Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

It sounds like you have some interesting options and decisions to make. Since your short-term goal is to work in Europe, option 1 and 2 both seem like good options to consider.

• Option 1, negotiating to switch your MBB full-time offer to a summer internship and then leveraging the internship to reapply to other MBB firms in your preferred location, could be a good way to gain valuable experience and make connections within the industry while also working towards your goal of working in Europe. By completing a summer internship at a reputable firm, you may be able to demonstrate your skills and abilities to other firms and increase your chances of getting a full-time offer in your preferred location.
• Option 2, taking the tier 2 offer and reapplying to MBB after a year or two, could also be a good way to gain experience and build your resume while working towards your goal. By taking the tier 2 offer, you can gain valuable experience and exposure to the consulting industry, which can be beneficial when reapplying to MBB firms in the future.
• Option 3, taking the MBB offer and requesting an internal transfer, is also a possibility, but it may not be the best option if your short-term goal is to work in Europe. While internal transfers can sometimes be possible, they are not always easy to arrange, and it's ultimately up to the firm to decide whether to grant your request. Additionally, transferring to a different location can be disruptive to your personal and professional life, so it's important to carefully weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

(editiert)

I'd rather live where I want and then try to “move up” rather than living where I don't. Particularly if you have a specific timeline you want to meet. I.e., if you want to work in Europe take the option that makes it happen now, not the option where you don't really know if you can make it happen. Besides it's probably easier to move up in Europe than to move between countries.

What doesn't make sense is option 1. You don't ask to downgrade a full time offer. You either ask to be hired to another office (meaning that between 2 and 3, you prefer 2, and will reject the offer if they don't move you to a different office), or you take the offer and start recruiting to the other MBB in your preferred location (until you can ask for a transfer… which is not guaranteed, by the way).

So the 3 options are (to me, in my preferred order):

- Tier 2 Europe and try to move up

- Ask MBB to change offer to different office

- Join MBB SEA and recruit for the other MBB in Europe. If unsuccessful, ask to move between offices.

Hi there,

I would personally never downgrade a full-time offer to an internship - too many negative implications. 

If living in Europe is more important to you than the “optimal” career track, you are already prioritizing work-life balance which is an important aspect. Also, working for a Tier 2 consulting company is by no means a bad career choice. The respective firm's reputation is just more heterogeneous around the globe compared to MBB but it's not like only chumps work at those firms.

A few things to consider from my point of view:

• You will likely perform better in an environment in which you feel more comfortable and content - Europe might have the edge here for you based on your goals
• Any consulting job will require you to work long hours and limits your free time - you might not have the time to get to enjoy Europe as much as you want in the short-term
• After 2 years of MBB, chances to transfer to Europe are pretty good plus you will be more experienced and know how to improve work-life balance for yourself - might be more fun to be in Europe then

In any case, you have good options to choose from. I wish you the best of luck

(editiert)

Hi there,

In such cases, I would always go with the MBB offer since:

1. After 1-2 years you should be able to internally transfer to Europe (at the latest).
2. MBB will open many doors in Europe and beyond.

Congrats!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Quite honestly this is very weird/bizarre. I've never heard of someone doing this and I don't think this would go down well.

I'm not sure why you wouldn't just take the offer and then either apply to another MBB or ask for a transfer after 1-2 years.

You really have 2 choices:

1. Reject the offer and try your luck where you actually want to be (you should have just done this in the first place)
2. Accept the offer and try to a) Get put on foreign projects b) Get an office transfer after 1-2 years c) Apply to other firms leveraging your current role

The decision is yours!