| Topic Name: |
Advice re ACN v. start-up strat consulting firm |
| Message Name: |
Go with the start-up |
| Date Posted: |
09/27/2003 |
| In Reply To: |
Hello,
I worked for ACN in "process" for 3 years before doing an MBA at a top 10 school. I have the option to go back (at the level/salary I left at).
I have since also done an internship at a very small, initial stage, start-up strategy consulting firm. I exceled, earned a summer bonus, and they have expressed an interest in keeping me on on a contract-to-contract basis. Overall pay is a bit higher for the start-up.
Recruiting being what it is now, these are my choices. Which option offers the better long-term choice?
Thank you so much. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. |
| Message: |
I was a member of AC's (and then ACN's strat group). As you know from being in "process", strat is dwindling at ACN, although a few areas are still building.
(One such area is Marketing / Marketing ROI / Customer Insight ... see Jeff Merrihue's article in the Harvard Bus Review which just came out.)
Unless you are going into one of the strat areas which is clearly in "build" mode, like Branding / Marketing, I would go with the strat-up if you want to do what strat people have done for ages ... though make sure there are some real, solid, strat people their to apprentice yourself to.
Here is the other side, though ... ACN is a 12B corporation which really does have the capability to credible step in and help change the way some clients operate ... e.g. 2.5 Billion (that's a "B") co-sourcing arrangements with AT&T. That is a serious project and it took the strat people to do the business case and lead some elements. One can argue that the real strategy is in execution and that all the "classic" strategy work is just shelfware until someone starts to blueprint the processes, code the systems and run dollars through the business. So, what you will do at ACN is generally not what "classic" firms consider strategy, but it can be quite strategically relevent.
All that said though, as someone with an advanced degree who spent time at ACN ... if I were you, I'd go with the start-up ... they (in general) will respect your top-10 MBA more.
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