Hi All,I am currently 28 and graduated with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering in 2007. I moved straight into a job in defence aerospace and manoeuvred myself into a group that designed high altitude long endurance unmanned planes. I worked in that group for 2.5yrs as lead thermal engineer along with having a number of other taskings such as development of a camera system for the aircraft. During this time I was also an officer in the TA where my major achievement was building a new platoon in 6 Rifles from scratch.A year ago I was mobilised into regular service from my TA career. This entailed 6 months pre deployment training followed by a 6 month deployment to Afghanistan as an infantry company 'Intelligence and Influence Officer'. I had a small team that I developed including one member with more knowledge, within the intelligence field, than myself (a management challenge I can tell you).I have now returned to the UK after a hard and stressful tour and will be looking to start work again soon. A year and half ago I looked into a change in career realising that engineering may not be for me. My research into other suitable career paths led to Management Consultancy, I was partly made aware of this industry when McKinsey were contracted by the company I worked for. This change was delayed due to my mobilisation, I realised that changing to a new company prior to an immediate mobilisation might irritate them somewhat. My aim is to go back into engineering to complete my application for chartership before attempting a career change into Management Consultancy. I have also moved to London so well placed to join a firm in the city. I see the defence sector as a likely entry point with my aims to progress in organisational development and strategic planning.Is a change into management consultancy feasible? I understand that with chartered status this is more likely but what about without? What are my chances of avoiding entrance at the lowest level?Thanks in advance.Findlay

Findlay - firstly welcome back to the UK.If I may answer your last question first, in my experience it is extremely unlikely that you would join a consultancy at "the lowest level". Consulting firms are quite regimented in terms of who they'll hire in at each grade - and entry grades are more or less the exclusive preserve of those who've just graduated or maybe have had a gap year post graduation. For a better understanding of this and how it impacts you I'd point you to this article I published last month:[url]http://news.top-consultant.com/UK/news_story.aspx?ID=8226[/url]In terms of getting into consulting, you're likely to secure an experienced hire role on the strength of either your engineering or your defence background / experience. There are consulting firms that focus on the engineering space / hiring those with an engineering background (Atkins, Arup, Newton) and others that work heavily in defence (Qinetiq?). Neither one is a particular area of expertise for me so I'll have to defer to others on this. Personally I would suggest identifying one or two recruitment firms who operate in these areas (see who's advertising in these niches on this site for example) and taking their steer in terms of the value of getting chartered status and more generally your best approaches for breaking into consulting. Where candidates have an "atypical" background I usually advise this route as you need someone who is trusted by the employers to be fighting your corner for you.Hope this helps and best of luck progressing your career in the direction you aspire to.RgdsTony RestellTop-Consultant.com

Hi Tony,Thank you for the swift reply. I have read through your website and the Definitive Guide to UK Consulting Firms and have found a wealth of information. I Thank you for providing them. RegardsFindlay

Findlay,Having been through the steps very similar to those you'd like to take please feel free to drop me a line. Contact details can be found at www.otmnet.com,ThanksAnnie