MBB Southeast Asia or Tier 2 US consulting

Hi there,

Congrats also from my end! Indeed a nice problem to have!

Like the other coaches, I'd also argue going with the MBB offer might be a better choice

1. Brand: MBB brand is just significantly stronger and all these firms have a proven track record as PE exit feeder
2. Timing: Think about timing of the planned exit - as a senior manager / principal in a few years, the exit into PE may prove more difficult than if you jump as a senior consultant / junior EM, based on the way many PE firms hire
3. Ramp up: This is a factor that many people underestimate - if you don't have any prior consulting experience, starting directly as EM can be very very challenging, to say the least (e.g. at BCG, that category shows the highest churn rate on EM / Principal level). Consulting firms have high expectations and limited patience, so it would be advisable for most people to spend a bit of time honing core consulting skills, before assuming EM responsibility, where you will be fully exposed from the start.

Hope this helps!

Regards

Andi

Hello!

First of all, congratulations are in order! Well done!

Both are really good options, and the good news is that here you cannot really make a bad choice. 

Overall, I would have it pretty clear and would go for MBB, since what I have seen with time, is that brand is the most important thing. What you will see in some time from now was I was in McK vs. I was in OW, despite the roles. 

This said, given that you want to exit to PE, this can complicate things a bit… since OW can gain you good connections there too. I would try to see which type of network and connections both companies give you IN THE REGION/AREA of you interest, to see if this changes the pic. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offers! In terms of your questions:

Q: After the MBA I would like to do strategy in tech like FAANG or MBB/top boutique consulting in the US. Recently, I secure summer internship offers from MBB southeast asia and some tier 2 consulting in the US. Given my goal and background, which offer do you think I should take?

You mentioned that your goal includes top boutiques in the US, so if you consider the Tier 2 that provided the offers good enough, that should already meet your goal.

If instead your goal is to reach MBB, you have two possible paths:

1. You join MBB in SEA, then try to transfer to the US internally
2. You join the Tier 2 in the US and then apply to MBB in a few years

If you are fine spending a few years in SEA and see evidence that a US transfer is possible, I would personally go for option #1 as getting the MBB brand name is very useful. If you do want to move immediately to the US, I guess you will have to take #2.

In terms of the likelihood of the transfer with #1, you should be able to see if that happened in the past from LinkedIn for your relevant office.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there, 

In terms of brand, I'd go for the MBB offer. 

Geography doesn't have that much bearing in terms of how employers see your experience. Knowing that you were in MBB is enough, especially since the firms are global and your range of skills isn't dependent on your office location. 

The question you need to figure out in the meantime, however, is if you do want to live in SE Asia in the meantime. 

Regardless, they're both great options and congrats on having them in the first place!

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

I'm based in Australia, worked for BCG Australia, and know MBB intimately down here, so let me help :)

1) Pay/perks - generally higher in Australia

2) Worklife balance - much more emphasized in Australia. They take weekends seriously (we rarely worked weekends), they strive to meet personal KPIs during the week (i.e. teams hold you accountable to meeting 1-2 personal life needs each week), they're conscious of burnout (at BCG for example you get 2 free "ME" days each year), etc. 

3) Culture - More flat and "conversational" in Australia

4) Projects/Industry - Australian work involves Mining, Oil & Gas, Energy, Public Sector/Government, Telecomms, Financial Institutions, Consumer Products. They're also quite strong in Technology advantage (Platinion/GAMMA)

SE Asia would have a lot of finance, oil & gas, mining, manufacturing.

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offers!

