Choices between IT Consulting Firms

I'm graduating in December. Here are my choices

F100(ish) communications firm - internal consulting role within the engineering department. 60k base and eligible for OT, 10% performance bonus. Currently interning there. Well liked and respected and I can see some interesting work beginning right around Q3 2013. Start date in January

Accenture/Capgemini/Deloitte/IBM - offers from two of these guys for entry level tech analyst position. 65-75 Base, 10k bonus, 5k signing Start Date Q3 2013

Everything is for the Los Angeles area so rent is decent and the weather is great. I'm primarily interested in exit ops and grad school/MBA. If I go with the first option I could see doing a part time MBA through UCLA or USC fairly easily(relatively low entry stats which I exceed). Option 2 seems more prestigous and would have better FT MBA options though PT would be out of the question it seems. Two years of lost income and I'd be worried about getting in due to a relatively low GPA during my first half of undergrad(decent upward trend)

In my dream world, I'd do option 2 and then go to option 1, but I don't know how viable that is. I don't want to do consulting long term, but for 1-3 years I think it'd be a great experience.

6 Comments
 

Rent is decent in LA?

How would I describe myself? Three words: hard working, alpha male, jackhammer…merciless…insatiable.
 

How do you feel about traveling 4 days a week? Some people don't like the consulting lifestyle of being away from their friends/social scenes 50% of the time, the constant burden of flying, or dealing with completely new people every couple of months.

 

I'm a socially competent recluse. What social life?

If anything I'd expect to have more of a social life going the consulting route as I'd constantly be in a team setting whereas at the F100 firm I'd be a one man team who just so happens to talk to a lot of people in other departments due to the nature of my work.

 

Look on the bright side. You get to meet new girls in every city you've been to without letting them know about each other. Working as a consultant can certainly sharpen up your social skills on some level.

 

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