FAANG SWE intern route vs Big 4 consulting internship

Hi everyone,

My brother is a junior at the University of Michigan majoring in Business and Computer Science. He just got two internship offers — one for a SWE role at a Big Tech company (think Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla, etc.) and another for a consulting internship at a Big 4 firm.

Last summer he interned at a tech company and realized he didn’t really enjoy the tech culture in Seattle or the typical engineering lifestyle. Now he’s torn between taking the Big Tech offer for the brand name and pay, or going with the Big 4 consulting offer since it’s more aligned with what he wants to do long term (potentially consulting or even IB).

For anyone who’s been in a similar spot, which one would you take?
Is it better to go with the Big Tech SWE role for optionality and prestige, or start leaning into business experience now?

He’s pretty set on exploring business-related paths but also doesn’t want to regret turning down a Big Tech internship. Would love to hear some perspectives.

2 Comments
 

Take FAANG, Big 4 is a fucking joke. Easy to lateral to something tech-oriented on the biz side w/ that branding. 

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

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