Long-term planning

Question

Hi everyone,

I am a 23 year old with 2 years experience: one year in London working in Operational & Management Consulting and 1 year in Management Consulting for a small Romanian company (<10 employees). Degree in Mathematics with Business Management and quite a technical background (studied programming for 4 years and worked in graphic design for around 6 years).

I have received offers from EY, KPMG, Horvath and a small, uprising consulting company focusing on energy. The offers are similar from a financial standpoint, but I am unsure what I'd like to do with my future, whether I want to move to MBB down the line, so here are my questions:

If indeed I'd like to move to MBB, which company would give me the best chance in terms of reputation, but relevant work as well? (not sure if writing meeting minutes will be considered very relevant)
Would specialising this early in my career (i.e. choosing the energy-focused consulting) limit my opportunities long-term?
I know Hovarth is well-known in DACH, but unsure what reputation they have in the rest of Europe? Couldn't find much in terms of work quality, is it safe to assume they are similar to Tier 2 (ATK, RB) or they should be separated due to the focus on Controlling?

Need to take a decision very soon, so any advice/opinion would be much appreciated.

Cheers!

Answer 1

Hi there,

First, congratulations on all of those offers!

Q: If indeed I'd like to move to MBB, which company would give me the best chance in terms of reputation, but relevant work as well? (not sure if writing meeting minutes will be considered very relevant)

A: You alluded to this, but it's the one where you will have the most responsibility and rise up the fastest. I would much rather see some impressive bullet points under these experiences than I care about any of the brands. Furthermore, if I see you promoted a few times, that's a clear positive signal...so, figure out what exactly is expected from you at each of the firms AND what the opportunities are for moving upwards within them.

Would specialising this early in my career (i.e. choosing the energy-focused consulting) limit my opportunities long-term?

A: Yes, you do start to get funneled (like it or not) the moment you specialize. You can avoid this in some ways, but the path narrows over time.

Q: I know Hovarth is well-known in DACH, but unsure what reputation they have in the rest of Europe? Couldn't find much in terms of work quality, is it safe to assume they are similar to Tier 2 (ATK, RB) or they should be separated due to the focus on Controlling?

I personally don't know them but upon looking them up they appear to be borderline Tier 2, or perhaps in boutique territory.

Answer 2

Hi, I would follow the big brands, which ensure to your CV a good reputation

Best,
Antonello

Answer 3

Dear A,

Hovarth is a boutiques firm. It is only known in Germany, but not in the rest of Europe. So if your objective is to move to MBB down line, I would rather suggest EY or KPMG.

If you need to have a more detailed career conversation, drop me a line in direct and let's arrange a meeting on that.

Best,

André