I am a sr. Principal at a T1 firm where I don’t see a growth path to an equity partner. I am considering either of:
A) transition to another T1 firm as a sr principal and strive for an equity partner (in an area I have passion for)
B) transition to a T2 firm as an equity partner (in another area I have the skill set, but less passion for)

B) has higher compensation, greater responsibilities, seat with the leadership vs. A) has better brand in an area I have passion for.

Welcome thoughts

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Can’t you transition to a T2 firm as an equity partner in the area you have passion for?

like

Thank you for “educating” me. If you apply the knowledge you have shared in your post, what do you think would be T1?

like

I’m sorry, but this is the first time I’ve heard T1 on here. Just to educate you on the pyramid:

MBB
T2 (OW, Kearney, Altman)
B4
Boutiques

like

I would put them under T2, especially for these 3 acquisitions. I would probably not put KPMG strategy in the same category.

Some questions I would ask to help you think through:

1) For the work that interests you less, how much less? Is it “I kinda like it” or “meh” or “I can do it but I really don’t care to?”

2) How important is doing work in an area you love? Easy to say it’s very important, but many of us care more about other things - the people we work with; the clients orgs; the role we get to play, etc.

3) How big is the comp difference and how important is that to you? There’s never a guarantee of making it to equity partnership, so how important is “getting there” from a comp standpoint?

4) Are you looking to stay in consulting for your career or to exit? If you’re confident you want to be a career consultant, prestige isn’t so important. Nobody cares how famous my firm is when I’m buying stuff and I don’t need to impress anyone with my “tier.” But if you think you want to exit into something else, prestige and reputation obviously matter at least somewhat.

5) Is the thing you’d do at the T2 shop the thing you’d always have to do or would you have an opportunity to pivot down the line? Some firms are more open to people moving around than others.

like

I would also try to do a thorough due diligence of the market position / pyramid of T2 in your field - some are more fragile already and post Covid talent loss could be a hard blow

like

Thank you P4, Pa3, A1- these are incredibly thoughtful and helpful responses and are helping me clear my mind.

Also thank you to BCG 3 for ‘educating’ all of us on some basics of our profession!

like

How do you assess the people and culture of A vs B?

People- Leadership at both places seem to be very supportive and invested in making me successful. Quality of talent at a) will likely be superior to b)

Culture- a) is a typical T1 shop b) is more entrepreneurial, more hustle, but seems to be equally caring of people.

So it seems like a draw between the two mostly. If that’s the case I would pursue the work that you’re passionate about.

When I’ve done work that I don’t care or care less about, I perform worse. After a while I tire of trying to keep up the facade.

By T1 do you mean MBB or?

Unless your passion is Oxycontin, surely there are multiple potential alternatives?

I have the same problem!

Which is more important to you? Equity partnership or the work? Asking as Promise of eventual equity partnership is often a carrot To incent a lateral move. It’s not impossible but much harder than if you are a legacy staff member who they know. Unless you can bring a book of business it’s hard to make it in delivery especially when you are competing against others in line that they know well who have strong fit. So I think the first order question is your priorities.

Related Posts

My background is in tech transactional. I joined a cybersecurity SaaS startup at the end of last year and now also handle more generalist matters in addition to all things commercial-related. I have a number of books on contracts that I’ve found super helpful over the years (The Tech Contracts Handbook, A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, Sign Here, etc.). Can anyone recommend books they’ve found helpful for L&E matters, privacy matters, product matters, or marketing/advertising matters?

like

would like to know can we renegotiate the salary with Oracle solution services India Pvt Ltd? I already accepted the offer from Oracle but now getting another offer.

like

What are the top places to be an SE in terms of comp, w/l balance and career growth?

like

Hi Folks, looking for an answer here.. what is the need to get Advance Certification in Workday? Is there a mandate that u need to be certified in X module to work in that project? Is it defined for a particular role type by workday?
Appreciate your responses

like

I’m a technical consultant but sick of the low pay and bad benefits at SI firms. I have some opportunities at Big 4 with better pay & benefits. Will it derail my career to move to Big 4?

like

If I graduated from undergrad 9 years ago and have been working all that time, and have an MBA (pursued while working) what kind of TC and level should I be at? I'm an L5, and 30 years old. TC is $175k. I feel like i'm behind and I'm starting to panic.

like

Anyone here from Moody's? How is the company, growth opportunities, benefits and comp? Interviewing for a VP position in their Moody's Investor services group.

like

Can anybody help me to know What will be the approx monthly take home salary if fixed component is 20.4 lakhs per anum?

like

Got offer from BCG for ECT. Read numerous comments about ECT being not attractive compared to Generalist track. Also heard challenges about billability/utilization. Any views/ guidance appreciated!
I am not super keen to become a partner (selling) and main reason to join will be working with different clients, smart talented people and a good brand. End goal (at the moment atleast) is to stay for few years and return to the industry. 15 YOE

like

Q for HR folks! For companies who have offices in US and Canada, how easy would it be for American HR team to set up a role & compensation via the Canadian office for a Canadian remote worker? Would be a lot of work? But i know companies like Meta and Spotify do do this.

