| Topic Name: |
Prestige |
| Message Name: |
Mind clutter |
| Date Posted: |
03/21/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
Instead of size, a better indicator of prestige is revenue generated per consultant. Example, if size were used, you'd get the Big 5 as the most prestigious. This is obviously not the case unless you??re talking to Uncle Sparky who thinks it??s better since he??s heard of it. Granted, brand name does carry some weight in prestige, but it??s quite easy to gain employment at these firms and the market is over-saturated with these people (and I hope, as a consultant, that you understand the nature of scarce vs. abundant resources). Think about it, would you rather have a steak at Chili??s or Peter Luger??s? I bet most white trash from the south and mid-west would rather get their false, wooden teeth around that Chili??s beef too, but these people are the important decision makers that drive the economy, are they?
If one were to look at revenue per consultant, however, McKinsey and BCG lead the pack. The average consultant generates over $400k/year at these firms while their Big 5 counterparts generate a mere $125-$150k each.
Or hey, why not just look at salary! Market value is certainly a pretty good indicator of prestige, no? McKinsey Associates typically pull down $150K-200K their first year out, while Big Five folks are lucky to make $100K.
How about life after consulting? McKinsey and BCG people usually go off to manage companies at the executive level, start their own ventures, or return to school for their PhD's and enter academia. Big 5 folks typically go back to school for a 2nd tier MBA only to spend the rest of the lives hidden in the middle management of a huge organization.
You decide which firm you'd rather work for. In doing so, you're also deciding which firm is more prestigious. And if you answer "Big 5," then no one wants to hear your opinion anyway because you're ineffectual - a poor decision maker with absolutely no business acumen who is destined for mediocrity.
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| Message: |
I truly hope that the author of the original message is not associated with McKinsey or BCG, because such talk is elitist and bullshit, both of which is very undesirable by clients.
Also, to compare McKinsey/BCG with Big 5 in terms of revenue per consultant is to truly show your ignorance in understanding both types of businesses. These firms are generally not the same in the type of services that they provide.
Lastly, stop quoting statistics and anecdotes from Fortune magazine and passing them off as your own. I would suggest that you work at one of the firms that you mentioned for a few years before you spout off personal anecdotes.
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