The route between Harvard Business School and McKinsey & Co is so well trodden that you might assume an MBA is a prerequisite to a career in consulting. But here are a few things you should consider before you start swotting for your GMAT.

You don’t need an MBA... Pat Manning, the Bain & Co partner with responsibility for MBA recruitment in London, says: “There are plenty of successful people who don’t have an MBA at Bain – people hired straight from university or industry who have gone on to become partners.”

...But it might be nice. Manning says that an MBA offers a broad learning experience across a range of topics; the opportunity to develop a diverse network of contacts and gain valuable experience during internships; and the chance to carefully consider long-term objectives.

Why do it? An MBA can help those with industry experience to change careers to become consultants. Similarly, experienced consultants may find that an MBA allows them to switch from a specialist consultancy role to general management or strategy consulting.

Consider other options. Caroline Paxton, the professional community lead at BT Global Services, says: “We want to hire a range of thinkers and doers.” She says that a masters degree in an IT subject may be more relevant to those working in IT consultancy and a masters in change management for those in management consultancy. Tailor your choice of course to your experience and needs.

Seek sponsorship. Diane Morgan, the director of career services at the London Business School, says there is a trend towards consultancies hiring university graduates and sponsoring “the real stars” through an MBA after a couple of years in employment.

All MBAs are not equal. Business schools have different academic strengths, different course structures, internships and projects. It pays to find out which schools have relationships with which consultancies before you apply.

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