Switch companies or not?

[JillianC100]

Hello,

I currently work at Accenture and just got an offer from Deloitte. I've been working at Accenture since I graduated college (~3.5 years now). The move to Deloitte would be horizontal in terms of level.

My question is...does Deloitte look better on a resume/application than Accenture? If I'm considering applying in a year or two, do you recommend I switch consulting firms?

Thanks!

[mbaMissionKate]

Hi!
Congrats on the offer! Here are the factors I would be thinking about....

1. Tenure - B-schools like to see consistency and long tenure in your job history (i.e., no job hopping), but since you've been at the same company since college I think making a switch in your case would be totally fine. Especially if you're waiting at least year to apply, that'll be no issue at all.

2. Reputation of firm - To me, Deloitte and Accenture are very similar in terms of reputation...they both hire a lot of post-MBA talent too. So I don't think I'd take the new offer based on this alone.

3. Progression - Would staying mean you'd be up for promotion soon? If so, that could look good. Or would switching mean you'd be on track for a promotion sooner? Would your salary increase if you switch? That can also look good to demonstrate progression and marketability of your skills.

4. Exposure - Does switching firms allow you to gain exposure to a new practice area, type of consulting, role, or industry? I.e., if you were moving from a more operational / tech focused role to a more strategic one, that could look good. Or, if your long term goals were to work in a certain industry and Deloitte would give you that exposure that Accenture couldn't, that would be great.

5. Culture - Would you be happier at Deloitte? Do you think you'd have better mentors or professional development resources? Would there be more opportunities to get involved in the Deloitte community? Would the travel be less and allow you to do more outside of work like volunteer, GMAT, applications? These sorts of things can make a big difference!

Hope this helps, and keep me posted on what you decide or if you have any other questions!
Kate

[JillianC100]

Hi Kate,

Thanks for the quick response! In response to some of your questions:

1. Tenure - n/a

2. Reputation of firm - Okay, because I hear MBB (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) look really good on your resume when applying to bschools since they're tier 1, but I wasn't sure what weight bschools put on Deloitte vs Accenture. Deloitte is consistently ranked #4 after MBB and Accenture is isn't consistently ranked in the top 10. Is the MBB thing a myth? Will bschools factor in Deloitte vs Accenture based on prestige?

3. Progression - My next promotion would most likely not occur for another year or two (at both firms) and I am planning on applying to bschool in the next 1-2 years. The Deloitte offer consists of about a 25% salary increase. Is salary/marketability taken into consideration on bschool apps?

4. Exposure - I would be switching into the same practice in Deloitte as I am currently in at Accenture. It is more tech focused but also has the potential to include some strategic opportunities, depending on the projects I get staffed on. The exposure is about the same in both companies.

5. Culture - Again, I think the culture would be very similar moving from Accenture to Deloitte.


The dilemma: Since both firms are very similar in size (and thus, benefits/career dev track) and the position/practice is the same, the main differences are salary and prestige. Ultimately, I want to be set up in the best position possible when I apply to bschools. If bschools consider Deloitte more prestigious than Accenture and put slightly more value on it, then that would factor into my decision.

Some other things to consider:
1. I am currently involved in some mentorship programs within Accenture and some other volunteer activities. If I stay at Accenture, I can continue to stay involved. If I start fresh at Deloitte, I can get involved in volunteer activities within Deloitte or I may have to look externally for volunteer activities. I'm not sure if getting involved only a year prior to applying would look good on my application?

2. Network -- my network at Accenture has been diminishing recently as most of my mentors/managers have left the firm.

3. Consulting firms have different titles for their levels. For example, an Analyst at Accenture could be the equivalent of a Consultant at Deloitte. Do admissions officers just look at title and assume its level based on the title or do they know what the levels are from one firm to the other?

4. I also have an offer from a smaller consulting firm where I would potentially switch from tech consulting to IT strategy consulting. Is the switch in career path only important to note if I plan on going to bschool for a more strategy-focused track? Will it look bad to go from a more prestigious firm to a lesser known, less prestigious firm?