I'm Canadian and applied to a US remote role. Canadians don't need a visa for this. One of the ways would be to use Canadian entity's hr/payroll services. They showed keen interested but waned since finding out I'm Canadian.

What is average AVP salary (Band H5) at BOFA BA Continuum ?

like

4 YOE how much would you feel asking in TC for BizOps role specifying 4+ Years of consulting experience? Non FAANG tech companies

like

How is Capgemini in terms of job security and work culture?
How much CTC to expect from Capgemini with 10 years of experience in QA domain?

like

3/6 analysts on my team (myself included) did not get a bonus this year without any good explanation besides overall poor team performance. What would you do?

like

Tax background and currently in fund accounting hoping to pivot into VC after getting an MBA. Any tips? How dramatic of a pivot is this?

like

What is the fixed-variable split in TCS for a Consultant role? Is 35L a good enough salary for that role?

like

What is the VP compensation for AlixPartners after MBA? I just got an offer from their Restructuring and Turnaround business.

Gender pay gap and Underwriting - I noticed in another thread regarding underwriter salaries that I had the most YOE out of the people who answered but I was the lowest paid. How much of this could be a gender pay gap? I’m 7 YOE / Female / Total compensation $63.4K.

like

When do you ask about position comp during interview process?
Initial call with recruiter?
After they say they want to extend an offer?

like

Hello All,

After interview in
Infosys My CCTC is revised in Accenture and I got Infy offer letter yesterday based on old CTC..

how can I ask Infy HR to increase my CTC....??

like

More Posts

Hi SF 🐠- are there any good places you know of where I can post my room for a sublease? Thanks in advance!

like

KPMG miami wyaaa

like

What's the best month to visit Nashville? I want to bring my girlfriend to Nashville to propose but I don't know anything about the weather. She grew up in Nashville but hasn't been back for 4+ years. I'd like to book the tickets in advance, so let me know your thoughts please & thank you.

like

Can we resign from a company after first day of joining ? I joined just today and I have got a better offer from other company which is quite same in compensation but better in other terms..how to handle this situation ?

like

Do internships count towards years of experience? I held my first design internship in 12th grade (2016), and have since held at least one internship per semester throughout college, all related to my career path - but they were all part time. In my last semester of college (May 2020 grad), I worked as a full time contractor for 18mos. I freelanced after, before working as an FTE the past year.

When asked how many years of experience I have, how should I answer?

Thanks in advance!

like

Anyone ever buy the Westin pillows? I really miss them and need new king size pillows at home.

like

Curious to hear your opinions on the following:
Which seat do you choose when you are led into a board room / conference room and waiting for your prospect(s) to join you for a meeting (let’s take off the table the need to plug into a projector which would likely determine this for you)?

like

BOS-ORD: United or AA? Economy. Which one would you recommend? Assume I don’t care about the points as I don’t travel much. Thx.

like

“Is there blood in the cheese sauce?"

like
like

McKinsey & Company Bain & Company What are the best professional growth tips you have for a young consultant, besides doing a good job and network Accenture Deloitte EY PwC McKinsey & Company Boston Consulting Group Bain & Company Oliver Wyman Kearney

like

MBB folks, I’m a Product Manager (non-tech company) and interested in working at MBB.

Which level/role does MBB can offer me ?

like

Cvent, Gurgaon - Opening Associate/ Senior Associate. Looking for candidates with SQL + Tableau 2-6 yrs experience. Interested ? Please share your resume Cvent

like

Hey all - I'm looking for a referral for a role at Salesforce in Mumbai. I have the Job Id with me. Could anyone help? Thanks in advance!

like

My boss in my creative agency threatened to fire me because I, a male, came into work with my nails painted. HR is having a very complicated day today as I found out I could take legal action if he does fire me since we don't have an established dress code that has any guidelines against male nail polish wearing.

like

KPMG global services gives wah allowance in the first month of joining? If yes, then how much is that Pls help

like

YE discussion is coming up, how should you react on that call if you are dissatisfied?

like

Anyone who knows how’s Airtel Xlabs ?
I am holding an offer from Airtel Xlabs.

