Hi guys,I am very very happy to have received offers from both OC&C and Bain. However, I am surprised that OC&C's package is actually higher than Bain's both in signing bonus and base.Is anyone else surprised by this? Does anyone have any advice for me?

Hi potentialnewby,Welcome to the world of consulting by the sounds of it :)OC&C have been paying higher graduate salaries than the big UK 3 for some time now - it puts them at a much more equal level overall to graduates who otherwise probably wouldn't consider OC&C above one of the larger firms.I think that the fact they have to pay more is indicative - whilst OC&C are really impressive in their own right (in the UK), they don't have the breadth, training or reputation that you'd get at MBB. Try not to let a few thousand now take your mind off the bigger picture.

If I may ask, what is a ball-park figure for what Bain offers? I'm honestly not too well-informed about starting salaries and am very curious to know...Thanks!

Agree entirely with Anon.Used to work at MBB and we knew that firms like OC&C and MOW would always out-pay us at graduate level because they needed to attract people of a similar calibre but were starting from a disadvantage (in terms of brand, breadth of work etc).In terms of salary progression, senior guys at Bain will earn multiples of senior guys at OC&C so the trajectories will be quite different. Also, if you really give a damn about money, your PE exist opportunities will be better at Bain than OC&C.All-in-all, a few grand at the start of your career to clear student debts is attractive but should not swing you either way.

Thanks for your comments guys. I don't think that the money from OC&C will swing my decision. I take it I'm also correct in assuming that there isn't really any scope for negotation in the Bain salary (at least not without another offer from an MBBB).How do you think salaries will compare at the next level up (Senior Associate Consultant) because I'm actually going in as an experienced hire and I'm told that I could get there in 6 months?

I think you might be missing a point here potentialnewby; salaries between MBB will always be competitive with one another, and certainly competitive with MC asa whole, so you needn't worry too much about what £££ you will be on at the next level; the key point here is the value MBB has on your CV when you come to look at exit options (and sooner or later you will be looking at exit options more closely and with more interest than Jessica Alba's behind).

A word to the wise: If it ain't in the contract, it ain't worth jack. Promises of promotions, pay rises, exit options and other good stuff in the future are just that - i.e. promises (which can disappear faster than an unlocked Golf GTi parked outside a Brixton nightclub on a Saturday night). It's like buying an ERP software package because "yeah this version doesn't really do what we want, but the sales guy said the next one which is due to be released really really soon will be really, really great and will have everything we need... so let's go for it!!!"So my advice is: Try and cut through the recruitment spin and work out what they're REALLY bringing to the table when assessing your options.