Where does Mastercard Advisors & Consulting Services rank among these firms?
I just got an offer for the Mastercard Associate Consultant Internship in the Purchase, NY office in the Strategy & Transformation track. With consulting recruiting already underway, I was wondering where they rank among these firms below. I pasted a sample tier list from another post. I am trying to evaluate what firms to target and what to ignore.
Tier 1: MBB
Tier 2: Oliver Wyman, Kearney, PwC S&, EY-P, LEK, CapOne Strategy
Tier 2.5A: Accenture Strategy, Deloitte Strategy
Tier 2.5B: ZS, OC&C, Clearview, Simon-Kutcher, RB, Altman Solon
Tier 3A: Non-Strategy Big 4 + Accenture Consulting/Advisory, A&M, Alix, FTI, Booz Allen Hamilton
Tier 3B: Keystone, Mars, Kaiser, etc.
Tier 4: Non-Big 4 Consulting/Advisory (RSM, GT), IBM, Mercer, Protiviti, Huron, any boutique 80k TC
Based on the most helpful WSO content, Mastercard Advisors & Consulting Services is not explicitly ranked in the tier lists provided. However, it is generally considered a niche or boutique consulting firm with a strong focus on payments, financial services, and data-driven strategy, leveraging Mastercard's vast network and expertise. It would likely fall somewhere in the Tier 3B or Tier 4 range, depending on the specific focus and the comparison criteria (e.g., prestige, compensation, exit opportunities).
For your Mastercard Associate Consultant Internship in the Strategy & Transformation track, this could be a great opportunity if you're interested in payments, fintech, or data analytics. However, if your goal is to transition to a more generalist or higher-tier consulting firm (e.g., MBB or Tier 2), you might want to use this internship as a stepping stone while targeting firms in higher tiers during full-time recruiting.
Sources: 2023 Consulting Tier List, 2023 Consulting Tier List, Q&A: Strategy consulting Associate Partner offering career advice, My View on the Current Top 10 Strategy Consulting Firms, Q&A: I Work at Strategy&. Consulting
People are gonna pick fights with your tier list as-is (Alix/A&M seem super low, etc.). Not gonna split hairs like you did, but I'd say its it's lower than T2 and better than Big4 depending on goals. Just hit the 1yr mark in advisors S&T, and also interned.
Some food for thought:
I personally have really enjoyed my time in the role, and would probably stay longer if my partner weren't tied to a different city. Happy to answer any questions.
Thank you for your insight! 30 hr average sounds amazing. Why did you decide to return FT instead of recruiting again after your internship? And what exit opps are available to you after your work in S&T? What opps aren’t available? Thank you again for your super comprehensive response!
I came from a semi-target and graduated into a brutal job market. I did fully plan to re-recruit into MBB (and was getting invited to candidate-only events for multiple firms) but then they gave literally 10% of the R1s as usual. T2 gave 0. I did land a management rotational role at another company, but it ultimately didn't seem like a good path for me.
Honestly, my list of open doors felt pretty reasonable. You end up as a good fit for consulting and business analyst roles elsewhere, with a preference for finance/fintech. We send a lot of people to places like Stripe/Affirm/whatever. Off the top of my head, the last several people to leave our office at the consultant level (so 2yrs ish) went to boutique FP&A, Uber, and Ramp. Personally, I am in final rounds with Southwest (change management consulting) and C1 BA, but I am only targeting Dallas so my pool is slightly smaller.
What office do you work in? Do you think the WLB is the same across offices? How easy is it to change offices?
I was in Boston. I think we have the best office culture and WLB, but other offices are still pretty reasonable. I will note that Advisors in NY are required to be 3x/week in the Purchase office and are no longer allowed to go into the NYC tech hub, so watch out.
You have to be approved for office transfers. I've seen people do it after 1-2 years, and haven't seen anyone get rejected.
Assumenda in ipsam commodi aperiam deleniti. Omnis voluptatem eveniet in possimus. Laboriosam cumque laborum non architecto provident magni id. Magnam commodi explicabo est officia vero.
A laborum explicabo necessitatibus voluptatem ducimus et. Ut quaerat ut sapiente rerum doloremque necessitatibus nesciunt. Quia sunt eos cupiditate provident et accusamus. Quae maiores cumque sunt ut.
Blanditiis fugiat rem libero culpa. Iste expedita asperiores et ipsam minima.
Voluptas enim consequuntur in earum sint adipisci ab. Qui dolorem ipsum totam ut. At repudiandae ut itaque veniam saepe voluptate. Magnam quas culpa qui.
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...