Sorry, I know that was a lot of questions at once. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[mbaMissionKate]

Hi again! Thanks for the additional info.

The MBB thing is definitely not a myth...those three are the top tier firms because they tend to do the most strategy work, have broad exposure to many industries, and they seek to hire the best and the brightest. They also hire a majority of post-MBA talent. But in my view, the next tier of firms includes both Deloitte and Accenture. I still think they're pretty equal but if it really does come down a lot to reputation, I might give a very slight edge to Deloitte, since Accenture tends to be the most tech-focused firm and Deloitte has broader practice areas in Strategy, Ops, Human Capital, etc.

B-Schools will ask you to report your salary history so a big increase like that can look good (though I wouldn't decide solely on that and might encourage you to try to negotiate a raise with Accenture if that is a big deciding factor). B-schools will also be familiar with those firms and the standard position titles so I wouldn't worry about that. As long as you can start up new volunteer activities (whether at Deloitte or outside) I think that will be just fine, they'll understand why you couldn't continue. And you'll have enough time to build up a network of mentors and managers that can serve as recommenders when it comes time.

The smaller firm offer is interesting....personally I worked at a small firm and loved it (more flexible, great all-hands-on-deck culture, more ownership in my work), but it was very different from my peers at big firms (primarily, less structured as far as staffing / development). I don't think switching will look bad as long as you can explain your logic for switching (e.g., the work is closer to your long-term career goals, it's less travel, you like the culture better, you think you'll get to take on more responsibility at a smaller firm, etc.).

I guess my last piece of advice is that if you've got 2 offers, obviously something drove you to look outside Accenture, so maybe trust your gut that it's time for a change?? I think any of the 3 options could set you up to be a competitive b-school applicant since it's more about what you make with those opportunities!

Good luck!
Kate

Hi Kate,

Thanks for the quick response! In response to some of your questions:

1. Tenure - n/a

2. Reputation of firm - Okay, because I hear MBB (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) look really good on your resume when applying to bschools since they're tier 1, but I wasn't sure what weight bschools put on Deloitte vs Accenture. Deloitte is consistently ranked #4 after MBB and Accenture is isn't consistently ranked in the top 10. Is the MBB thing a myth? Will bschools factor in Deloitte vs Accenture based on prestige?

3. Progression - My next promotion would most likely not occur for another year or two (at both firms) and I am planning on applying to bschool in the next 1-2 years. The Deloitte offer consists of about a 25% salary increase. Is salary/marketability taken into consideration on bschool apps?

4. Exposure - I would be switching into the same practice in Deloitte as I am currently in at Accenture. It is more tech focused but also has the potential to include some strategic opportunities, depending on the projects I get staffed on. The exposure is about the same in both companies.

5. Culture - Again, I think the culture would be very similar moving from Accenture to Deloitte.


The dilemma: Since both firms are very similar in size (and thus, benefits/career dev track) and the position/practice is the same, the main differences are salary and prestige. Ultimately, I want to be set up in the best position possible when I apply to bschools. If bschools consider Deloitte more prestigious than Accenture and put slightly more value on it, then that would factor into my decision.

Some other things to consider:
1. I am currently involved in some mentorship programs within Accenture and some other volunteer activities. If I stay at Accenture, I can continue to stay involved. If I start fresh at Deloitte, I can get involved in volunteer activities within Deloitte or I may have to look externally for volunteer activities. I'm not sure if getting involved only a year prior to applying would look good on my application?

2. Network -- my network at Accenture has been diminishing recently as most of my mentors/managers have left the firm.

3. Consulting firms have different titles for their levels. For example, an Analyst at Accenture could be the equivalent of a Consultant at Deloitte. Do admissions officers just look at title and assume its level based on the title or do they know what the levels are from one firm to the other?

4. I also have an offer from a smaller consulting firm where I would potentially switch from tech consulting to IT strategy consulting. Is the switch in career path only important to note if I plan on going to bschool for a more strategy-focused track? Will it look bad to go from a more prestigious firm to a lesser known, less prestigious firm?


Sorry, I know that was a lot of questions at once. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

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