Oliver Wyman vs. Parthenon-EY Full-Time Offer
I recently received two full-time offers from Oliver Wyman New York and Parthenon-EY San Francisco, and am having difficulty choosing between the two. I know OW is very strong in Financial Services, has a global staffing model, and has a typical Mon-Thurs travel model, whereas Parthenon focuses on pure strategy work, has a strong focus in PE due diligence, and runs on a low travel model. I was wondering if anyone has thoughts on how the two firms compare in terms of:
1) Prestige
2) Office culture
3) Work-life balance
4) Type of work
5) Exit opportunities
6) B-school placement/sponsorship
7) Potential PE placement
Thanks a lot for the help!
1) Overall OW but for the SF I'm not too sure... 2) Friends at PEY prefer the culture and the camaraderie compared to OW but again, they aren't in SF 3)PEY 4)Depends on your liking. I personally prefer StratCon. More intellectual, less travel and better kinds of projects compared to MC and implementation 5) Both depending on the sector. If you do a lot of FS and head to IB/PE then OW but PEY's DD abilities also make it a strong contender for PE, less so for IB.
6) Don't personally know but again I would think perhaps OW slightly more 7) Both close but OW perhaps slightly more (provided you are actively involved in the FS projects).
Your largest considerations should arguably be #2 and #4 (which impacts #5). Both are fantastic offers and you'll be splitting hairs on a lot of dimensions, but there is something to be said for the nebulous term we call "fit" that will dictate your overall experience and happiness. The types of projects you're on also direct prospective exits e.g. if you're on tech engagements frequently, you'll naturally have more tech exit opportunities.
On #2: I would index for this. I personally can't comment, but I will say that since you interviewed in both places, you should have some idea where you feel you fit in better both city-wise and office-wise. Make sure you communicate with both firms and get more perspectives from employees in both places. Remember that you won't be traveling with Parthenon, so I'd say it's even more important there.
On #4: On top of FS, OW does a sizeable amount of work in Risk Management - highly quantitative. Can't comment on Parthenon's SF office, though would imagine more Hi Tech. Parthenon as a whole has more biopharma and education projects.
On #3: a bit of a wash and will be project-dependent. Both are fairly brutal from what I understand. OW may have you traveling to distant places - I've spoken with several people from the NY office who traveled to the Middle East for work. Although Parthenon-EY has a low touch, low travel model, you will be double staffed constantly, even on DDs I believe.
OW edges Parthenon a bit in #5-#7 (and thus, #1). especially in FS. You should consider the impact of being in SF vs. NY for exit opportunities (read: tech vs. FS). I believe both will sponsor strong candidates for MBA who are willing to return for some time, though I don't know the specific policy. You'll have to inquire with the firms.
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