Deciding Between 2 Job Offers (semi-target engineering graduate)
I recently graduated with a degree in engineering from a semi-target school (3.6 GPA if it matters) and am currently in the process of deciding between 2 job offers. I want fellow monkeys to give me some suggestions.
One is as an associate consultant at a small (7 employees) energy consulting firm and the other is an entry-level engineering position at a decent-sized oil company with $10 billion in annual revenue. I’m trying to evaluate the exit opportunities of working at each one of them in terms of setting me up for an MBA, potentially venture capital or top tier management consulting (MBB). A difficult aspect to this decision is that I’m not exactly sure where I want to be in say 10 years but I want to keep as many doors as possible open and am trying to evaluate which would be the best choice in terms of experience, industry leverage, etc.
Some factors to consider:
• Similar starting salary
• Wider breadth of experiences and industry exposure at the consulting firm
• More interesting work from day one at the small consulting firm and I would be a part of generally more interesting work constructing models, writing analysis for clients, etc.
• I am much more of a “known quantity” after 2-3 years experience at the large oil company as outsiders recognize the company name and what it does
• Many internal opportunities exist for advancement after 2 years in the entry-level engineering role at the big oil company
I'd go with the large oil company.
Could you elaborate?
Can't really take a chance in this situation; I'd go with the oil company, simply because that consulting firm could wrap up at any time.
I’m assuming the energy consulting firm is stable (low employee turnover and without office politics) and the partners have stable business and are proficient at business development. Should this not be true, I’d go with the engineering gig and try to move into a non-engineering role.
One commonality among a future MBA and VC or MC career is that they want people that excel at whatever they did. An entry level job nature matters less than the interestingness of what you do going forward. An engineer is not precluded from opening his own engineer consulting firm. Likewise, an energy consultant is not barred from suggestion or selling engineering ideas/advice to his client.
The best thing for you to do is to put yourself in the appropriate environment that will allow your experience and talents to focus. If you’re a shy engineer-inclined guy that hates putting up a mask and does not like to put effort into communicating well, maybe you’d do better in a more introverted role where you can build extrovert skills at your own pace. If you’re the opposite, maybe being thrown into the fire from the start will allow you to demonstrate your extrovert skills and you can keep clients happy while learning the technical skills on the job.
You’ve got 2 offers: energy consulting and engineering – both types of people are valuable to the career you want in the future, although they’ll set you up differently. Pick the one that’s right for you.
Thanks, guys. Any additional input would be appreciated.
Aliquam optio quo consectetur corrupti sed. Non inventore explicabo dolor aut aliquid. Molestiae sunt ipsum dolorem molestias cum.
Corrupti sint velit enim quia doloribus repellat natus. Inventore dolores laudantium dolores vero qui ad. Vel et quia quo excepturi vel. Vel nemo aut consequatur sunt dolorem quasi.
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...