Which firm should I choose?

Question

I was recently offered three offers for entry level positions since I am grading college. Riparian is start-up that has been around for 5 years and does government pricing for pharmaceuticals; Huron Consulting Group is a mid-size firm where I will be working in their Healthcare practice; Deloitte is a solid firm in the Big4 where I will be an Application Architecture Analyst. I'm interested in knowing which position provides the best learning foundation as I embark on my consulting career as well as exit options should I decide to go into Private Equity or Industry down the line. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hello!

It totally depends on:

Your long term goals, in terms of the position/industry you want in the medium-long run
The specific job description in each company
The responsability you will have
The learnings and exposure you can get

Only when answering those questions you will be able to see it more clearly. With only comparing company vs. company you aren´t even scratching the surface here.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 2

One of my big regrets early on in my career was choosing smaller firms over more established ones. Eventually ended up in an MBA program (M7) although I believe I may have had a better chance at HBS/Stanford if I had worked at bigger firms. Post mba ended up at McKinsey but it was a long hard road here. Go with Delloite. You will never regret brand. Worst case you hate it and leave after a year but your exit options are so much more

Answer 3

This totally depends on the specifics of your plans. Do you want to be in healthcare, go to Huron. Do you want to be in public sector - take the startup. Do you want to build expertise in application architecture.....

Answer 4

Here's my advice to make any career decision in the current climate:

1. Is the job and industry in line with what you want to do i.e. can you be joyful and give your best (skills and talent) and not drag your feet everyday thinking there is something better out there

2. No one knows what the world is going to look like in 5 years let alone in the next 6 -12 months. So factor that into your planning

3. Whats your current risk appetitie i.e. if your move fails whats plan B?

4. Whats the pipeline of work and financial health of the companies you are looking at? Will they survive/do well in next 6-12 months?

Answer 5

Hi there,

Honestly, it depends on how you learn. Some people thrive in small/start-up type cultures where they will be mentored and feel part of the family. Others thrive in large organizations where they have significant resources at their disposal and can navigate the waters themselves.

First, congratulations on the 3 offers! Second, you need to do some of your own research. Talk to more people at every single one of those firms. Get to know the companies better. Nothing beats the "feel" you get from each company.