Post-MBA: Deloitte S&O vs Strategy&
First post!
I've painfully perused similar topics, but I'm torn on where to go for my summer MBA internship: Deloitte S&O or Strategy& in their Private Equity Value Creation group. Both offices are in the same location, and total full-time compensation over the first two years is identical. Hoping for some insight from people that have been faced with similar decisions or who have worked at either (or both) firms. Pros for both are listed below:
Deloitte:
huge focus on professional development (DeloitteU, thought leadership, investment in employees); seen this firsthand with higher engagement and recruiting effort from VP/director/partner-level
much more project diversity, true generalist model to start
impression that dinners/happy hours/social events would be very fun with the type of personality that Deloitte hires
seen as top of tier 2 strategy consulting
Strategy& (PEVC Group)
higher base pay implies higher future compensation because of bigger raises, bonuses
I think I'll enjoy the work more - PEVC focuses on operational due diligence on targets for PE clients (30-40%) and executing on planned operational improvements (cost saving synergies, technology adds); the downside is that everyone I've talked to in the group describes their work the same way which implies less project diversity and learning opportunities
extremely small, prestigious group; they bill out and pay the same as MBB, total group nationwide is 80 employees and partners have very good relationships with the top PE firms
better exit ops, I could see myself going into PE
Again, a lot of these impressions are based on my conversations with consultants within the firm and my perception from interviews, coffee chats, etc.
Deloitte does tuition reimbursement which might be worth considering.
If you really like operational work, I'm sure you could do similar work while at Deloitte. The great thing about choosing Deloitte is that if you find out you hate it, you can try something else. If you choose Strategy& and find out you hate hate operational due diligence, you're going to be absolutely miserable, hating you work, thinking about all the fun you could of had if you had chosen Deloitte. If you choose Deloitte, the only thing you're leaving behind is your fixation on PE—which is anyways an unrealistic exit op post-MBA.
Do you work for DT?
No, do you work at S&?
Congrats on getting two great offers! I really don't think you can go wrong. Just a few thoughts I had in mind regarding each of your comments, but above all else remember that personal fit and growth is something people on this forum can't evaluate but is definitely the most important aspect.
Deloitte:
Development aspects are important to keep in mind. That said, remember that at S& you've got a specific group you're with, so remember to make your comparisons regarding S& PEVC vs D S&O rather than generally.
Project diversity is definitely going to be accurate insofar as you're not aligned to a specific vertical like S&. That said, project diversity can sometimes be overwhelming, so make sure you go in with strong preferences that are consistent with what you can expect so you don't end up just doing kind of whatever for a while.
Again compare people of D S&O specifically to the S& PEVC people you've met, not S& in general. Also IMO PE types are fun to hang with.
Being top of tier 2 really doesn't matter at all, there are plenty of people who choose Bain over McK just like there are people who choose ATK over D S&O - go with fit and personal growth vs some vague reference to a tier list that only seems to exist on WSO and the consulting subreddit.
S&:
Pay will be great at either place. S& just made the more recent comp update I think, I imagine D won't let them blast past them.
If you're interested in the specific work mentioned that's great. Remember that this is an internship - part of the point is for you to think you really like something and then test it. Better to test how much you like PE now vs wondering later.
Small elite group is a good counter to the Deloitte human development stuff you've mentioned. I'd look at what exits past PEVC have taken and compare those to the D S&O people you know. If PE is what you want I can't imagine PEVC losing here, but if you don't know you want to do PE maybe D S&O adds flexibility.
Thanks Goon, very insightful advice.
The PE operational work is analogous to M&A work at Deloitte S&O so I think I can get a similar opportunity there. After talking to a few people, it doesn't seem like PEVC will give me a huge advantage in exiting into PE firms, so it's less of a pro for S&.
If you don't mind sharing OP, where are you currently pursuing your MBA?
Does Deloitte S&O recruit for generalist roles at every T15/T20 program that they do OCR, or only M7 + few others? I heard from other places that, after their most recent restructuring, there was no longer a true generalist model and that new hires were going to be aligned within one of their six core offering portfolios off the bat. Is that true, or do they still recruit true generalists from the top MBA programs?
Wondering if you could shed some light on that topic.
Klaud, happy to. I go to Ross, and I'm pretty sure Deloitte recruits at a wide variety of campus as they recruited at Anderson and Yale SOM which were both programs I was considering as well.
We weren't told much about the restructuring as we recruited directly for S&O - I don't think it is going to impact our internship but might impact full-time placement. As far as I've been told, the labels are general enough that you'll get a pretty broad industry/function exposure.
Happy to give you more details if you want to shoot me a PM.
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