The blessing and the curse of a consulting background is that you could genuinely do a lot of things. Strategy, operations, product, finance, a dozen industries. That flexibility is real, and it's also why so many consultants stall: when everything is possible, nothing is specific, and a vague search goes nowhere.
The Three-Verticals Method is a simple way to go from "I could do anything" to three clear targets in about two weeks.
Why "keeping options open" backfires
Staying broad feels safe, but it quietly kills your search. A vague candidate competes everywhere and stands out nowhere. Your resume can't be tailored, your outreach is generic, and your network can't help because they don't know what to refer you for. Specificity isn't a cage. It's what makes everything downstream work.
The three verticals
You narrow along three axes, and the intersection is your target.
Function. What do you want to spend your days actually doing? Strategy, operations, product, business development, finance, general management. Pick the one or two where you had the most energy, not the most experience.
Industry. Which sectors did you serve that you actually found interesting? You have an edge in the industries you already know, so weight toward those unless you have a strong pull elsewhere.
Company stage. Structured Fortune 500, fast-moving growth-stage, or PE-backed? This shapes the pace, the scope, and the kind of work more than people expect.
The intersection ("VP of Strategy at a growth-stage healthcare company," "Director of Operations at a PE-backed industrial") is a real target you can build a search around.
The two-week process
Week one, generate options. List every function, industry, and stage that appeals, without filtering. Then talk to three to five people who are doing roles that interest you, and ask what the work is actually like day to day. Real intel beats imagination. Week two, narrow. Cross off what the conversations made less appealing, and pick your top one or two intersections. Pressure-test each against your strengths and your life (comp, hours, location), and commit.
It's a targeting decision, not a life sentence
The thing that makes people freeze is treating this like a permanent choice. It isn't. You're picking a target for your next role, not your next decade. You can always move again. But you can't run an effective search without a target, so commit to one now and adjust later.
The payoff
Once you have a specific intersection, everything gets easier. Your resume tailors itself. Your outreach gets sharp. Your network knows exactly how to help. Specific searchers move three times faster than vague ones, not because they're better, but because every action compounds toward the same goal.
If you want help running this process and pressure-testing your targets against the market, take the free Placement Readiness Assessment.
About author
San Aung
Founder of Second Ladder (Ex-Deloitte, Accenture, Oracle)
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