From Programmer to MBB: How I Made Three Career Pivots to Find Work I Truly Love
Anna's StoryMany people who come to us for career coaching open with the same line: “I didn’t go to a top business school, and I’ve never worked in consulting or banking — can I still break into a strategy role?” Every time, I want to tell them: I figured it out one step at a time, too.
My first job was a developer at a bank
You might not guess it, but my first job was as a developer at a bank. I was still doing my master’s at the time and thought, naively, that “coding + engineering = a bright future.” But only a few days into the internship, I realized I had zero interest in it — staring at code, writing tests, and debugging all day was lonely and tedious. I discovered I actually preferred talking to people, understanding the business, and driving projects forward.
So after graduating, I didn’t stay on the technical track. I moved into a Business Analyst role and started working on project management, process optimization, and digital transformation — feeling, for the first time, what “business thinking” really means. That period gave me a solid foundation. But I also knew that if I simply kept following the business-support path, it would be very hard to reach the core of the business, let alone a decision-making seat.
That’s when I started seriously asking myself: do I keep walking this low-volatility but limited path? Or, while I’m still young, do I give myself a much bigger challenge?
To pivot, I got promoted, studied for an MBA, and prepped for consulting — all at once
I decided to do an MBA to raise the odds of breaking out of the bank’s middle-and-back office. But combining an MBA application with a full-time job is brutally demanding — especially since I had just been promoted and was buried in projects. During that stretch I worked by day, wrote essays at night, practiced interviews on weekends, polished my resume, and networked with alumni. Every single piece took grit to hold together.
Once in the MBA, I didn’t coast. I poured all my time and resources into consulting recruiting — cases, CV, cover letters, coffee chats, the works. In the end, I landed an MBB offer and became the only Chinese woman in my cohort to join MBB’s Paris office. In that moment, I knew I wasn’t “destined to follow one path based on where I started” — I had carved out my own trajectory through a series of precise choices.
At MBB, I rebuilt my methodology — and my confidence
Consulting is intensely demanding, but it also accelerates growth like nothing else. I ran commercial due diligence for top PE funds, led a full-group strategy redesign for a large conglomerate, and managed clients and mentored juniors in a multilingual, multicultural environment. The pressure was enormous, but it let me “fill in” a far more advanced capability model within two years — evolving from a business supporter into a genuine problem-solver and strategic advisor.
But I also realized I didn’t want to stay on the advisory side forever. I wanted to make things real — to turn strategy into execution and watch my work take shape in the business. So I made one final leap, joining a fintech company to work on market-entry strategy, and finally arrived at the true “business front line.” Today I can both design top-down strategy and execute from zero to one: I run projects independently, drive cross-functional work, and engage with senior stakeholders. And that is exactly the kind of role I always wanted.
My three pivots taught me three deep lessons
🧭 Lesson 1: Clarity of direction matters more than your title
People often ask, “Should I take this role? The title sounds great.” But here’s the thing: titles can be dressed up; direction can’t lie. Why did I quit being a developer right after graduating? Because I knew my personality and interests didn’t fit that path. Why MBB later? Because I needed high-density learning to sharpen a strategic lens. Why move back to GTM? Because I wanted to be close to the business and turn strategy into real impact. None of these were the flashiest choice — but each was the step closest to my goal.
🪜 Lesson 2: A job change isn’t starting over — it’s “80% familiar + 20% new”
Most job-change anxiety comes from fearing you “won’t be able to do it” or that the jump is too big. But an effective move is an upgrade within a familiar domain — not a teardown and rebuild. Every one of my moves hit that rhythm:
- Tech → BA: I brought logic and systems thinking, and added business communication.
- BA → MBB: I leaned on project experience and strengthened structured thinking and strategy frameworks.
- MBB → fintech: I used analytical skills for market-entry strategy and practiced hands-on execution.
Each time, I got clear on three questions: What can I bring? What do I want to add? Is this move 80% within reach and 20% growth? Don’t switch lanes blindly — expand steadily around your core strengths, one square at a time.
🔍 Lesson 3: Telling your career story well beats piling on buzzwords
I’ve seen too many resumes stuffed with “data-driven,” “cross-functional,” and “strategic mindset” that never explain why the person moved from A to B. The most important thing in my own journey was having a story that connects the dots. When someone asks, “Why did you jump from banking to consulting? Why from consulting to GTM?” — can you give a one-sentence logic chain that convinces them? If you want to move from executor to strategist, from back office to the business front line, from steady to accelerating, you need more than interview prep — you need to rewrite your career story.
You don’t need a perfect starting point to build a standout trajectory. If you’re wondering whether to switch jobs, how to pivot, or why you keep getting stuck in back-office or non-core roles, I hope my story gives you a little courage.