Hi!  First off, kudos on having two compelling offers on the table! Navigating such a decision is never simple, but let's dissect it based on your outlined priorities.

Stability of Career & Low Risk of Job Loss:

• It seems there's a draw here since both offers stack up similarly in this department.

Fit with Company & Positive Company Culture:

• Neither seems to have an edge over the other. A useful approach might be to engage with current or past employees from both companies. Their feedback could offer invaluable insights into the day-to-day culture and environment.

Exit Strategy & Options:

• Offer A clearly holds an advantage. Its strong global presence and flexibility across divisions promise brighter prospects when considering future moves. Offer B's niche industry might restrict your subsequent options, even if the skill set remains transferable.

Financial Benefit:

• While Offer B leads in raw numbers, it's pivotal to juxtapose this with the living expenses in both locations. A 40% wage differential sounds steep but might be offset by lower living costs.

Location (Suitable for Raising a Family):

• Research factors like local amenities, educational institutions, healthcare, and overall community vibe for both places to form a judgment.

Adjacency to Home Country:

• Offer B wins here. Being close to home can be a significant advantage, especially when considering family connections and periodic visits.

Brand Name:

• Offer A stands out with its renowned global reputation, which can be a significant asset for subsequent career moves.

Work-Life Balance:

• It would be beneficial to further investigate this for both companies. Delve into aspects like expected working hours, flexibility, and vacation allowances.

My suggestion: Revisit your priorities. If the financial upside of Offer B is truly a deal-breaker, it's worth leaning in that direction. However, if you're willing to trade off immediate financial gain for long-term career benefits, Offer A seems more aligned.

Offer A ticks off more boxes, especially when considering future career trajectories. But if being near home and immediate financial rewards hold more weight, Offer B is also appealing.

Take a holistic view. Imagine your life 5 or 10 years down the line with each choice. Which path aligns more with where you envision yourself?

Whatever you decide, both offers are stepping stones to a promising future. Best wishes in making your choice!

Cheers, Sidi

_______________________

Dr. Sidi Koné 

(Former Senior Engagement Manager and Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant and Interviewer at BCG)

(edited)

Thanks for sharing these details and your reasoning! Good starting point to think about prioritization criteria. I'd choose Offer A as I would optimize for mid- to long-term options and not just the monetary value today. So if it is true, that exit opportunities for A are more clear, I'd go with it. Warm regards, Frederic 

Wow, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this. 

It's a nice framework. No wonder you got the offer :)

Based on your analysis, I'd lean towards option A because it sounds like it's also more aligned with your long-term goals. 

But overall, both sound great, so you can't really go wrong. 

Sharing with you also two resources to help you hit the ground running in consulting:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Best,
Cristian

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Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I would highly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional (and maybe even personal) mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:

• Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., prestige, culture, international exposure, compensation, location). After that, score the two options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in two scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
• Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
• By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

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 there,

First, I would highly recommend you codense your preferences. 8 is far too many to choose from!

Try to just think about your top 3 criteria - that's all that really matter!

I would also highly recommend you hire a career coach to help you make this decision. It's such an important decision…it requires discussion (back and forth) with an expert to ensure you've optimized (also, you should negotiate!)

Hi there,

While the final decision should be on you, I stick to my colleagues recommendations and go with option A based on your priorities.

If salary disparity makes you hesitant, make sure to prepare a good negotiation strategy for option A. Some consulting firms are quite rigid on negotiating offers but even those have some room for negotiation.

Best,

Alberto

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