Hello forum, I have 2 questions for you:1. What do you think is a better career choice - Google or continuing management consulting? - Yes this is an open ended question.2. Does anyone have personal knowledge on Google compensation? From my internet research, it doesn't seem as high as MC, but would love to get some insight from others.Some key background info for above questions:- I would be applying to Google's Business Strategy or Partnerships area in their London office.- I'm an experienced management consultant, manager level (about 6 years MC, 3 years tech startup experience). I have worked across 2 continents for a mid-tier, global firm and have a balance of traditional business/growth strategy and operations improvement experience. - Start up experience is with two tech startups in North America (Silicon Valley type). One very successful and another not so successful.- I have a good idea of my progression in management consulting, earning potential, personal sacrifice to climb the ladder, etc. However, I have very little intel on Google's career progression. - I have a decent appreciation for Google's selection process and believe my combined MC + tech startup experience makes me at least competitive for a role. I don't believe my MC experience alone would make me stand out.

Well just googled google vs mc and found the following (maybe you haven't recognised googles USP so on that front mc might be a better option)Google ProsYou will enjoy less hours, far less travel, better perks, and an overall better quality of life while enjoying a comparable compensationYou will work past just strategy fluff since your client is your employer and will require actual implementationYou will get interaction with non-business types such as product & engineeringYou will learn more about entrepreneurship & innovation than you ever will in consultingYou will not be brainwashed to think of everything in terms of frameworks & bullet points, which can be an advantage in areas which require innovationYou can wear whatever you want to workYou will worry less about the presentation of the slides and more about the content of themYour client is pretty smart and challenging (Google)You will work on interesting and innovating problems in a highly evolving industry; management consulting projects can be hit or missGoogle ConsYou will work with only one client (Google) and one industry (Tech); I've found that one of the chief assets of consulting is the plethora of client experience and learnings you bring to the tableYou will not be promoted as quickly as you will in consulting (so your salary probably won't grow as quickly)You will have to get into operational nitty gritty details (could be a pro)You will be employee no. 30,412 instead of no. 500 ; there is a whole host of problems with working in an organization that large including bureaucracy, red tape, etc.You will not be the superstar of your organization; the product and engineers at Google get all the fame, and rightly soYour exit options will most probably be more limited to the tech industry while consulting leaves the playing field wide openYour brand will resonate better in the tech world while a McKinsey badge resonates everywhereMost importantly, you will not learn "the consulting" structured approach to problems, communicating through decks, and the rest of the "consulting toolbox". For this very reason, our internal consulting group values top tier consulting experience over an MBA degree. Almost all of our people have had consulting experience previously.

My impression is Google pays VERY well -- a lot more than you could make in consulting unless you were to hit partner. Of course, it depends on your exact role.I don't believe Google has an up or out policy, as many consulting firms do. You can stay in the position for yrs and have no pressure to move up, since it's an acceptable state. This is at least true for engineers.I think corp strategy at Google sounds like a really interesting, enjoyable, and challenging oppty. I would go for it, since you always have the option of returning to consulting.

I was once approached for a "strategy" role at Google. Turned out to be some sort of "business development" role actually. I still don't really know what the role actually was. From what I gather, the London office is just a marketing/sales base (maybe that's an over-simplifaction, but my understanding is that the really exciting stuff is done in the USA)? I just can't imagine Buckingham Gate (or wherever it was) having the same "feel" to it as a So-Cal megasite with ample parking for all and 20 hours of sunshine a day with people whizzing around the office on Sedgways and the janitor earning £10M in stock options. Somehow, I just can't help but think that those days are gone? I dunno, maybe I'm wrong. Either way, McK looks good on the CV as does Google. You really can't go far wrong with either of them. The google brand is powerful... really powerful... and frankly you could be the toilet cleaner there and recruiters would be buzzing around you like wasps around a honey pot.

Google is now a stronger brand than McKinsey. The world has changed.

