I am a recent grad and am facing typical graduate soul searching questions concerning my career, which is by far the most important aspect of my life at the moment and will be for the foreseeable future...Basically, I don't know what i want to do long term, or what industry i want to work in etc...so I've chosen consultancy as a fast track/eye-opener to the services/industry etc in my own 'Boy meets World to find out what he wants Plan....'However, I'm confused as to what firms will give me the best exposure, variety in the short term and a spring board to a management career in industry when I decide hotel rooms and trains have got a bit much (maybe when I want to marry etc...)The Capgemini's out there and the IBM's seem to do everything, as do Deloitte and maybe less so ACN...In your opinion (assuming you have a few years experience etc) do you think my career plan is a viable one and what firms should I look for to start with?Thanks in advance, any advice is much appreciated...

Its often difficult for "pure" consultants, with no prior dirt under the fingernail experience, to get back into industry than those who have started life in a blue chip company and moved into consulting for a while. Would you not join a company like Mars / Unilever that will allow you to move across functional roles in the first few years of your career and then move into consulting in your mid-twenties ? Be careful which blue chip you choose, as the likes of P&G and Ford tend to stovepipe their people. If you are hell bent on consulting, why not consider one of the mid-size firms like PA, who could give you the opportunity to work in a variety of sectors and job types before moving on up. If you join one of the biggies like the companies you've mentioned above, you could get stuck on a massive outsourcing / public sector PMO job for years, and learn little about yourself or about consulting.

Cheers Old Timer, A blue chip role is something i'm looking into at the moment but very few have any sense of rotational placements; you tend to be thrown into a function from day one which assumes you know what you want from the outset. Capgemini have the CD community which has a limit of 12 weeks per project for two years to ensure bredth of service and client etc..and I think IBM BCS and PA do the same. I guess part of the battle is making sure whoever I work for can take my own career goals into consideration with the needs of the business and acts on their possible promises rather than an PMO project for years like you mention.

All good companies you mention ther Grad. Be very wary of IBM BCS though. I worked there until recently, and am very aware of their appalling people practices. While the initial training is good, they really will treat you very badly once you get in. Chances are you will be stuck as a Project Management assistant on some huge public sector job, with little prospect of getting off. This is a large part of the reason why its such an unhappy place to work, with staff leaving in their droves !

I had an interview near Heathrow with IBM recently and asked the manager who questionned me about the situation at IBM etc...Old Timer, would you mind giving me the headlines on teh situation there-apparently labour turnover rates at certain levels of the business have been as high as 40%!!!!? Is this a good time for a grad to join then, with the opportunity to jump onto the bandwagon with fast progression up the ladder, or should I be extras cautious because the firm and BCS is without a paddle at the moment? All i here from is ex-IBM'ers who slate the firm but if I join as a grad now, i'll be around in 5 years time-is there any chance it'll be a good place to work by then?

Its not just ex-employees that are peeved. I've been trying to get out for months now. IBM will hire anyone who turns up to their door, they are that desperate to fill the gaps in BCS. My advice if you want to apply to BCS is don't !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Deep Blue, can you be more specific-IBM are still a huge name to have on my cv and I know people happy there albeit not in BCS. WHat should I ask in my final interviews/what is exactly going on at IBM that should discourage a grad from taking an opportunity there-the training appears alot better than at Cap and the main attraction is the ability to jump services and 'create' your own career path as I've been told at first interview! Any truth in this? Can you be specific-grad offers are hard to come by!Cheers in advance