A Journey from Manufacturing to Consulting

My entry into the consulting world didn’t start until about 11 years after my career had . After spending 13 years in one company, including time as a student worker, I was very familiar with the environment. Naturally, I was both excited and nervous about making such a big shift—would I be able to thrive in a new industry? My decision to take to become a consultant at Miebach after working solely for a manufacturer was a significant shift for me, but one that felt necessary.

On my first day, which coincided with the opening of our new Frankfurt office, I was warmly welcomed. Everyone knew I was joining, and even the CEO took the time to personally introduce himself despite the hustle and bustle that day. That warm welcome from my colleagues helped immensely in my transition to Miebach. After just a few months, it felt like I had always been part of the team, and I’m confident that joining Miebach was a great decision.

One of my initial concerns was how quickly I could adapt to being a consultant. In my previous role, I worked on projects from the planning stages all the way to implementation. I spent countless hours with engineers and realized the importance of understanding systems from material flow control to ERP. With now 15 years of experience in simulation, I’ve also been able to share some useful tricks with my colleagues here at Miebach. To my surprise, my concerns were uncalled for - I found my footing within just a week. While some internal processes were new to me, I didn't need extensive onboarding to get started. My first project came shortly after, and from that point, everything fell into place.

When comparing my day-to-day at a manufacturer and at Miebach, I can confidently say I’m glad that I took the risk and switched “professions”. The workday here is much more flexible. While my previous role followed a typical office structure with fixed hours, at Miebach, I have more control over my schedule, provided it fits around project timelines. The focus here is on the quality of the work rather than clock-watching, which I find very liberating.

Consulting often carries certain stereotypes, but Miebach defies them with its forward-thinking culture. I was particularly struck by how youthful and modern Miebach is as a workplace. The variety of industries Miebach serves was an adjustment for me as well. Previously, I had been primarily involved in fashion and retail, but soon found myself handling projects in production and other sectors. Each project brought new terms and definitions to learn, but after 2.5 years, I’ve gained experience across almost all industries.

Given the distance to the office, I now work remotely more often, but I’ve maintained strong connections with colleagues across Germany, even if we only meet a few times a year. The kindness I received from my first day on made it easy for me to integrate into the team, and I felt at ease quickly – a feeling that remains strong to this day. If there’s one thing that I learned, it’s that change can be daunting, but it’s the key to growth – and I’d take the leap to become a consultant at Miebach again in a heartbeat.