Big 4 Strategy vs MBB Research
Hi everyone!
Thanks for everyone who replied to my last post about MBB research. I have another dilemma (New job offer) now, and would be like to seek for some advice.
Brief Background: I have 2 years of working experience in MO Asset Management (In major Asia finance hub), and would like to do a MBA in the next 3-4 years (M7 or Ivy League).
I would like to ask for your opinion on whether I should take a job for Big 4 Strategy Consulting or MBB Research Role (Financial Institutions industry focus, at a consulting concentrated office, not knowledge center) at this point of my career? Which one is better? (Exit Opportunities, MBA applications).
Thanks for reading and looking forward to someone's reply!
Sounds like you're not in the US (Asian hub). Each firm has its strengths and weaknesses internationally. MBA Adcomms know this. From this forum, it seems McKinsey is the one firm people agree to have strong quality consistently.
Thanks for replying! Will you happen to know what's it like for BCG?
Unfortunately I dont. You might be able to dig up something here but might be more useful to ask people in real life.
It'll make it easier if you tell us which firms
Thanks for replying! BCG vs Deloitte (Monitor) vs KPMG (strategy)
I would take Monitor Deloitte before I would take BCG back office. You are likely to be challenged more in a client facing role at MD vs a research role at BCG. Plus b-school app is stronger with MD client facing role than an MBB back office. The admissions committees will be able to tell very easily that you were not client-facing at BCG.
I would go with MD or KPMG, it heavily depends on 2 factors as I see:
1) Goals: you want to go to BS, I would say that the scale is leaning towards Monitor here, it is a case team, not a research role after all, and in some countries/market segments MD is on par with MBB. I think you would have great BS opportunities with MBB as well, so I do not think you should leverage the decision in this point.
2) Job expectations: this is differential, what do you really want to do right away?, research or consulting, you want to have as your main clients Senior executives/CEOs/CIOs,... or to have as your main clients in-house consultants?, to have exposure or to have a more "protective" environment?, a generalist or a especialist?.
For me it is clear cut, do consulting/client facing, do not let the prestige take control of yourself, try to do without it and leverage your decision more on what will you do and not that much on who it offers to you.
Thanks for the reply! My goal is to someday work as an investment analyst, or finance research related job (equity research or credit rating) as it exposes you to the markets and analysis of an industry landscape, which I find interesting. Furthermore, I would like to go for a top MBA (M7 or top 10) for the career switch, and to work in the states (I am currently living in Asia). I won't say client facing is a very important factor for me. In this case, which role will be more aligned to my career aspirations?
100% would take Big4 Strategy before a research role at MBB. Adcoms will know the difference, and it is extremely difficult to transfer from firm services into client roles.
Thanks for replying! In this case what is your opinion for DM and KPMG? From Vault DM is ranked higher (4th), however where does KPMG stand? Is the gap big?
The gap is large between KPMG strategy and Deloitte S&O.
Thanks for the replying. So what is your view on my options? DM>KPMG>BCG?
Do you actually have offers? If you did, this would be simple - take Monitor and be done with this.
I agree with what other posters have said.... Go Monitor and don't look back, would take KPMG second and BCG Research third. Also, I would say the gap between KPMG Strat and BCG research is larger than the gap between MD and KPMG.... Similar to why a prospective I-Banker should take a boutique IB over, say, Goldman Sachs Ops, get the experience in the area you want to specialize in. When going through recruiting whilst in b-school, any consulting firm MBB or otherwise is going to want to hear about your client-facing experiences and how you drove insight rather than some primary research you did for a BCG case team that you handed off and never used for anything.
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