Hi all,to make it short: I have four years experience in Management Consulting and now have and offer from CG´s Transformation Practice (Strategy) and ACN´s Strategy Group but do not know which one to join. Any advice regarding salary rise (starting salary is pretty similar) etc.Thanks

Being for more than seven years with CG and having friends working for ACN let me tell you a few words which should help you for your decision: if you plan your carrer purely on salary expectations you will not make the proper choice and fail in your development which is core for promotion and salary rise. CG transformation practise is formed from former Gemini Consulting and Bossard Consultants, both known as well established strategy boutiques (compared to McK and BCG). Accenture's focus is on growing their outsourcing business and I doubt that their strategy work has achieved any significant client recognition. Culturewise CG and ACN are completely different, while CG asks even juniors on their opinion and views, ACN is a very hierarchical business.

Hi exp cg,do not worry. My final decision will definitely not be driven just any promised salary. May I ask you if you are working for CG´s Transformation Practice?cheers,Consultant

Basically yes, but I am specialised in Supply Chain Transformation. Transformation consulting is split in different capability teams (Phase 1, Transformation Leadership, Organisational Change Design etc) which are more generic but an excellent starting point when you join. Later on you may get specialised and it is "quite" easy to change between capability teams. Basically in the beginning means that it does not matter if you are part of Transformation, Supply Chain, CRM or Finance & Employee Transformation. All areas have strategy teams as well as IT related teams, but are all part of consulting services and not technology (implementation focus).

I totally agree with exp cg. Being an ex-ACN strategist myself, now working in TC Strategy at CGN, I have experienced the same differences in culture exp cg described in his posting. I have left ACN two years ago, because the strategy work we did became more and more nothing but a sales platform for IT and outsourcing deals instead of providing independed advice.

thanks for agreeing...have got a good Alumni network from my studies (even though people do tend not to tell the truth all the time) and got one chance to see what ACN is doing on so called strategy work...nevertheless our Phase 1 could also be misused as sales platform if you would like...but I guess we manage to keep neutral most of the time and I have seen stopping some transformational initiatives in a feasibility stage, because it did simply add no value to our clients!

Thanks for your thoughts and comments!