Hi,I was wondering if anyone could help.I graduated from university in 2006, after winning a graduate competition to get a "taster" of three different working environments - the Big4 (Deloitte), the Public Sector (NHS) and the SME sector, I'm currently undertaking my final grad placement with Accenture, as I am pretty sure that consultancy is where I want to start my career within, primarily because of the variety but also the opportunties to learn about how businesses work etc for any future ambitions that i might have! Having said that, I'm also really passionate about exploring opportunties to do with emerging markets, strategy and operations and was wondering whether a consultancy career would offer this? Am I right to assume that the tier 1 firms (mckinsey etc) and tier 2 (deloitte and acn) would offer these opportunties in there relevant areas? It's just that I recently met someone from goldman sachs who was also talking about emerging market opportunties within GS and other investment banks, and was wondering how different it would be to a consultancy environment? Also, if I've had work placements with Deloitte, Accenture etc + high A-Level grades and degree would I be considered by any of the top tier firms?Any advice/information appreciated!Thanks,!

How can you be passionate about something you know nothing about? Get yourself a job offer in ANY of these firms and you will be on the right track - work for a few years at least and then decide where you want to take your career.

I am about 11 years into working life and now on my 2nd international stint. I worked in France first, immediately after graduation. It was an incredible experience looking back but ultimately hell. Why? it is just too much to cope with new cultural experience, starting work properly, language (although my French - now fluent - was already pretty good). I vowed at the time that I would work internationally again - I am much further away now! - but only when I had a level of expertise to offer. This is my advice therefore. As Mars says go for any of those companies. If you can get into a MBBB, all the better. Get your head down for a couple of years and you will then have some pedigree. In emerging markets you will find that you will be well rewarded if you come with existing knowledge and real value to add. If you do not have this, they might as well hire from the local market and there is no real advantage in hiring you. MBBB is ideal but failing that a good 2nd tier. You may be able to move with your company but if not, you should be snapped up. One other point is that I would be very careful about how you position yourself in interview. You do not want to sound like a "save the world hippy type" in the interview. Nothing wrong with saying that you want to get yourself into a position where you have options but telling them that you are only interested in emerging markets will make them think that you want to "use" them rather than commit to them.

great advice well illustrated expat!

Hi, Thanks for the advice, will bear it in mind for definite.Much appreciated!

And as to the question of whether doing emerging markets work at GS is different from doing it at MBB, the answer is VERY - it's the difference between consulting and banking. I don't have time/inclination to sum up the difference here. Talk to some MBB consultants, talk to some bulge bracket bankers, find out what they do and see which you prefer.