MBB is more likely to open doors in PE. To check that in your particular area you can do the following:

1. Look for alumni of OW and your MBB on LinkedIn
2. Check how many moved to PE in your region
3. Normalize for the size of OW and your MBB in your region

Before you apply to PE, I would also look for referrals. You can find some tips in the article below (it refers to consulting but works for any industry):

▶ https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/networking-as-part-of-the-management-consulting-preparation-process

Best,
Francesco

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• Given your goal of working in strategy in tech with FAANG or top consulting firms in the US after your MBA, I would recommend taking the internship with a tier 2 consulting firm in the US. While interning at MBB in Southeast Asia can be a valuable experience, it may not be as directly relevant to your ultimate goal of working in the US tech industry.
• Additionally, while some US firms may recognize the prestige of working at MBB abroad, it is not guaranteed to hold as much weight as an internship at a US-based office.
• Ultimately, the best choice will depend on your own personal and professional goals, and you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each opportunity before making a decision.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

Working for MBB anywhere sets you up with a brand name to leverage globally. Also remember getting in to any MBB office is extremely difficult, just because it is in Vietnam doesn't mean it will be easier to get into

Pros 

Lots of fun projects with interesting problems to solve

Great team mates and client exposure

MBB brand

Cons

Long hours

Some cultural/language requirements

Limited industries served

Q2

There will definitely be a difference in culture and project work vs Australia - the industries are quite different, people and culture are different and lifestyle is quite a bit worse. But MBB as a whole works in the same way across the board

Q3

Transfer - assuming you are from Australia or have very strong ties to the region, if you have a strong performance record you can transfer after a minimum of 2 years

Best,

Udayan

In terms of getting into MBB London:

• It is likely easier to move from MBB ME to MBB London; than it is to move from a Tier 2 firm to MBB London. The reason for this is that you would need to get into MBB all over again moving from Tier 2 - and it's always easier when you get a foot in the door
• That being said, it will likely take at least a year to be able to transfer from the ME to London - and it's not a given that you're able to transfer. To transfer you need to find a couple of sponsors in the London office who will vouch for you; the ME office needs to let you go and the London office needs to have space for you
• Also, the WL balance in the London office isn't going to be substantially different to that of MBB in the ME. I'm also not sure that the tier 2 firms have substantially better lifestyle.

If you decide that you want to prioritise being in London over moving to the ME, you can call the ME office and say that something personal has come up and you're not able to move to the ME, but you still want to be with the firm. Sometimes they're able to transfer your offer before you start. To make this work you'll also need to know the people in the London office, and so you need to reach out to them. I don't recommend doing this though unless you're happy to give up the ME offer as you don't want to burn bridges. 

Remember, life is much more than just your job. It's entirely appropriate to decide that you don't want to move. 

Hi there,

Given the chance to go MBB vs. tier-2, I would always choose MBB, regardless of the geographic aspect of both offers. 

Why?

• MBB is the biggest door opener
• Type of work, colleagues, development opportunities, prestige, exit opps
• Once you are in one of the firms, you can always change offices (not always easy, but possible)

Cheers,

Florian

Hello!

A priori, I would say you should jump to the Tier 2 in Aussie to MBB in SEA. 

• Pros: MBB is a brand, regardless of the region. Hence, once you belong to the brand, many opportunities open: 
  • Alumni
  • Networking
  • Exit opportunities
  • etc.
• Cons: Austrilian lifestyle is amazing, and this is something you are not going to replicate in your next job if it´s in SEA. Furthermore, I woud have doubts also regarding who will pay more. 

In any case, I think it all comes to seeing what you prioritize and what´s your end goal. If you want to proceed in consulting, MBB move makes sense. However, if you like what you do and you see growth opportunities there too, is a great option as well. 

Hope it helps! 

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi,

1. Pros / cons

- Pros will be working in an emerging market with lots of growth and interesting projects. Growth will translate into more career opportunities than slower-growing markets.

- Cons will be lower pay (ex Singapore) than in Australia and likely longer working hours than tier 2 in Australia 

2. Differences in work culture, project work

- In addition to the obvious cultural differences, I think you can expect more working hours and less pushback from partners to clients as they are still building the client base and trying to "impress clients" with the good work they can deliver for the client base.

3. Ability to transfer back

- If you perform well, you will always have a good opportunity to go back to Australia. Good consultants will always be in demand especially as you rise the ranks of the firm and you have a proven track record. 

