You might know I've been applying for grad jobs this year. I am the first to admit I'm not MBBB material so have been looking at big IT/professional services companies.I have offers for CDC in Capgemini and a Business Modelling final round at IBM.I also have an offer from Dunnhumby.It's a little bit different, the pay is only £27k versus maybe £32k at CG/IBM and I'm not sure how much you guys would know about them. However they are rapidly growing (50% compound growth 3yrs running), ambitious and a damn nice bunch of people. I am leaning towards taking their offer... is this career suicide. Where can it take me? Business consulting at big IT providers gets a hard time on here but is it better career option than Dunnhumby?Serious advice appreciated!

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First of all; I don't think there is something as career suicide. If you are good, you can take control of your career at any point.I don't know Dunnhumby, but from my point of view the choice for IBM would be slightly better (IBM tends to have a slightly better reputation/image over CapGemini).Perhaps you won't land a job at McK, Bain, BCG or BAH at this point in your career, but that doesn't mean it will never happen. Perhaps OC&C, AtK, PA or others are worth trying in 2 years.Cheers,Bart

Thanks Bart, I'll make sure I go to the IBM final round in that case. Anyone else have any thoughts, particularly on my preference for Dunnhumby (very marketing orientated) over big IT providers?

DH have a solid reputation in their core market - FMCG - but little profile outside of it, and for all their efforts to move into consulting they are really still an insight agency, although a more interesting one than say AC Nielsen, Datamonitor etc. You'll find yourself becoming an expert on Tesco (which if you want a retail/FMCG MC career or industry career will be invaluable as they rule the roost). Pay won't climb like MC though, so you'll be looking at a move after about 2 years or so to maintain momentum. Good people by and large (they hire from the same gene pool as Unilever and Procter in the FMCG space, which is effectively the same gene pool as good MCs) so you will be in good company. You won't have the brand name of IBM on your CV, but neither will you be yet another average IT consultant in an average (if very big) implementation firm.Woth the punt unless IBM blows you away imho.

From my point of view. I will vouch for the CDC.I was a former CDCer who moved to strategy and analysis within a bulge bracket investment bank. I also had another former CDCer working in the same team in the investment bank.I doubt I this would be possible if I was from Dunnhumby.But the overall point is that it is not only the name on your CV that counts when you want to move on, your ability to sell yourself and your experience matters hugely.

Fantastic responses guys, genuinely appreciated.Mars - reassuring to know that the people are of MC calibre, I have been getting MC offers and final rounds and was worried this would be a step down. FMCG is a very different arena from CG or IBM's typical work. One impression I got was that due to the nature of the work it is more relationship building / client facing role rather than blasting away at excel. I consider myself a people person and a strong pitcher so my hope is that I could excel more quickly and perhaps obviously at DH. Add to that it's frankly obscene growth and hopefully the short/mid term career prospects, for my skill set, could be best there.Your almost certainly right about the money though but maybe a move into a consultancy with a FMCG focused department in 3/4years could reap rewards. If an excellent performer would MBBB be an option? Anon... true I'll probably never end up working for a bank/PE/HF. That's a fantastic progression from CDC and very enticing, congratulations. Your only making my decision more difficult!

*you're (got to be careful on this forum)

None of these firms would be an obvious point to enter MBB from but if you are applying to the likes of DH, IBM and CG then - sorry to be blunt - you are unlikely to be MBB material anyway (and that's how MBB would see it too).CG and IBM would both be great places to start, good brands, but big and difficult to differentiate yourself; there are hundreds of people coming out of these firms every year so finding these skills in the market is not hard (leading to a suppression of market value on your skills as you reach middle management) whereas FMCG exposure is - relatively speaking in MC - rare and demands a premium. But frankly if I were you and wanted to get into MBB from a standing start I would ditch the MC route altogether and get the job which MBB PREFER to hire from - the ideal candidate for MBB is an FMCG brand marketer from a firm like Unilever, Procter & Gamble or Reckitt Benckiser.