Career Switch: From Strategy Consulting to Data-related job – Seeking Advice /u/ImmediateCranberry73 CSCQ protests reddit

Hey everyone!

I’ve been a lurking in various tech communities, and I’m finally posting to get your thoughts about a potential career transition and whether I’m positioning myself well for quick growth in this new path.

Despite having always been passionate about technology, programming, and data analysis, I had to temporarily set aside these interests to pursue a higher-paying role in consulting to handle personal circumstances and pay off my UK master’s degree debt.

Background: I’m currently a Senior Strategy Consultant at a global firm, in a niche sector (Real Estate) in Western Europe. I have an Industrial Engineering degree and a Master’s in Manufacturing Systems from a top UK university. Yes, my background and current job don’t match – I initially joined with the promise they’d create a pure Operations/Processes-related Industrial & Logistics team, which never materialized. I’ve stayed for 3 years mainly due to above-average compensation for my age/experience (€60k + 20-40% bonus) and the need to pay off my UK master’s (now paid).

Current Situation: After three years, I dislike almost every aspect of my job:

• 70-80% of my work involves creating reports for investment funds that I find neither valuable nor motivating (except for some few operations/process projects)
• Workload has increased to unsustainable levels, affecting my mental health (my managers, which would be my next promotion, have it even worse)
• I carry more client responsibility than other consultants as the “Industry and Logistics specialist” (a field my superiors know nothing or little about)
• Leadership maintains a rigid “it is what it is” mentality about consulting
• Zero training opportunities

The silver linings:

• Consistently rated as top consultant, enjoying more freedom (WFH) and autonomy
• Only person with technical background, handling all industry/logistics reports and making of myself ‘crucial’ in the team.
• Excellent career trajectory and compensation for my age/location/experience (15-20% raises per year)

The Opportunity: I’ve been discussing a potential move with our company’s internal Digital/IT department (with whom I’ve collaborated extensively). They’re willing to create a position for me, likely as a Senior Data Analyst/Engineer or similar role, with a technical focus (my request). The workload would be significantly lower, lots of training opportunities and lateral movement and remote work is standard.

However, my salary would drop to €40k with a smaller bonus, and internal career progression would be more limited, competing against Computer Science and Telecommunications Engineering colleagues.

And my programming exposure is low:

• University modules (C, SQL, MATLAB)
• Self-study courses (SQL, Python)
• Business Intelligence tools experience from final thesis and internships (PowerBI, Tableau)
• Limited hands-on, specific uses of SQL/Python in some projects

I know and recognize this is a unique opportunity – getting a Senior position without formal background or direct experience would be impossible elsewhere, but still the drop is huge.

So in this (I am sorry it is so extensive) context, I would like to ask you:

1. Am I making the right move, or am I undervaluing my current position?
2. Is €40k a fair salary for this role in Western Europe?
3. If I take the opportunity, how should I approach it to recover my “lost” income?
4. Which languages/tools should I focus on mastering for rapid career growth?

Would really appreciate any insights, personal experience or general advice. Thanks!

Hey everyone!

I’ve been a lurking in various tech communities, and I’m finally posting to get your thoughts about a potential career transition and whether I’m positioning myself well for quick growth in this new path.

Despite having always been passionate about technology, programming, and data analysis, I had to temporarily set aside these interests to pursue a higher-paying role in consulting to handle personal circumstances and pay off my UK master’s degree debt.

Background: I’m currently a Senior Strategy Consultant at a global firm, in a niche sector (Real Estate) in Western Europe. I have an Industrial Engineering degree and a Master’s in Manufacturing Systems from a top UK university. Yes, my background and current job don’t match – I initially joined with the promise they’d create a pure Operations/Processes-related Industrial & Logistics team, which never materialized. I’ve stayed for 3 years mainly due to above-average compensation for my age/experience (€60k + 20-40% bonus) and the need to pay off my UK master’s (now paid).

Current Situation: After three years, I dislike almost every aspect of my job:

• 70-80% of my work involves creating reports for investment funds that I find neither valuable nor motivating (except for some few operations/process projects)
• Workload has increased to unsustainable levels, affecting my mental health (my managers, which would be my next promotion, have it even worse)
• I carry more client responsibility than other consultants as the “Industry and Logistics specialist” (a field my superiors know nothing or little about)
• Leadership maintains a rigid “it is what it is” mentality about consulting
• Zero training opportunities

The silver linings:

• Consistently rated as top consultant, enjoying more freedom (WFH) and autonomy
• Only person with technical background, handling all industry/logistics reports and making of myself ‘crucial’ in the team.
• Excellent career trajectory and compensation for my age/location/experience (15-20% raises per year)

The Opportunity: I’ve been discussing a potential move with our company’s internal Digital/IT department (with whom I’ve collaborated extensively). They’re willing to create a position for me, likely as a Senior Data Analyst/Engineer or similar role, with a technical focus (my request). The workload would be significantly lower, lots of training opportunities and lateral movement and remote work is standard.

However, my salary would drop to €40k with a smaller bonus, and internal career progression would be more limited, competing against Computer Science and Telecommunications Engineering colleagues.

And my programming exposure is low:

• University modules (C, SQL, MATLAB)
• Self-study courses (SQL, Python)
• Business Intelligence tools experience from final thesis and internships (PowerBI, Tableau)
• Limited hands-on, specific uses of SQL/Python in some projects

I know and recognize this is a unique opportunity – getting a Senior position without formal background or direct experience would be impossible elsewhere, but still the drop is huge.

So in this (I am sorry it is so extensive) context, I would like to ask you:

1. Am I making the right move, or am I undervaluing my current position?
2. Is €40k a fair salary for this role in Western Europe?
3. If I take the opportunity, how should I approach it to recover my “lost” income?
4. Which languages/tools should I focus on mastering for rapid career growth?

Would really appreciate any insights, personal experience or general advice. Thanks!