-A

Hi there, 

congrats! if you are thinking in exit opportunities, MBB is probably a better choice because:

1. MBB is a diamond name on your CV

2. Steep learning curve (problem solving, dealing with C levels, commercial excellence etc.)

3. Amazing networking access including becoming alumni with its advantages

4. MBB can actually secure you a job

Good luck!

Lucie

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First of all, congrats for your offers! Your position is a very good place to be.

Needless to say that no one here can make the decision for you, however I think what you choose will depend on what you want and value more.

Do you want a change in lifestyle, live somewhere else and experience a new culture? This for me would be the key question, together with whether I plan to do an MBA or not. As the latter will also influence where you will end up living at some point. Everything else is possible to sort afterwards. Let me explain, I have very close friends that have started their careers in Dubai in Tier 2, moved to MBB in Dubai, pursued a sponsored MBA in the US and now pursuing an internship there. I have other friends which instead started off in MBB in Dubai and decided to come back after 2 years in London, they either decided to transfer office or pursue industry after deciding consulting wasn’t for them.

Finally, if you want to and have the skills, you can always move to MBB 1,2, 3 years in the job either from Tier 2 but also Tier 3, for example I have few friends that got into MBB London after 1-2 year experience in boutique firms. 

In summary, I would consider your partner and current friends, your desire to experience new things and pursue an MBA and the implications that these choices could have on your life in the next 2-3 years. After having clarified those, your career choices should just support your objective in my opinion and not the other way around. 

Just a note on ME vs. London, I think the former involves more frequent travel particular in Saudi and other close markets and several key projects are inevitably public sector focused (or sponsored), working hours I would say are comparable, although ME I believe has more top-down / hierarchical work environment than that in London based on my project experience there.

Hope it helps!

Hi there,

First of all, you should negotiate!

Secondly, this is a really hard choice but just remember this is an amazing choice to have (no matter what, remind yourself how ecstatic you would be if you had just one offer).

Third, trust your gut.

Fourth, figure out your values (what you want most) and do that.

Here are some (very general) points:

1. Transferring w/ MBB is easier than with Tier 2
2. Transferring from Europe to Middle East will be easier than the other way around
3. Work life balance varies across firms and regions…careful here…many people I know in the UK in consulting do not have a chill worklife balance…many people I know in Tier 2s often do not have a chill worklife balance…but it all depends… 

Hi there,

Some thoughts on your questions:

(1) Pros: MBB give you more options later compared to tier 2. Plus, SEA is a booming place, with a lot more exit opportunities esp in the tech space.

Cons: In general SEA office work longer hours compared to Australia. Also you might travel more. So physically might be more tiring. 

(2) There would be some culture difference btw SEA and Australia. E.g. in SEA the senior leaders (partners, principals) are more accommodating to clients, i.e. less push back. Within SEA countries the project work and firm culture won't be too different. 

(3) If you are a top performer, it is easy to transfer back. I had a few ex-colleagues who moved to Australia after a few years. In some industries esp mining, it is quite common to have joint team from both SEA and Australia, and that'd be an easy way to build connection with Australia office and partners. 

Hope it helps,

Emily

Hi there,

Congrats on a fantastic problem to have - you can't go wrong here :)

If it were me, I would personally pick MBB. The career progression would actually be quicker because of the brand. That's just me though - you need to think about where you fit best and what “sits" best with you!

Ultimately, you should pick the 1-3 things you care about most and see which company/offer best fits against those values!

Last thing: See if MBB can make you a C2 (i.e. 1 year from promotion). Leverage your other offer here.

Hi there,

Very simple: MBB all the way!

Some good answers pointing out some good reasons already. I will just add one thing - career progression is very fast and as an MBA hire you will be advancing to an EM role between 1-2 years.

When that happens, you can either do a couple of projects and exit with the EM title (very common). or you stick around and commit for the long haul. 

