Consulting in Germany
What are the peculiarities of management consulting industry in Germany and German-speaking world?
I've heard that:
- clients are more demanding because of higher level of education (Masters, PhD)
- people tend to work harder than average
- offices in Germany are considered strong
Does it mean that the work is more challenging and interesting and I will gain experience faster? What about exit opps? If I work for several years in Germany and then move to a weaker office in emerging markets, will I have an edge over my peers in the new office?
In my opinion, if you want to be very strong in Europe, you should go to London. That is "where all the bosses are". That is the best location to be imo, and you will be involved with the German-speaking world.
If you go to Germany, they will most likely keep you there. And you might be involved in the business in Eastern and Central Europe, but without real language skills you will most likely only help to establish a team there.
On the other hand, if you start at Austria/Switzerland, you will want to go to Germany.
Which bosses are you talking about? Those of all the large German companies that he will consult? Or do you mean the French, Italian or other European CEOs?
Furthermore, if you can, Switzerland is probably the place you actually want to go to. Salaries are higher, taxes are lower, and projects are more international than in the other countries.
What are you talking about?
Germany is the second largest consulting market in the world as far as I know and easily the most competitive in Europe.
All the "bosses" of Germany companies are as you would expect in Germany.
The pay is significantly higher in Germany and living costs are way lower. The best perk of all is that you get a company car (audi, bmw etc.)
Only caveat: you have to speak German of course.
You are an analyst, so share your opinion with the OP. You might have a better insight than I do, still, in 21. century, you are not far from the Germany if you are based in the UK; I assume that if you are a top class, you would be summoned where your skills are required and stay there as long as you are needed. And you will spend most of your time flying somewhere and travelling anyway..
In addition, if you are fascinated by "perks" like a car to drive, take a look at this: http://www.businessinsider.com/killer-startup-perks-2012-5?utm_source=T…
Peace
You just missed a great opportunity to keep your mouth shut.
I have just entered the MBF program in HSG (that is the best place I can afford to finance), so I expect to have better options in German-speaking world. London is costly and the salaries are lower than in Germany (according to glassdoor), moving to PE is not my dream (while it is still an option). What are the perks of working in London that make it a great place for consulting?
I speak Russian (I am from CIS), so it would be relatively easy for me to study other slavic languages (Polish,Czech). And I don't mind moving to these countries if I get any benefits from it. But would I get any?
Listen, what I said above - I was referring to something that I was told by one of the partners at the Big3; let me explain:
Basically, I have done a couple of days spring program at MBB earlier this year in London and it was a great opportunity to network and understand what would it really look like to be a consultant. It was a great insight in particular because I speak German and live in the German-speaking country, but I also speak Russian and 3 other Slavic languages (although not Polish, Czech), and I am studying one additional language. Therefore, it was easier for me (than for other interns) to build connections with the employees and they were interested in my background etc.
Most of the guys there who spoke some foreign language other than English (regardless of the rank) were German-speakers.
So one evening after the program, I went for a couple of beers with 2 high ranked employees and 2 interns and we had fun, talked about loads of different things including consulting and this firm in particular. One guy was originally from Italy, other one from Germany and they both had their "main base" in London. I was curious about how valuable are my language skills and also what would the difference be if I decided to for example work in Frankfurt. They told me that if I want to be a "boss" someday, I should definitely pick London (if I decide on Europe), simply because I will be surrounded by the "bosses" and the strategic position is simply much better for the job.
We discussed everything in detail and they were very honest with me and told me about many bad sides of the life of the consultant and everything. After the program I was pretty much sure that consulting was not what I want to do and that I would not like really the lifestyle and the whole profession. Nevertheless, after few years in the IB, I might decide to try the consulting and I think that I will have good exiting options for that. You have a good reasoning, I just have a different perspective in this case and this is only my 2 cent.
P.S. I'm still in touch with most of the people I met there, and must say that I think that regardless of which firm you pick from MBB, you would be surrounded by a great, intelligent team.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
This.
(No other consulting market has as many PhDs in consulting as Germany. MBAs are actually frowned upon from the old school senior people.)
Obviously, I haven't seen every office of every firm in the world, but I can say this: If you survive your junior years at McK/ Berger/ BCG in Munich/ Duesseldorf/ Frankfurt - there's nothing for you to worry about in the consulting world anymore.
Germany is somewhat underrated and is probably the best market for consulting. The US firms bring in the most revenues, but anytime a project gets too technical or runs into problems, they call the Germans.
If you want to learn how to do things the proper way, go to Germany.
I wish I had taken the opportunity to work there, but due to language issues (I don't speak German) and other personal reasons it wasn't a priority location for me earlier and I certainly regret my decision.
The only downside is Frankfurt is an extremely dull place. London and some other markets are certainly better when it comes to networking and lifestyle.
Do you speak perfect German. I have met lots of German consultants (interviews etc.) and not one of them was not a native German speaker. So if your German is so-so, don't even think about applying. Regarding firms: The strongest are: McKinsey, Roland Berger, BCG. Bain plays only a very minor role in Germany and is considered the party consulting firm (the people I have met, again this is nor representative, at Bain were very unimpressive). Apart from the fact that unlike in the US, there is another major player (Berger), I don't think that the differences are that great. People will probably be a bit more structured and organized, a little more punctual and pay more attention to detail. But I'm just stating stereotypes.
I expect to improve my German to C1-C2 CEFR level, but I doubt if I can achieve near-native-speaker level by the time I graduate. According to MBB websites everybody in German consulting is German with a few post-mba exceptions. Would I be at disadvantage as a not native-speaker? Is there a bias towards German nationals?
Yes you will be at a disadvantage. Go for London or for the country where you come from. Your chances will be much, much higher.
And what about Switzerland? I've heard that offices here are more international and it's even possible to work there without advanced knowledge of German.
I met a few consultants (McK, BCG) that were non-german (French, Polish) at some career events I attended. However, everyone I met was able to communicate properly in German, although their German wasn't perfect.
Regarding London vs. Germany: Frankfurt isn't that dull at all and Munich is an awesome city to live in. @Riffs: How long have you been to Frankfurt, a week?
I've been around Germany quite extensively and I just don't like Frankfurt all that much, or Munich to be honest. I'm sure if I lived in either place I'd end up having a good time and make the most of it, they just wouldn't be my first choice.
Berlin on the other hand is probably one of my favorite cities and I would love to live there, but unfortunately it's not a very good market for consulting.
If you're smart enough for MBB(and roland berger) then you can pick up German very quickly. Mainly because no one speaks English with you there and they offer a number of 3 month intensive courses.
If you're terrible at languages, you will obviously struggle. Primarily because German's directly correlate language skills with level of intelligence i.e. if you don't speak properly you must be uneducated or an idiot. Where as in the US speaking casually doesn't really matter; you'll regularly hear partners say "Whats up?" "cool" "hey man", where as in Germany that's a big no no.
i currently work for one of the big consulting companies in germany and i know of two guys there who are not fluent in german (they are both italian), so i guess its quite important to speak german.
So, German language is essential, I got it;)
hoodrich, could you please tell about management consulting in Germany? How does it differ from MC in other countries (USA)?
Eaque consequatur aut facere tempora minima. Hic inventore adipisci qui. Harum magnam magni fugit. Omnis repellat autem quia rerum. Quia aut fugit aut. Voluptatem libero fugit ab aut aut velit.
Fugiat quis debitis laborum sint. Error molestias quia at. Cum et necessitatibus velit debitis.
Qui doloremque quia facere minima quia eligendi. Sequi non doloribus omnis ut vero quia impedit. Aliquid inventore temporibus facilis autem.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...