LEK vs Marakon vs Accenture MCDP
Graduating senior from Northwestern.
Both offers in hand. Comp is nearly identical. Which should I take to best position myself for bschool?
Any advice is sincerely appreciated!
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Whichever looks to have a healthier pipeline of business, which no one can really predict, but a strong indicator is client retention and long-term relationships (and the relative business health of those clients). You want to make sure you don't get sacked 6 months into the job because cashflow is poor, and manage to stay employed between 2-4 years with promotions waiting for you.
I'm not sure how well Marakon has done post-CRA buyout, but they have had a rocky history prior to CRA (many of the partner split off during the peri-Trinsum period). They didn't seem to be doing much when I was at CRA a few years ago. Perhaps someone in the know may care to comment.
But even if Marakon was doing well, I'd go LEK--did you get information on what practice (or more generalist) you'd be placed into at LEK? I did hear they work folks pretty hard there.
At both LEK and Marakon I would be a generalist.
Going in, I preferred Marakon because of their stronger culture and better work/life balance. Word is LEK is a sweat shop whereas at Marakon average is 55-60 hours a week.
Also, I think I could get promoted at Marakon faster than LEK.
Average at LEK is 55-60... depends a decent amount on the office, but overall 55-60 is realistic. Also with the lack of travel all in hours worked is not that bad.
I find it pretty hard to believe they have a better culture than LEK, i think the culture at LEK is fantastic. If you are a social person I dont think there is another firm out there than can compare.
In terms of promotion I know several that get promoted after 18 months, but typical is 2 years. Its very hard to think about going into a job thinking your going to dramatically out perform other top kids at a job that well you really have no clue what it truly is or if you will be good at it...
Managers at LEK (at least the one that I spoke to recently) apparently get some percentage of the sales (business development) to which they they contributed up to a certain cap as part of their bonus. This can result in some hefty bonuses. This isn't the case at some other consultancies. Something to consider if you are looking to stay in consulting longer than 2-3 years.
Also, LEK has pretty strong PE and healthcare practices, from what I understand (if either working on due diligence, life sciences work, or due diligence in life sciences is what tickles your fancy). I'd have to think that part of what contributes to a "sweat shop" like workload is the number of quick-burn due diligences LEK does. If you're staffed on a three week project, you know it's pretty much going to suck the life out of you for those three weeks (whether it's at LEK or elsewhere).
thanks for all the comments guys. i guess the sweat shop stigma really threw me off and i should seriously consider LEK.
on another note, i also just received an offer from accenture mcdp. should that be at the bottom of my list?
I'm a fellow NU alum, worked at Marakon for 4 years and now I'm a student at Kellogg.
Accenture should definitely be at the bottom of your list. On Marakon vs. LEK, I think Marakon definitely would position you best to get into a top business school. Marakon's work is true strategy consulting, and will have you thinking about issues that are "top of mind" for CEO's. It puts you in a very strong position applying for school. For such a small firm, 3 Marakon alums are in my class at Kellogg now. And no one beats Marakon in terms of fast development, they promote from within to the post-MBA level so most consultants are getting post-MBA salary and responsibilities long before they go to b school.
I also don't buy the "55-60" hours/week at LEK at all. I've had several friends go to LEK from NU and none stayed longer than 2 years they were so miserable. Sweat shop...
What industries/practice areas does Marakon usually do work in? Never seem to hear about them...
Out of curiosity, how has Marakon done post-CRA acquisition? Also, does Marakon operate separately or as part of CRA's "Value Management" practice? Because my experience at CRA was that promotions were tenure-regulated, and consultants even at the "post-MBA" level without the degree certainly did not have the post-MBA salary. For example, in my group, it took upwards of 6+ years to go from Analyst to Senior Associate, and promoted SA's didn't have the post-MBA pay. Your point about going to top tier schools is valid (nigh every person from my practice who applied to school got into a top-7 program).
To address the CRA-related questions:
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