ROLAND BERGER VS OC&C

Hi there,

Congrats on the two offers - very well done!

Now in terms of differences between the two firms, this is my opinion;

Roland Berger:
    •    Prestige & Global Reach: Known for its industrials focus, offering diverse exit opportunities in sectors like automotive and tech.
    •    Exit Opportunities: Stronger global network and broader industry exposure, especially in consulting or corporates.

OC&C:
    •    Focus on Retail & Consumer: Specializes in consumer goods and retail, providing deep expertise in these sectors.
    •    Cultural Fit: Since you preferred OC&C’s culture, it could lead to better long-term satisfaction and performance.

Internship vs. Full-Time:
    •    Roland Berger’s internship offers flexibility, while OC&C’s full-time offer provides immediate stability and you can start your career progression straight away.

Reapplying to MBB:
    •    Both firms give strong consulting experience, but Roland Berger offers broader industry exposure, while OC&C’s retail focus may be a better fit if you’re aiming for consumer-facing industries.

Conclusion:

If you prefer immediate commitment and the culture at OC&C, it could be the right choice. If you want to test the waters at Roland Berger first, the internship route offers more flexibility.

Let me know if you need any further advice - happy to help!

Best,

Evelina

Hi there,

Both are great brands although RB is a bit more well-known.

In such cases, I'd always go with your gut feel about where you had a better experience. This will influence your trajectory and wellbeing much more than just a brand name.

All the best,

Florian

Hi there, 

first of all: CONGRATS on these two great offers! Sometimes being too successful in the interviews creates the pain of having to choose ;) 

Hard to give a general recommendation here but I can give you my 2 cents: 

• Roland Berger is the bigger company and the bigger name. When working at BCG I have had multiple former RB colleagues but have never seen one from OC&C (I worked in Germany, hence, might be a bit biased)
• Switching from one Consulting firm to the other one is actually not that easy in my perspective and only works in a market environment, where the industry is booming (you might need to wait another 2-3 years for that to happen again) -> you should choose a company that does not only yield good exit opportunities but also makes you feel well
• In that regard, what made you feel better about OC&C vs. RB?
• Are you really sure that they will 100% convert your internship into a fulltime offer? Do you have that in writing?
• Can you apply for MBB now since you have the interviewing experience? Would be easier than to make the move later once you have started at another company

Happy to chat. 

Best, 
Sebastian

OC&C will likely be more focused on Due Diligence work and related topics, Roland Berger on Strategy and Transformation.

Both are great firms, but Roland Berger in general has a better reputation / brand name.

Hi there,

if you want to focus on due diligence projects, OC&C would be the better address of the two for you. RB does investor support as well of course but they also have a fair share of strategy and operations work.

From an international reputation perspective, RB has the lead here.

Best of luck

Hey there 🙂, both Roland Berger and OC&C are solid choices, but given your long-term goal of reapplying to MBB, here’s how I’d think about it:

1️⃣ Prestige & Exit Opportunities

• Roland Berger generally has a stronger brand name in Europe, including Milan, and is seen as closer to MBB in terms of prestige. If you’re looking to maximize brand value for a future MBB reapplication, RB might have a slight edge.
• OC&C is smaller but still well-regarded, especially in Retail & Consumer. If that industry excites you and you see yourself specializing there, OC&C could be a great long-term fit.

2️⃣ Job Security: Full-time OC&C vs. Internship at RB

• OC&C gives you a guaranteed full-time position, meaning you start immediately with stability and can build strong experience.
• RB is an internship (even if conversion is guaranteed), meaning you still have to prove yourself in those three months. There’s always some risk with internships, even if minimal.

3️⃣ Impression & Culture Fit

• You had a better impression of OC&C, which is important—culture fit impacts how much you enjoy your job and ultimately, how well you perform.
• If you think OC&C’s culture will help you thrive, it could make you happier and more successful in your consulting career.

4️⃣ MBB Reapplication Strategy

• RB might have a stronger brand when reapplying to MBB, but OC&C’s full-time experience could make you a stronger candidate sooner since you’ll get more substantial project exposure right away.
• If you do well at OC&C, you can still move to MBB next year—MBB values strong problem-solving skills and case performance over firm name alone.

Verdict: Which One?

If you’re prioritizing security and a guaranteed full-time job, go with OC&C—especially since you had a better cultural impression. If brand prestige matters most and you’re confident about converting the RB internship, then RB could give a slight edge for MBB applications.

You can’t go wrong either way, but since you liked OC&C more, I’d say don’t ignore that instinct—happiness and growth matter too!

Best,
Alessa 😇

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offers! In terms of your question:

Q: Does anyone have any advice?

Between the two, Roland Berger has the strongest brand name.

As general criteria, I would consider the following:

• Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Look at the company that can help you to achieve that goal faster. You can check LinkedIn for that (see below).
• If you consider the average consultant/partner you talked to in each company, which one would you rather be? You will spend a lot of time with your colleagues in the next years - be sure you choose a company where the people are close to the person you want to become.
• What is your gut feeling telling you? Our gut feeling is able to catch elements we cannot initially rationalize. You may “feel” a company is better, but don’t know exactly why. Try to find out why you feel that way, do some research on that and try to understand if that point is valid.

In terms of exits (for most people they are a very important factor to join a consulting company), you can check them as follows:

1. Look for alumni of the two companies on LinkedIn
2. Check how many moved to your preferred exits in your target region
3. Normalize for the size of the companies in the region

If you want to do extra due diligence, contact alumni of your university (not current consultants) who worked in your target office (bonus if they worked for both companies). You will learn more in a 30-minute call with them than through any online research you may do.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hey there,

So just to help clear out the decision making, you can segment your decision making by:

• Industry focus (Industrials vs Retail & Consumer Products)
• Engagement Topic (Typical management strategy with RB vs more Due Diligence with OC&C)
• Whichever region you get into that you prefer living in
• Brand strength and exit opportunities (RB is stronger in my opinion and could help strengthen your CV strength more for when you want to get back into MBB)

Ultimately, apply for both and take it from there

All the best