TL;DR: MBB start in May 2026. Boutique consulting offer now starts Feb 2026 after a firm-initiated delay. Deciding whether to work ~2–3 months and resign, or decline and wait.
Hi everyone,
Looking for candid views.
I’ve accepted an entry-level offer at an MBB firm starting May 2026. I graduated in mid-2025. I also hold an offer from a boutique consulting firm that was originally due to start in June 2025, but was deferred by the firm to early next year (Feb 2026). Because of this delay, I continued recruiting and subsequently received the MBB offer.
The boutique role would therefore run for roughly 2–3 months before the MBB start date.
Decision:
- Join the boutique in Feb → resign after ~2–3 months → start MBB in May
- Or decline the boutique offer and wait
Considerations:
- The boutique role could help me ramp up core consulting skillsets ahead of MBB.
- The sector focus aligns with my interests, but not something I’d pursue long-term given the MBB offer.
- Notice period at the boutique is one month.
- I’m uneasy about resigning after such a short stint and whether this is viewed negatively early in one’s career.
Main question:
- How significant is the professional / reputational risk (e.g. burning bridges, negative perception) of leaving a firm after 2–3 months?
