I know there is always a great deal of talk around the strat houses and their prestige; however lets face it, not every consultant out there is a high flying partner with McKinsey. As a 2nd year consultant at a big 4, I wanted to see how we are seen from the outside world? Are we considered second rate losers?Just wanted to see what my options will be in a few years, if and when i decide to leave the mothership and head out to bigger and brighter days. Thanks

It really depends on what you're trying to do. If you're a strategist at a big-4, you'll always be seen as second-rate, because that's not really what the big-4 consulting houses do. As an operational consultant, though, a big-4 pedigree is as good as any.The strat houses and the big-4 consultancies compete in different spaces. McKinsey's don't do 80-person SAP implementations; Accenture don't do blue-sky strategy (at least not very well).

I have the impression that various people use the term Big4 for various sets of companies. Sometimes it's getting confusing:1) M/B/B/B2) ACN/CG/IBM/EDS3) PwC/KPMG/EY/DELWhich one is than "the" BIG4?Thanks for your insight.

I'd class the Big4 as the Accountancy firms (i.e. Option 3)

Oh for goodness sakes, can we all stop using single letters to represent companies? I'm a newbie and I still have to work out what the acronyms are! :-) (P.S. I'm being light hearted in case anyone decides to have a baby)So what is option 1)? Is it Mckinsey, Bain, Booze Allen and ?

ive got a big red one

boston?

Bahrain ? Berlin ?

Who are the 'Big Four'? Let me know their roots. A Mr McLintock used to live a few doors from my home and once I was a consultant with McLintock, Moores & Murray when accountants decided to join IMC for the 'new' profession which as you no doubt know was initiated by the previous 'Big Four' - P-E, PA, AIC & Urwick Orr. We have not 'marketed' IMC qualification effectively in UK far less here in UAE.

very good - you must be a stand up

This is so "leet"here some other nice acronyms: MNS, BPM, USF, ZWT , LzOwhat could that be ....