I have a 5 years of experience as an IT-consultant working mostly with SAP implementations. I have done everything from system administration and ABAP development to project management and process design.I have now been offered a position with PA Consulting's ISI practice in Sweden. The company as such has impressed me but the salary offered was maybe not what I was expecting..(As an SAP consultant at any of the specialized companies you make more money)I have also been contacted by Ernst and Young concerning a position with their "Risk Analysis" team as a specialist in SAP.It would be interesting to know what experiences you might have from EY ( a company rarely mentioned here for some reason).Where would I find the best long term career opportunities??So,.. PA or EY what's it to be and why???

PA. Long term you will probably earn more money and have a better experience which you can use to swap to another firm more in line with your future expectations. In fact, I hear PA in Denmark is right up there with McKinsey and BCG in terms of gaining the top contracts (ie Falck), and that its extremely respectable in Sweden too. Dont forget that the bonuses are high in PA while in E&Y you shouldnt expect too much before hitting Manager level.By the way jag jobbar inte for PA. ;)

Don't know if SAP actually does pay a premium any more. I was into that in the late 90's and came out since then. It's had its day reallyAs for companies to work for, both are great employers, and well done on getting so far with both.On balance, I'd say that PA are probably a stronger option. Their consultancy business is a lot stronger in the Nordic region than is E&Ys, and EY really haven't proven themselves yet. EY are unlikely to make money over the next 3 - 4 years - which means that although initial pay rates will be higher, rises and bonuses will be curtailed.PA also have a great reputation for training and people development, so its probably a good name to have on your CV for a few years.I don't work for either firm, btw, but have been in the business for a number of years

EY have a serious problem at the moment - they have a very low turnover of partners. Last year they made only a handful of new parters in More London Place... this has caused a serious backlog in promotions, as Executives wait to become Senior Execs, Senior Execs wait for AD, and so on.Accordingly, they are having a hard time recruiting (and retaining) ambitious people. They emphasise that they operate a team culture rather than a star culture, but what this means is that they're full of nice, slightly mediocre people (and a few really high-value people who are sufficiently critical to the business that EY will attempt to retain them despite the trend).Just an opinion, of course, but I wouldn't go near them unless I wanted to "take it easy" for a year or two while punching my Big 4 ticket.