However, if exiting after a short stint is your game plan, nothing beats an MBB EM title on the job market!

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!

Hi congrats. It’s a good dilemma to have. Have you talked to the recruiting teams at MBB to potentially consider you for London offices. Since you have offer from not one but two of the MBB firms you have a potential leverage as well to bring up. Message me offline and Happy to provide you a perspective in general on the working style and culture in ME Consulting. 

Hello,

Congratulations on the offers! Here are my thoughts:

1- Work-life balance: London is SLIGHTLY better than Dubai, not significantly. This again varies a lot per firm. Tier 1 WLB in Dubai is much better than Tier 2 WLB in Dubai.

2- Transfers: I would say it takes a minimum of 18-24 months to initiate a transfer from the Middle East. There is a huge demand for work in ME and on the contrary there is a huge supply of talent in London, thus transfers to London will not be as smooth as you think.

I have some specific insights per firm that I can offer - message me personally if you want to know more!

All the best!

Rushabh

Hi there, 

if you are thinking in exit opportunities, MBB is probably a better choice because:

1. MBB is a diamond name on your CV

2. Steep learning curve (problem solving, dealing with C levels, commercial excellence etc.)

3. Amazing networking access including becoming alumni with its advantages

4. MBB can actually secure you a job

Good luck!

Lucie

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Hi there,

Below you can find some comments on your questions:

1) Plus: I agree with Emily that SEA has strong growth potential which can positively correlated with your opportunities to grow in the company

Minus: expect a far lower salary than Australia, unless you can target Singapore; also working hours are probably going to be worse

2) In terms of project, I would expect many to be related to market entry and growth strategy

3) Not sure about the transfer from SEA to Australia, but in Europe it is not so easy to move from lower-paying countries (eg Italy) to higher-paying countries (eg Switzerland) due to demand and supply. However if you are (i) a top performer and (ii) have connections in your target geography this can help a lot

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

In 99% of the cases it's Tier 1 >> Tier 2, without question.

Joining MBB will give you unparalleled access to learning opportunities, high profile projects, a vast client and consultant network, all of which will serve you for finding great exit opportunities and beyond.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Hi there, 

Congrats! That's a nice problem to deal with. 

If I were you, I'd go with MBB. You're likely to get promoted to manager anyway within 2-3 years, so your exit position will still be manager. With Tier 2 promotions tend to take a bit longer and the brand is not as strong. The MBB brand is also likely to have a carry-on effect for much longer after you leave the firm. 

First of all, it is quite unlikely to move to PE with just CDD experience.
In particular, it is even more unlikely to move to PE if you are not coming from MBB.
MBB overall have much more interesting projects than OW.
 

Hi,

Which one is a better FIT in terms of your career aspirations, risk profile & values? Go for the one with better FIT. You need to look purely beyond brand, $$ etc. Please have a look at this article for plenty of tips and guidance on this question- https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-do-i-know-which-career-is-right-for-me

All the best choosing and congrats!

It's a tough call, but moving countries without a VISA is a relevant entry barrier. Seems to be easier to move from T2 than from MBB abroad

Hi,

I came from a T2 before switching to MBB, in SEA. I would take MBB SEA over T2 USA for the following reasons:

• Brand name and prestige makes a big difference generally
• It is arguably easier to make an internal transfer than to try and switch firms
• SEA is a fun place to be, lots of diverse and vibrant countries and cultures 

Happy to chat more to whoever is considering a similar decision.

Dear A,

If I were you, I would definitely go for MBB in SEA, preferably Malasiya, and then try to transfer to Sidney after couple of years. Regarding advantages and cons, the projects in MBB will be international than in Tier-2 company. 

Of course, it depends on what Tier-2 company do you have in mind, but generally speaking, you will have more international exposure at MBB throughout the whole region. Maybe, you would also have a chance to work in Australia out of your SEA office. 

A for SEA office, it has better exit options and longer working hours, as well. 

Best,

André