Hey there - fellow Dutchie here. Have had exposure to both in the past (conversations, in house days & business courses). 

Based on my interactions with either I would opt for Strategy& over Roland Berger. Reasons why:

• People: Roland Berger Adam appears to be a bit more frat-like, a lot of people know each other from university and at times it feels closed off to the non “core” background. W.r.t. size they are roughly the same
• Projects: RB Adam tends to do a broad spectrum of projects while Strategy& Adam tends to be more focused on Health, Energy, FS & Public sector. Have heard from former colleagues (ex-RB) that the grind is alive at RB and long working hours are more common there than at Strategy& (keep in mind a small # of anecdotes here!)
• International focus: personally a bigger thing for me in NL, but have the impression that RB team is very much NL focused with limited non-Dutch speakers while Strategy& is a bit broader than only the Netherlands

Best of luck! Let us know what you decide!

Hi Sascha,

Congrats on 2 great offers!

This choice is deeply personal and depends on you. For example, I would pick Strategy&. But others I know would pick RB.

Get networking and talking to both firms. Aim to get a better understanding of both in the larger picture as you speak with people on the phone.

Hi there, 

Congrats! That's amazing to hear.

You can expect similar work cultures and projects. 

If you want to get a more personal sense of the interactions within the firms, I'd recommend you try to connect with 1-2 of the consultants in each of the firms. Aim for somebody who is at the same seniority level as the one that you'll be starting with. This will help you get a better perception of how those at your seniority are treated and what opportunities they have. 

Also, sharing with you here a few resources to make you an effective consultants in your first months:

• How to Survive Your First Year as a Management Consultant
• The Truth About Consulting Work Hours: What You Need to Know

Best of luck on the job!
Cristian

Hi,

Congratulations on getting two great offers! I recommend reaching out directly to consultants who are currently working at those two companies in the offices you have offers from, and asking for a quick call or coffee chat to learn more about the firms and their experiences. General advice and perceptions can be helpful, but the people actually working there are ultimately going to be the ones that can give the most detailed info along the lines of what would be helpful for you.

Don't know the details in The Netherlands, but at least in Europe Roland Berger would in general be the best option by far.