A roadmap, if I may: Year 0: graduate from well know undergraduate school with solid personal credentials. Year 1&2: Research Associate at McKinsey Consulting Year 3&4: first year in B school ranked in Top 10, summer internship in an industry of chosen concentration. Year 5-8: Consultant at Mckinsey Year 9: Made partner, got married Year 10-12: still at Mckinsey Year 10: got divorced, exhaustion set in, got nervous break-down, quit McKinsey, in re-hab. Year 15: pulled socks up and got life in order, got senior VP at the industry of choice Year 16: so far, so good.