Choosing between FLDP’s
Hello. I’m a senior at a non-target from pacific northwest area. Lucky enough to have received 2 F500 FLDP offers. Trying to choose between them.
Beckton Dickson (BD), an F200, in Boston for 2 years.
Kellogg, an F300, in Midwest town (Milwaukee/Minneapolis) for 3 years
Here’s where I want to end up: decent MBA program to end up in M&A. Both companies are fantastic and pay is similar.
I do have an interest now in healthcare (kinda short term), so I’m leaning BD. They have a much higher market value, are doing cool things with COVID, and would give me a better chance to do a CD rotation. However, I haven’t seen as many FLDP graduates end up at T7 MBA programs from BD. Most former FLDP’s here said MBA placement isn’t pushed by management and is a tougher process.
Kellogg, on the other hand, gets multiple HBS/CBS/top school candidates every year. They have a much older program and have a great track record of MBA placement, but I can’t see myself living in Minneapolis. They have very well-known household cereal/foods and strong branding/placement to MBA.
Would love to get more insight on this and the best way to decide between the two.
Currently a sophomore so can’t speak much to your question. However, I’m looking into FLDPs and banking for my future. What’s the benefit of going FLDP-MBA-Banking instead of just going banking out of undergrad?
It’s tough for some to break in, either without the sequence of internships or the school brand.
I think that you could get into a top program from either with a good gmat.
As another poster said, I think you can get into a top MBA with a good GMAT if you go to either program.
Things to consider- Boston is much, much more expensive than Minneapolis. If pay is similar, you're taking a pay cut to go to Boston. Definitely not a deal breaker, but good to be aware of. Another point to consider is proximity- if you want to switch companies down the road, Boston is a bigger city with more opportunities than Minneapolis. Boston is also closer to more M7 schools.
Sometimes you owe it to yourself to chase the industry you are interested in. If it turns out that you like it, you'll benefit from starting in that industry as early as possible.. and you'll possibly not need an MBA. I'm happy I started in my then-target industry: I learned quickly that I didn't like it. If I started elsewhere I might still be looking for an angle to get into that industry, only to be disappointed later when switching costs are higher.
On the flip side, if you are quite certain you want to get your MBA, it might make sense to go for the company with better MBA placement. Work with the app in mind- think of who you need to ripen for a letter of recommendation, start GMAT study, etc. I think either company will place well- Go to your target school's linkedin page and use the search feature to find alumni from Becton. You might be surprised.
A last point to consider is brand- Kellogg is a household name, BD is not. That shouldn't matter if your rotation experience is strong, but if you're trying to jump industries, people give more weight to names they recognize.
Splitting hairs here- both companies are great and have plenty of advantages. If you definitely want to get your MBA, I'd focus solely on that since you will be "reborn" after. If you're not so sure about an MBA, I'd focus on getting into an industry that interests you, into the best rotations possible, and into a city with the most opportunity. Overall you'll be fine in both and can course-correct along the way.
OP here, well said!
From my understanding (a few friends at BD) their FLDP program is relatively new so that may be why you haven’t seen much placement into MBA programs. Seems like a solid company to work at although there HQ is in some random area in northern nj so living could be a pain (don’t know for sure though). How did you end up with a Boston offer? Regardless, I would probably go with the better name brand and stick it out in Minnesota for a bit.
OP again. Specialty group got me in Boston for a first rotation, supposedly
Either company will look fine on a resume for mba or transferring to another company - at a very high level, both create & sell a physical product so I can't image the nuances of the work will be that different, compared to say choosing between Kellogg or Facebook. Brand name & industry aside, I'd strongly consider which program will provide the best opportunities for interesting rotations and growth following the end of the fldp. Eg what do most people do after their 2-year stint at BD and where are they at around the 4-5 year mark, around the time you'd be applying for mba programs. Does either program highly favor their fldp's and move them quickly into positions with more responsibility? Overall, focus your decision more on which program offers the best rotations, which company is a better fit for you (location, people, culture, etc), who offers the most growth potential, and ultimately where you think you'll be happiest. Lots can change between now & 5 years from now, so go with your gut and don't worry about if one brand name is marginally better than the other and you'll be fine.
fwiw, if I'm looking at resumes, all else equal I'd choose someone from BD over Kellogg if their experience was more relevant, no question.
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Well said! Thank you so much. BD has 4, 6 month rotations, whereas Kellogg I will be stuck with 3, 1 year long rotations. Most people at Kellogg leave for MBA programs or stay. BD, most stay at company and I haven’t seen many MBA attendees yet (newer program so more people in the works).
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