I am currently working at Big Four's Deal Strategy Group, doing a mix of finance & strategy work related to M&A. My original motivation to switch to consulting was due to the “MBB prestige” and being more specialized in pure strategy.
After failing to get to MBB, I'm facing a dilemma: should I stay at my current firm, or should I continue to apply to tier 2 or boutique firms. I think the core issue is that I am not certain about where I want to be in the “long run”. Part of the reason is because my current position is a mix of strategy and finance/M&A works without specializing in specific industry.
I feel that my current position, or a strategy house position, could open doors to 1) corporate strategy 2) investment roles - PE, VC 3) corporate development roles. The upside of staying at my position would be to further develop the “cross skill set” of finance & strategy. However, on the other hand I feel that Big Four's brand is not well perceived, and I am not specializing in either strategy or finance/M&A, which might be a disadvantage.
Could you share some thoughts or experience? Keen to listen to your thoughts on how to successfully plan a long term career. Thanks.