Global Fortune 200 M&A/Strategy Rotational Program or Big 4 Advisory Position

Hey Guys,

So currently I've received offer from a big 4 Advisory within their financial services practice group.

I also have been offered a position in a fortune 200 company in a rotational program doing 6 months in their NA corporate development group (I have been forewarned there is no chance of going FT in this group as they don't hire entry levels) as well as a rotation in the NA HQ strategy group (typically reserved for Gunner MBAs and EX S/O MCs, I have an undergraduate degree from a non target school). I then would do a rotation in likely two other strategy groups with one of the rotations being international. They have not yet been set and it is up to me to network/sell myself into the last two rotations (will not likely be hard as I will have already have had the 2 most prestigious rotations in NA). The downside is the HQ is in a shit city where as the big 4 office I would work for is in a top US city (think NY, Chicago, and LA).

I don't have enough experience to determine which role would be more beneficial for me. With big 4 I would be doing business process transformation etc (on a small scale think consolidation and streamlining of a single important process within a bank) with largely consumer banks. With the fortune 200 company I would get great internal exposure but no prestigious big 4 MC on my resume and would have to live in a shit city for a year.

Please help me with any advice and pros and cons for making this decision. Long term I would like to do PE or MBB.

Comp is about the same. Fortune 200 would give me a company car and likely minimal pay raise my second year if any and pretty good benefits (401k match etc). Big 4 obviously has fantastic benefits and likely a large pay bump second year.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Strategy is good too man, I think the terms are used interchangeably (strategy & corpdev).

Depending on which Big 4 you're at, the Big 4 strategy group is probably more implementation/process orientated, whereas your F200 gig will more likely expose you to overarching strategy, ie. where to acquire companies, where to expand, which product line to revive.

The exception will be Deloitte S&O which I hear is pretty good

 
Best Response

It's hard to imagine that the Fortune 200 company name would be that detrimental (or less beneficial) than the Big 4 option. I'd imagine you will be taking on some really interesting work in both the corp dev and strategy rotation. If they're giving you a car, I'd imagine the other benefits are pretty good as well. Hop on that offer, imo.

 

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