Hi Bruce,
Consulting experience is best taken case by case. The good thing about consulting is that it provides younger practitioners with the opportunities to expand their roles, stretch themselves, manage ambiguity, and go cross functional / cross industry. But it doesn't provide everyone these opportunities equally. That applies to people, firms, and service offerings.
To your concern though, there is an obvious answer to your question, right? Yes. Of course. It sounds sexier, right?
But just because it's an obvious answer, doesn't make it right. A lot of consultants in strategy firms can have very limited roles and responsibilities. A lot of strategy firms don't travel or engage with client counterparts that often. Engagements are shorter, stress different skills, etc. On the flip side, a lot of IT consultants can be leading workstreams, managing clients, solving problems, etc. And some strategy consultants can be globe hopping from one MNC location to another while some IT consultants can be locked in what appear to be renovated broom closets. Get where I'm going here?
There are amazing experiences in both pools and so no, it is not viewed more highly simply because one person did strategy and another IT. They want the best possible applicants across a variety of considerations.
So rest assured you're not hitting from the blue tees while strategy consultants are defaulted to the white.
Cheers,
Bhavik
