Big 4 consulting as a way to transfer to the US?

One of the universities that I applied to in Europe for undergrad has a lot of graduates working in big 4 consulting, especially Deloitte. A lot of people here have stated that it's better to start at a boutique firm (if you're from a non/semi-target) to break into MBB, however, my ultimate goal is to move to the US as soon as possible (I'm not a US citizen). So first 1) how hard would it be to transfer to the US after working in a big 4 consulting division for a year or two after undergrad? 2) If I succeeded in transferring to the US after undergrad, would it be at least possible for me to break into MBB? 

I wanted to do an MBA in the US at some point, but I will likely have to work for a couple of years first, right? What path should I ideally take?

 

Anecdotal evidence only from my side, the three people I know who moved from a UK consultancy to the US were at:
Accenture, Tata Consultancy Group, NTT Data

I understand that the latter two are not the type of consultancies you are aiming at, and this is all I know from my personal circle in the UK.

In theory these larger companies have global mobility programs, but they are not hiring EU grads so they can just move out after a year or two. So it depends on the team you are working for, your skill set and how the approval process would look like. Plus, the other side in the US would also have to agree to take you on.

 
Most Helpful

There is a huge push from EU grads or professionals lately to end up in the US. On /IWantOut, here and other forums. It could be spring or just the general economy. who knows.

1) in our HR portal (PE/VC) and from most employers, the minimum service required is 12-18 months. This can vary, so check with others who have done the move.
(and no, companies generally don't give you guarantees in writing that you can move to a specific country) - alternatively try finding a rotation program for grads

2) If all you care about is to end up in the US, why not pick a cheaper college (not H/Y/P) and get some STEM designated OPT dream gig in a consultancy?
If the US is the #1 dream and goal for you (or others), don't waste your life living in the wrong country or waiting for things to happen. It can take years for immigration to happen if you don't take care of things straight away. Waiting is almost never a good idea if you have serious reasons for moving.

3) Check which consultancies have filed the most H1b/gc applications through the US bulletin. Gathering data and analyzing it should be a good case study for a consultant to-be?

There are so many tracking sites... i.e. https://www.trackitt.com/usa-immigration-trackers/h1b/filter or https://www.immihelp.com/perm-tracker/

You will realize that the Indian consultancies send far more people to the US via H1b, L, and other visas than other groups.
We also have a larger number of Indian professionals on WSO, it would be useful to hear an inside voice from their network and from people who know the corporate process for this.

And please could you come back and share your findings with us? Thanks.

 

Would choose the role that best sets you up for the job you want in the US. Transfer from outside US to US isn’t a well trodden path in big 4 because it’s a partnership structure so US is run completely differently to say UK/EU (albeit sharing a common name/branding)

I think a transfer would likely involve networking and then applying to a role in the US that opens up, similar to any others on the street (although you’d have a slight advantage that the US team knows you’re from the non US businesses)

 

During my time at one of the big 4 I saw maybe 2-3 people who had moved to the US. It’s relatively small because only a few ppl would have the desire + open role availability. It happened but wasn’t a huge thing

 

Qui minus beatae dolor neque autem autem. Qui aliquam exercitationem tenetur ut. Voluptates modi sit non repudiandae in vitae. Qui eveniet quasi in itaque. Necessitatibus enim eaque quisquam voluptas veritatis. Inventore a maxime provident blanditiis.

Quis veniam eligendi molestiae suscipit minus. Nulla reprehenderit natus ipsum accusamus iure et quibusdam. Non et et nesciunt sed. Et quaerat porro alias esse aut corporis est. In qui minus suscipit rem labore iusto esse.

Magni quidem iste facilis et. Iure harum quasi dolorem accusantium. Placeat velit at et sit.

Voluptate asperiores facere voluptates. Error et inventore iste odio. Nobis ut non et repudiandae. Odio ut assumenda dolorem doloribus quis. Consequuntur distinctio amet sit sunt aut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (100) $226
  • Manager (152) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • Senior Consultant (331) $130
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Consultant (587) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (538) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (146) $115
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (344) $103
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1048) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (188) $84
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (552) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”