When does accenture starts background verification for upcoming employees? I received offer in July and have to join in Oct!

like

Additional Posts in Partners Only

I’ve been asked to serve as chair for a non-profit. I don’t have time and this is a dysfunctional board (many board members with a tie to the mission of the organization but w/o relevant experience). However, there aren’t many options and I feel obligated. I’m considering it, *if* I can put some guardrails in place to minimize the dysfunction and stay out of the weeds. That’s a huge if. Any advice?

Do we get dividends over vested RSUs?

like

How do you deal with partners trying to get on top of you? (Not literally 😂) someone gets to be a “relationship partner” and you are the one to do the work. I don’t need anyone on top of me managing relationships while I do the work. How do you address it?

likefunny

Any insights on Slalom? Compensation, work culture, pros and cons? Why (or why not) join them?

like

Anyone looking to bring on a manager who can build out a cybersecurity offering (not the technical aspect, but the human-centered awareness and learning component). Im friendly too

likeuplifting

Curious what others risk tolerance / budget is for primary housing expense. Currently looking at houses and what I ‘can’ afford according to the math feels like way more house than I ‘should’ buy. For reference I’m a B4 7th yr partner. Last year total comp was around $1.8 and total other monthly fixed expenses are in the $20k/mo neighborhood. Just wondering how others approach this. Thanks.

like

All -
I am interviewing for a Strategy leadership role at a SaaS company. A bit rusty on interviews so crowdsourcing from senior folks here, what are best practices or good examples of certain behavioral questions.

1. What is your weakness? I can talk at length about strengths but unclear what weakness to state so as to not mess up my chances.

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This question is tough because there aren't very many levels above me so cannot say in an EVP role.

helpfullike

What’s your % benchmark for annual household spend (total expenses/gross annual income). I feel we don’t spend that much money (25%), but I don’t really see our “wealth” dramatically changing yoy, so I am wondering maybe I am just off or something I’m missing.

like

Being given a PE ops role which would put me on a 6 year track to partner vs 3 year track if I stay in consulting. Pros/Cons of taking this role?

like

Partners, those of you that have successfully switched employment to another consulting firm as a partner, how did you navigate your non-competes?

helpful

What’s with the FT article on Nepotism? What happened?

Do folks have trusted/valuable resources for researching luxury family travel with young kids? I don’t care the cost, I want to know what is most convenient and nice for my family. Feel like generally most resources are geared to either a) families on a budget (I don’t care which hotel is best bang for buck w/mid breakfast) or b) couples / adults only travelers. Do folks just stick to true five star hotel concierges for help? Do folks just book luxury tours like A&K? How do folks research?

like

Folks - who do you use for your financial planning and wealth management advisory? Yourself or a form? Anyone you recommend?

like

I forget newbies can’t be entirely left to their own devices at times... Too old for this

likehelpful

What is median earnings (or range) for US PwC Advisory equity partner -year 5- in the Transformation Practice?

In serious discussions for putting together business case.

Any insights on how the reorg is going? or on the integration process for direct admit partners?

like

Which firms have the best partner perks outside of comp? Training, retreats, travel luxuries, family events, etc?

likesmart

Is there a general expectation that a Partner has an MBA?

I doubt it's required at most firms but I'm a pretty senior staff and when I speak with Partners, they seem to speak with an MBA level of business knowledge which extends past their technical skillset.

I realize that's what makes them good Partners but it makes me wonder if I realistically need to get an MBA to keep growing and hit Partner.

funnylike

Crowdsourcing perspective. Had an advisor help me negotiate my new job offer behind the scenes. They were not compensated at all but we have a good working relationship (we have helped each other over decade+). What would be a nice gift to acknowledge/appreciate the help? It was a half dozen conversations over two months so not immaterial commitment of time.

like

Huge thanks to all who weighed in on my weight loss post. Have peloton-ed and cut late night food and can see results - with Wegovy as a backup. Thanks to all who commented. Next question - has anybody with larger male body (big shoulders barrel chested long torso short legs wide feet) found high end clothing that fits? I find luxury brands are limited, made for 5’5” androgynous 125 lb men. Tired of wearing overly baggy stuff. Ralph Lauren has been best so far with XXL slim fit. Thoughts?

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal