How Long a Consulting Exit Actually Takes (And Why Most People Underestimate It)

You're three months into your job search. You've applied to 50 roles. You've had 15 networking calls. You've done 3 first-round interviews.

And you don't have an offer yet.

You're starting to panic. "What's wrong with me? My friend from business school got an offer in six weeks."

Nothing's wrong with you. Your timeline is actually normal.

Your friend's six-week timeline is the exception. The statistical outlier. The person who had a clear target, a strong network, and got lucky on timing.

Here's what nobody tells you: consulting exits take longer than you think. And if you don't calibrate your expectations, you'll make bad decisions out of desperation.

I've tracked 200+ consulting exits from first search activity to signed offer. Here's how long it really takes.

The Average Timeline: 6-9 Months

Let's start with the data.

From the moment a consultant starts seriously searching (not just thinking about it, but actually applying and networking) to the moment they sign an offer: 6-9 months on average.

Breaking that down:

• Months 1-2: Initial outreach, building pipeline, first applications

• Months 3-4: First round interviews, continued networking, more applications

• Months 5-6: Second and third round interviews, emerging opportunities

• Months 7-8: Final rounds, offers, negotiation

• Month 9: Notice period and transition

This assumes you're searching while employed at your consulting firm, working 60+ hour weeks, with limited time for job search.

If you're searching full-time after leaving consulting, compress this to 4-6 months.

But most consultants don't have the luxury (or risk tolerance) to quit before finding their next thing.

Why People Underestimate the Timeline

Consultants are consistently surprised by how long their exit takes. Here's why:

You're Comparing Yourself to the Fast Stories

Your LinkedIn feed shows people announcing new roles. "Excited to join Google as a PM!" "Thrilled to start as Director of Strategy at Stripe!"

You see the announcement. You don't see the timeline.

That person who just announced joining Google? They probably started searching 8 months ago. They just didn't post about it until they had the offer.

The only stories you hear are the successful ones. And they're always told in retrospect, which compresses time. "I left consulting for Google" sounds like it happened fast. It probably didn't.

You're comparing your day-to-day grind to other people's highlight reels. It's distorting your perception.

You Underestimate the Pipeline Time

You think the timeline starts when you apply to a role.

It doesn't. The timeline starts when you start building relationships.

Let's say you want to work at a specific startup. Here's the actual timeline:

• Week 1: You reach out to someone who works there

• Week 3: You have a call with them (took two weeks to find time on both calendars)

• Week 4: They introduce you to a hiring manager

• Week 6: You have a call with the hiring manager (everyone's busy, it takes time to schedule)

• Week 7: They mention a role that might be opening soon

• Week 10: The role gets posted

• Week 11: You apply (with their referral)

• Week 12: First round interview

• Week 14: Second round interview

• Week 16: Final round interview

• Week 18: Offer

That's 18 weeks. Four and a half months. From first outreach to offer.

But you thought the timeline was just weeks 10-18 (the application to offer part). That's only 8 weeks.

You forgot about the 10 weeks of relationship building that had to happen first.

You're Interviewing While Working Full-Time

If you were unemployed and searching full-time, you could:

• Apply to 20 roles per week

• Take interviews any day, any time

• Respond to recruiter emails within hours

• Do take-home assignments over a weekend

• Schedule multiple final rounds in the same week

But you're not unemployed. You're working 60-70 hours a week at McKinsey (or BCG, or Bain, or Deloitte).

So you can:

• Apply to maybe 5 roles per week (on Friday afternoon if you're lucky)

• Only take interviews early morning, late evening, or by using PTO

• Respond to recruiters after 8pm when you're finally off client calls

• Do take-home assignments over multiple weekends because you're traveling

• Schedule final rounds weeks apart because you can't take multiple days off

Everything takes 2-3x longer when you're employed.

And most consultants don't account for this multiplier.

You Don't Account for the Learning Curve

Your first month of searching is basically research.

You think you know what you want. "I want to do product management at a tech company."

Then you start having conversations. And you realize:

• Actually, enterprise PM is very different from consumer PM

• Actually, PM at a startup is very different from PM at Google

• Actually, maybe you want to do strategy or operations, not pure product

• Actually, you're not even sure which stage of company you want

So you pivot. You adjust your target. You reach out to different people. You apply to different roles.

This is necessary. You can't shortcut this learning. But it takes time.

Most consultants waste their first 2-3 months applying to the wrong roles because they haven't done the exploration yet.

Then they recalibrate and start their search for real. But that's month 3, not month 1.

Interview Processes Are Slow

Even after you apply, the interview process itself takes forever.

Average timeline for a tech company interview process:

• Week 1: Application submitted

• Week 2-3: Recruiter screens (if you get one)

• Week 4-5: First round (hiring manager call)

• Week 6-7: Second round (meet the team, multiple calls)

• Week 8-9: Final round (onsite or virtual onsite, 4-5 hours of interviews)

• Week 10-11: Offer decision and negotiation

That's 10-11 weeks. For one company. From application to offer.

And this assumes no delays. No hiring freezes. No feedback rounds. No "we need to interview a few more candidates before deciding."

In reality, add 2-4 weeks for delays and slowdowns.

Most consultants think the interview process takes 4-6 weeks. It takes 10-14 weeks.

The Fast Timeline: 3-4 Months (What Has to Go Right)

Some people do land offers in 3-4 months. But everything has to go right.

Here's what the fast timeline looks like:

Month 1: You Already Know What You Want

You're not exploring. You're not figuring it out. You know:

• The specific role (PM, not just "tech")

• The type of company (Series B startups, not just "startups")

• The industry or space (fintech, healthtech, etc.)

You've already done the research. You're not wasting time learning what these roles actually are.

Month 1: You Have a Strong Network

You're not cold outreach starting from zero.

You have:

• 5-8 warm connections at target companies (ex-colleagues, business school friends, etc.)

• 2-3 people who can refer you directly

• 10+ people you've already talked to in the past about this industry

You're activating an existing network, not building one from scratch.

Month 2: You're Strategic About Applications

You're not applying to 100 random roles.

You're applying to 15-20 highly targeted roles where you have:

• A clear connection to the company or industry

• Experience that obviously translates

• Someone who can refer you or flag your application

Your application-to-interview conversion rate is 30-40%, not 3-5%.

Month 2-3: Interview Processes Move Fast

You're interviewing at startups or smaller companies where:

• Decision-making is fast (weeks, not months)

• There are fewer interview rounds (3-4 instead of 5-6)

• You're talking directly to hiring managers, not layers of recruiters

You're also getting lucky on timing. The role just opened. They need someone fast. You're exactly what they're looking for.

Month 3-4: You Get Multiple Offers

You're not just trying to get one offer. You have 2-3 in parallel.

This creates urgency. Companies move faster when they know you have other options.

And you have leverage to negotiate, which speeds up the close.

This is the fast timeline. It's real. But it requires:

• Total clarity on what you want

• Strong existing network

• Strategic targeting

• Some luck on timing

• Multiple parallel processes

Most consultants don't have all of these. So their timeline is longer. And that's normal.

The Slow Timeline: 12-18 Months (What Goes Wrong)

On the flip side, some exits take over a year. Here's what slows you down:

You're Still Figuring Out What You Want

You're searching and exploring at the same time.

You apply to product roles. Then you realize maybe you want strategy roles. Then you talk to someone doing operations and that sounds interesting too.

You're having lots of conversations. You're learning a ton. But you're not making progress toward an actual offer.

This exploration is valuable. But it extends your timeline massively.

Your Network Is Weak

You don't know anyone in tech. Or startups. Or whatever industry you're targeting.

So every connection is a cold outreach. Your response rate is 20-30% instead of 60-70%.

And the conversations you do get don't lead anywhere because you don't have warm paths to actual opportunities.

Building a network from scratch takes 6-9 months minimum.

You're Being Too Picky

You're only applying to dream companies. Google, Stripe, Airbnb, top-tier startups.

These companies are incredibly competitive. They have thousands of applicants per role. The bar is very high.

You're turning down interviews with less prestigious companies because you're holding out for the big names.

This is fine if you can afford to wait. But it extends your timeline significantly.

You're Not Committing Enough Time

You're trying to job search with 2 hours per week because you're at 120% utilization.

You're too busy to take networking calls. Too busy to do interview prep. Too busy to follow up with people.

Everything takes 3x longer because you're only giving it 20% effort.

You need at least 4-6 hours per week of focused time to move at a reasonable pace.

You're Getting Unlucky on Timing

You're interviewing during November/December when hiring slows down.

Or you're targeting companies that just had layoffs or hiring freezes.

Or the role you're perfect for gets put on hold because of budget cuts.

Or you make it to final rounds three times and lose to internal candidates.

Bad timing happens. And it can extend your timeline by 3-6 months through no fault of your own.

The Phase-by-Phase Breakdown

Let's get more tactical. Here's how long each phase actually takes:

Phase 1: Exploration and Preparation (6-8 weeks)

What you're doing:

• Figuring out what roles and industries you're interested in

• Having exploratory conversations (10-15 calls)

• Building your target list

• Updating your resume and LinkedIn

This phase feels like no progress because you're not applying yet. But it's essential.

If you skip this phase, you waste months applying to wrong roles.

Phase 2: Initial Outreach and Applications (8-10 weeks)

What you're doing:

• Sending 5-8 outreach messages per week

• Applying to 5-8 roles per week

• Having networking calls (2-3 per week)

• First round interviews start trickling in

You're building pipeline. Planting seeds. Most of this won't bear fruit for 6-8 weeks.

This is the hardest phase psychologically because you're working hard but not seeing results yet.

Phase 3: Interview Intensification (8-12 weeks)

What you're doing:

• Multiple first rounds per week

• Second and third round interviews

• Take-home assignments and case studies

• More targeted outreach to companies where you're advancing

You're now in active processes with 3-5 companies. You're busy. You're using PTO for interviews.

This phase is exhausting but it feels like progress.

Phase 4: Finals and Offers (4-8 weeks)

What you're doing:

• Final round interviews (onsite or virtual)

• Waiting for decisions (this takes forever)

• Negotiating offers

• Making final decisions

You might have 2-3 finals in the same timeframe. Or you might have one final, wait three weeks for a decision, then have another final.

The waiting is brutal. But you're close.

Phase 5: Notice and Transition (2-4 weeks)

You have a signed offer. You give notice. You wrap up.

This isn't part of the "job search" but it's part of your exit timeline.

If you're on a project, your firm might ask you to stay 4 weeks instead of 2 to transition properly.

Total: 28-42 weeks if you do every phase. That's 7-10 months.

Most consultants compress Phases 1 and 2 by doing them concurrently. But you still end up at 6-9 months.

How to Speed Up Your Timeline (Without Desperation)

You can't cut a 9-month process to 3 months. But you can cut it to 5-6 months. Here's how:

Do Your Exploration Before You Start Searching

Don't start applying until you know what you want.

Spend 4-6 weeks having conversations before you apply to anything.

Talk to 10-15 people doing different roles. Figure out what sounds interesting. Narrow your target.

Then search with focus.

This feels like it's slowing you down. It actually speeds you up massively.

Build Relationships in Parallel with Searching

Don't wait until Phase 2 to start networking.

Start networking in Phase 1. While you're still exploring.

By the time you're ready to actively search, you already have 15-20 warm relationships.

This cuts 6-8 weeks off your timeline.

Apply Only to Roles Where You Have an Edge

Every hour you spend on a low-probability application is an hour you're not spending on a high-probability one.

Stop applying to roles where you're a 30% fit hoping they'll give you a chance.

Only apply to roles where you're 70%+ fit and you have some edge:

• You know someone at the company

• Your experience directly translates

• You have a specific connection to their mission or product

Your application-to-interview rate will 3-4x. And you'll move faster.

Parallelize Your Interview Processes

Try to get 2-3 companies into interview phases at the same time.

This creates natural urgency. Companies move faster when they know you have other options.

And if one process falls through, you're not starting over from zero.

Be Flexible on Timing

When a company asks "when can you start?" don't say "I need to give three months notice."

Say "I can be flexible. What timeline works best for you?"

Then figure out how to make it work. Maybe you give two weeks instead of four. Maybe you use PTO to start your new job while technically still employed.

Flexibility speeds up closes.

Use Your Consulting Skills to Manage the Process

You're good at project management. Use it.

Track everything in a spreadsheet:

• Companies you've reached out to

• Status of each conversation

• Next steps for each process

• Follow-up dates

Set reminders. Follow up proactively. Move things forward.

Don't wait for recruiters to get back to you. You email them.

This can shave 2-4 weeks off your timeline by reducing lag.

When to Worry (and When Not to)

Don't Worry If:

Month 2: You don't have any offers yet

You're barely into the process. You're just building pipeline. This is totally normal.

Month 3: You've only had a few first round interviews

It takes time for outreach and applications to convert. Your pipeline is probably healthy, it just hasn't matured yet.

Month 4: You've had several first rounds but no finals yet

You're progressing. Getting to finals takes time. Keep executing.

Start to Worry If:

Month 3: You haven't had any first round interviews

Something's wrong. Either:

• Your targeting is off (roles too competitive, you're not qualified)

• Your materials need work (resume, positioning)

• Your outreach volume is too low

• Your network is too weak

Diagnose which one and fix it.

Month 5: You've had 10+ first rounds but can't get to finals

You're getting in the door but not advancing. This usually means:

• Your interview skills need work (practice more)

• Your examples aren't compelling (need better stories)

• Your positioning is off (not explaining why you want the role convincingly)

Get feedback. Practice. Improve.

Month 8: You've had multiple finals but no offers

You're close but not closing. This usually means:

• You're targeting roles where consultants are a harder sell

• Your interview performance is good but not great

• You're up against very strong competition

• Your fit isn't quite right

Either adjust your target or level up your interview game significantly.

The One Thing Nobody Tells You

Here's the secret about consulting exit timelines:

The time doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're making progress.

Some people spend 12 months and land their dream role. Worth it.

Some people land an offer in month 3 and regret it because they rushed.

The goal isn't to exit as fast as possible. The goal is to exit to something that's actually right for you.

If you're learning, refining your target, building real relationships, and having good conversations, you're making progress. Even if it takes 10 months.

If you're just grinding through applications, getting nowhere, and feeling desperate, month 4 is too long.

Focus on progress, not speed.

Key Takeaways

• The average consulting exit takes 6-9 months from first serious search activity to signed offer, not 3 months like most consultants expect; add 2-4 weeks for notice period

• People underestimate because they compare to fast outlier stories, underestimate 10 weeks of pipeline/relationship building time before applications, interview while working full-time which adds 2-3x time, don't account for 2-3 month learning curve to figure out what they want, and don't realize average interview process is 10-14 weeks not 4-6 weeks

• Fast timeline (3-4 months) only happens when you already know exactly what you want, have strong existing network you're activating, apply strategically to 15-20 highly targeted roles with 30-40% conversion, interview at fast-moving startups, and get multiple offers in parallel creating urgency

• Slow timeline (12-18 months) happens when you're figuring out what you want while searching, your network is weak requiring all cold outreach, you're too picky only targeting dream companies, you're not committing enough time (need 4-6 hours/week minimum), or you're getting unlucky on timing with hiring freezes

• Five phases breakdown: exploration and preparation (6-8 weeks), initial outreach and applications building pipeline (8-10 weeks), interview intensification with active processes (8-12 weeks), finals and offers with waiting and negotiation (4-8 weeks), notice and transition (2-4 weeks) = 7-10 months total

• Speed up by doing exploration before searching (talk to 10-15 people first), build relationships in parallel with searching from Phase 1, only apply to roles where you're 70%+ fit with an edge, parallelize 2-3 interview processes to create urgency, be flexible on start timing, use project management skills to reduce lag

• Don't worry if by month 2 you have no offers or month 3 only few first rounds; start worrying if by month 3 zero first rounds (targeting/materials problem), month 5 you have 10+ first rounds but can't advance (interview skills problem), month 8 you've had finals but no offers (fit/competition problem)

• The secret: time doesn't matter, progress matters; some people take 12 months and land dream role (worth it), some land offer in month 3 and regret rushing; focus on whether you're learning, refining target, and building real relationships, not just speed.