I'd like to hear your advice on my dilemma - whether I should stay at my firm and aim for promotion from senior consultant (C3) to managing consultant (C4) OR move to a Big 4 firm as a manager.I have worked for nearly 6 years of a large management consultancy firm (Accenture/Capgemini type). I started on the graduate program and have been a senior consultant now for over a year (2 promotions). The next grade up is managing consultant (potentially considered senior manager in other consultancies). However, I have an offer at 'manager' in one of the big 4 consultancies (KPMG/EY/PWC type) that are building up their IT advisory area. I've managed concurrent projects / cross discipline teams up to 20, as well as 3rd party suppliers. I have devised the commercials/contracts and gained client signature alongside the delivery (tantamount to managing consultant activities), although I have been told it would take another 12-18 months to make managing consultant (if at all possible) at my current organisation.Current organisation- Good network- 12-18 months positioning to promotion to managing consultant (but never promised!)- Has managing consultant, principal and VP grades.'Offer' organisation- Manager grade- The basic is £10k+ better - Better brand- Would take 2-3 years to make senior manager- Has senior manager, director and partner grades.I am unsure whether I want to go further in consulting than senior manager. Industry beckons with a more reasonable work/life balance once I have some 'managerial' grade consulting experience, rather than the sales aspect of director/principal/VP.1) Is manager at the offer organisation actually a side-step or equivalent of a C3.5 grade (not managing workstreams but not whole projects)? 2) Should I stay and aim to get senior manager as soon as possible?3) Is it worth moving consultancy when you need to rebuild network?4) Should I negotiate with my current organisation to get better pay and clear path to managing consultant?Thank you for reading, keen to hear other people's views....Ultimately, should I stay or should I go?jaysansayjan

6 years including the grad program at your current firm? You need to move. You should be at Manager grade now - but I suspect the grad hire perception is still holding you back internally. You also need to be thinking where can you create the value proposition for your move into industry if you don't want to move beyond SM level - and that is unlikely to be delivery focused as you will want to position yourself in the strategic/executive function (at least at a functional or divisional level). So a move to a firm with a much stronger 'advisory' orientation would make sense. It would also allow you to effectively rebrand yourself internally - as a fast track SM in waiting, not someone looking for the means to sell a C4 promotion (current situation).Networks - differentiate between the networks which are actually peer relationships established over 6 years and networks established by being a go to person. You will build them at the new firm easily enough.As an SM at Big 4, unless you have aligned into a SME role, will carry a sales expectation. Not much difference there than where you are, and too many SMs plateau there as the opportunities to move up are often very limited - you will be in the poliltical queue behind others who have a longer tenure with the firm (including step up to SM). But as you want a jumping off point to industry that shouldn't matter.And then the old chestnut. Another company thinks you are worth 10K more than your current firm, and has already offered you the role (Manager) you want current (M4). you could go back and negotiate with your current firm - but why? They don't see you as someone they need to develop and reward to retain, its that too long here principle. 6 years in, you are losing traction and your light is fading fast there - don't expect a rise, or a promotion quickly when they will be wanting to retain and incentivise the new hire who stands on his/her outside options and makes it clear they are in demand with x and y firms where they also have networks and a reputation/track record. If they do fight to keep you, they will only do so with regrets and resentment.Go.

Mars - you've just described me. Is there benefit to hanging around to try and get the next promotion at 7 years? Or should I get out before it comes? Will it look bad on my CV for the rest of my career if I spend 6-7 years somewhere and don't make it to that grade and haven't moved on?

Tripster - yes.As a rule of thumb look at a company as being a 3 - 5 year stint, with potential for 2 promotions. You should be looking to move on after hitting either if you want to maintain momentum.

Mars, thanks - but does that mean you'd advise moving on at 6 without the promotion? Or staying for 7, getting the promotion and then moving on?

Move! Stay, wait for the promotion, maybe get it, maybe not. If you do you'll be on rung zero of the next ladder up to SM.Move, get the promotion day 1. Hit the ground running - position yourself as a potential fast track to SM.If you don't yet get this, you should probably just stay....

Forget working for ppl. Work for yourself! Be a BTL landlord with 1000 properties.

Thank you for your insightful response marsday. My current grade is C3 (Senior Consultant) is commensurate to Manager (C3) in the Big 4 company, but the latter has a better brand and they are willing to pay more. There is no guaranteed promotion at the end of year to C4 (Managing Consultant / Senior Manager) if I stay in the current organisation. I understand that gaining experience in another organisation/culture is more valuable than staying a 6th or 7th year in the same organisation.I did get 2 promotions since starting as a C1, but the Manager title does sound better than Senior Consultant (both C3). Furthermore, who really cares (unless you want to move to another consultancy) in industry if you are a Manager or Senior Manager? It is more important to deliver good work and gain expertise in a particular sector.Although brand and money are good pull factors, does anyone have views that disagree with moving from senior consultant to manager (both C3)?Regards,jaysansayjan

Sorry but in what way is Senior Consultant in your current outfit the same as Manager in the Big 4 firm?It's not the same number of grades down from the top, it's not the same number of grades up from the bottom and just in case it needed to be any more clear there is a £10k or c.15-20% difference in salary.Move.

Well put DCF!And also - 'Furthermore, who really cares (unless you want to move to another consultancy) in industry if you are a Manager or Senior Manager? It is more important to deliver good work and gain expertise in a particular sector'What? So who really cares if you plateau? Who really cares if you reach a point in a services organisation where you take ownership of a PnL and therefore demonstrate you can be trusted with same some place in industry where you cant just move onto another project if things don't go to plan? Everyone cares. Not just consultants.