future implications of not starting his career at a recognised strategy firm (whether leading or select boutique) when given the opportunity and faced with multiple milkround consulting offers.

A Senior Manager level industry strategist with 8 years’ experience in the strategy division of a FTSE 100 Financial Services firm may think her standing and role title would be similar should she transfer to a strategy consulting firm. She may then be surprised to learn that her lack of schooling in the basics only warrants a Consultant bracket role. While successful in her current posting, her choices to move to a strategic role in another industry will also be narrowed by having specialised too early and pigeonholed her career. In short, she lacks the recognised, rigorous and cross industry analytical skillset that a strategy consulting firm provides. She has cost herself time and opportunity.

A New York based Consumer Goods Principal with an established track record at a leading consulting firm may fail to recognise that by leaving consulting for industry at this stage in his career, he risks breaking down his contacts network and therefore perceived “added value” should he decide to return. Having gained 3 year’s industry experience, another leading consulting firm would be unwilling to offer him at a Partner role as he does not possess any prior experience in this capacity.

A longstanding Italy based Senior Healthcare Partner looking for a culture change in a smaller consulting firm may simply be unaware of an Executive Advisory role in a local entrepreneurial Milan based boutique start-up firm.

The permutations for failure at each stage are endless.

You only get one “bite at the cherry” to be fast-tracked and successfully navigating the labyrinth requires experience.

As strategy recruitment specialists since 2003, we thoroughly understand the pitfalls and have an extensive contacts network upon which to leverage for your benefit. We enable our candidates to accurately identify their long term goals, offer the best solution and work with them to ensure a sustained track record of success throughout their careers.