A bit of background: I've worked at a couple of smaller consulting firms for the last 4 years, and am very much a generalist with no real specialisation yet. This is due to the fact that each project has been different to the previous one, and you get far less choice than you might do elsewhere with what you are assigned to. That said, every project I've worked on I've picked up very quickly, delivered well, and had great feedback afterwards, so I am confident in my ability to learn new skills and deliver sucessfully. I'm a little bit worried that I'm getting to the point where I really should be starting to nail down a specialism, however, and I don't think I'll be able to do that where I am due to the small nature of the firm. How likely is it that, if I can figure out what it is I want to do, a larger consulting firm will take me on and help me develop a specialism providing I sell myself as someone with a proven track record (as cross-industry and functional as it is!). Would my experience up until now be seen as a positive, or do most firms want someone they can train and specialise from almost day 1. On a related note, has anyone been in a similar position? Would be very interested to hear how you proceeded. Thanks for looking.

You're right to note the need to become more specialised as you advance in your career. The problem is that the larger firms usually consist of high calibre graduates promoting through the ranks or industry hires who have a specific skill/sector experience. If you are neither one nor the other then you might not have a niche within say a Big 4. My advice would be to try and work out what area of consulting suits you best and either aim for more projects in that space in your current role, or really ham up your experience and desire in applying for a more specific role elsewhere.

How many years of experience do you have? And what kind of projects have you been involved in? (wondering what the common skills might be).