Safe route, or take the risk?

Question

Hi all,

Looking for some perspective from people in consulting / IB / PE / VC in Europe.

About me:

Norwegian, 22.
Finished bachelor in business at NHH with good grades (upper B average, several As in finance/valuation/macro, solid internships).
Just started Master in Business – specialization in Finance at NHH.
Also working part-time at a small strategy / consulting / transaction boutique and have a Tier-2 consulting summer internship lined up for 2026.

Long term: consulting / PE / VC / high-end finance in Norway/Nordics, but I want some international optionality.

Dilemma:

I’ve been offered a fully funded Master in Management at IE in Madrid (finance/investments track, tuition + living costs, start 2026).

Option A – Stay at NHH

Finish MSc, keep part-time role, do Tier-2 internship, stay in Norway with existing network and recruiting channels, low relocation/mental friction.

Option B – IE MiM

Drop NHH master, move to Madrid, fully funded, stronger international brand and network, but likely give up current job and possibly the consulting internship, plus higher personal cost (relocation, away from family, first time living abroad).

Career-wise, for someone targeting consulting / PE / VC / high-end finance (esp. in the Nordics):

How much extra value does IE MiM really add vs finishing NHH MSc with my current trajectory?

In recruiting, would switching from NHH to IE be seen as positive, neutral, or negative?

In my position, would you stay at NHH and double down locally, or take the fully funded IE MiM and bet on the international upside?

Any honest thoughts from people are much appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi,

good to be you as this is a good dilemma to have!

Both paths can get you into consulting / PE / VC in the Nordics, but NHH actually carries more weight locally and you already have the right momentum (part-time role + Tier-2 internship; though maybe you can keep the internship even if you move to IE?)
Switching to IE can be seen as positive if you frame it as a deliberate move for international exposure, but it won’t inherently outperform NHH for Nordic recruiting
From my POV the real question is: what is the lifestyle you want right now? Both will allow you to get into the desired jobs. One will allow you to stay with your friends/family, one will get you new friends... I will not spoil your options with my personal opinion :)

Best,
Lukas

Answer 2

This is a fantastic dilemma to have—it shows you’ve already achieved a lot of career momentum. You should feel very good about the current trajectory.

Here is the hard truth about the value proposition of the IE MiM in this specific scenario: For a candidate who already has NHH, strong finance grades, boutique consulting experience, and a Tier-2 internship lined up, the brand lift from IE is incremental, not transformational. For MBB or elite PE in Oslo/Stockholm, NHH is a proven top feeder. The firm knows how to benchmark you already.

The biggest risk in Option B is the cost of discontinuity. Recruiting processes, especially for top roles, love clean momentum. If you ditch your current Master’s, lose the part-time job, and risk the secured Tier-2 internship spot (which is a massive recruiting signal), you are paying a very high career cost just to add a bullet point to your CV that is only marginally better recognized than NHH in the Nordic market. Recruiters do not factor in funding—they only care about placement potential and the quality of your profile.

My advice is to double down on Option A. Finish the NHH Master, crush that confirmed Tier-2 internship, and keep leveraging the part-time strategy role. You are already on a perfect, low-friction path to your target jobs in the Nordics. If you genuinely want international optionality, you should use your current NHH program's structure for an exchange semester at a highly targeted school (like LSE or an equivalent) during the MSc, or aggressively target London/Continent offices during your final recruiting cycle. Don't sacrifice the certainty of the current trajectory for marginal international upside.

All the best!

Answer 3

hey there :)

Given your track record at NHH and the internship you already secured, you actually have a very strong path in the Nordics right where you are. For consulting, PE and VC in Norway, NHH is already a top local feeder, so staying isn’t a “safe but limiting” choice, it’s actually the route that keeps all doors open with very little friction.

IE gives you international exposure, which is great, but in your case the incremental value on top of NHH is not huge unless you genuinely want a long-term international career. You would also give up your job and your Tier-2 internship, which are extremely valuable for Nordic recruiting.

If your long-term goal is mainly Norway or the Nordics, I’d personally stay at NHH and build even more depth locally. If you feel a real pull toward living abroad and want that experience for yourself, then IE can be worth it. From a pure career ROI perspective though, NHH already sets you up very well.

If you want to talk through the trade-off more just reach out.

best, Alessa :)

Answer 4

First of all, congrats on having a nice problem to solve :)

Honestly, it's impossible to tell because multiple things could happen along each of the two 'roads' you can choose.

I believe that if you're planning on being in the Nordics, it makes sense to stay in the Nordics, take advantage of the roots that you've developed there, your professional experience there and so on. If that is your long term perspective, then staying is more aligned with it.

But do try and listen to your intuition. Logic aside, what is it that you feel most drawn towards? Why?

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

This is exactly what a career coach is for!

In a Q&A you're going to get quick answers.

The responders won't commit time to the answer, they can't ask deep-dive follow-up questions to truly understand you, your goals, your values, etc.

I won't answer your Q here because it's a dis-service to you (whichever answer I give, I'm doing so with imperfect information!)

For a decision that will ultimately change your entire career/life trajectory, and for a decision that could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars (or millions) in compounded earnings, why not pay a career coach for 1 hour to get proper advice?