Thanks for the replies.@dtang I have a firm belief for technical and engineering roles, it's top dollar. Hopefully it's the same for "business roles" especially if they're hiring former tier 1 consultants who can command premiums in the market. I certainly will go for it as you're right, I can always go back to consulting.@Bushy Eyebrow PartnerYou raise a very good point about non-Mountain View, California offices being pure satellite offices with little influence over Google's strategic ambitions and product development. It's something I certainly plan to discuss if given an interview. I also realise this is a reality that I may just have to accept if I want to work for a company like Google while in Europe. It's a con that I will measure against Google's other pros. I've talked to a few Googlers over the years and certainly the environment they've described is far from the high flying start up days. It's managed like a large company as it has to be managed like a large company because of its scale. It's just that there are so many high calibre people with great ambition and entrepreneurial attitudes, that a lot of "cool" and innovative things go on that other companies of simliar size just don't experience. Some times I wish the consulting world was a little bit more entrepreneurial.I also agree with the brand power. I've had plenty of side conversations with my clients and when we talk about growth strategy or innovation, how often Google is mentioned (sometimes blindly, but mentioned nonetheless).

Yeah, my suggestion would be to ditch the books about Google that you get from WH Smith at airports. I may be wrong, but I expect today's Google is a million miles away from the one that involved Larry and Sergy mucking about with supercomputers in their garage. I'm sure that HR has "manufactured" an environment that tries to retain that dynamic start-up feel, but somehow I think it takes more than just having a pool table in the office, a couple of quirky interview tests and saying that the chef makes the food in the subsidised canteen "with love". At the end of the day, they're a big multinational company now with shareholders and hierarchies, bosses and policies just like every other company, and they sell advertising just like the Yellow Pages does. Yeah, you might see staff walking around in sneakers and wearing baseball caps in the office, and you might her about the fun that a bunch of techies over in So-Cal are having in brightly coloured data centres and who occasionally get a glimpse of Larry or Sergy, but ultimately here in London it's basically just normal work (isn't it?) - with tasks, deadlines, objectives and priorities just like you get in any other company I would have thought. Or maybe it's not like that? Maybe they just hire bright people and let them do whatever they want and actually far from being an avertising sales office the London office is actually still brimming with dot-com excitement?

Just a few thoughts... P.S. These are just thoughts, not statement of fact, so feel to correct them if they're wrong!You will enjoy less hours, far less travel, better perks, and an overall better quality of life while enjoying a comparable compensation[i]Is that really true about the fewer hours thing? I would have thought Google was ultra competitive and that tends to lead to long hours?[/i]You will work past just strategy fluff since your client is your employer and will require actual implementation[i]...if you get to do any "strategy" at all, that is...[/i]You will get interaction with non-business types such as product & engineering[i]... and sales .... plus how much engineering really is done in the UK?[/i]You will learn more about entrepreneurship & innovation than you ever will in consulting[i]how? clearly google was formed by extraordinarily innovative, entrepreneurial people. But the business is set up now. what enterpreneurial opportunities are really still on offer there?[/i]You will not be brainwashed to think of everything in terms of frameworks & bullet points, which can be an advantage in areas which require innovation[i]they have to structure things somehow though, don't they? and surely many of the people that work there will be people for whom bullet points and frameworks are second nature?[/i]You can wear whatever you want to work[i]yeah, but in reality you're gonna have to confirm to the "expected" norm, right? unless you're a superstar, turning up looking like a hobo isn't going to go down too well, i'm sure[/i]You will worry less about the presentation of the slides and more about the content of them[i]almost certainly true[/i]Your client is pretty smart and challenging (Google)[i]yes[/i]You will work on interesting and innovating problems in a highly evolving industry; management consulting projects can be hit or miss[i]hmm.... really? how much of it is just sales/business development "strategy"? how much of the truly exciting stuff happens in london?[/i]Google ConsYou will work with only one client (Google) and one industry (Tech); I've found that one of the chief assets of consulting is the plethora of client experience and learnings you bring to the table[i]yes... although having a stint at google will be nothing but brilliant for the CV[/i]You will not be promoted as quickly as you will in consulting (so your salary probably won't grow as quickly)[i]but, similarly, i figure they probably don't do "up or out"?[/i]You will have to get into operational nitty gritty details (could be a pro)[i]yes, this probably doesn't matter[/i]You will be employee no. 30,412 instead of no. 500 ; there is a whole host of problems with working in an organization that large including bureaucracy, red tape, etc.[i]true, i would have thought[/i]You will not be the superstar of your organization; the product and engineers at Google get all the fame, and rightly so[i]yes[/i]Your exit options will most probably be more limited to the tech industry while consulting leaves the playing field wide open[i]true, but that's not necessarily a problem[/i]Your brand will resonate better in the tech world while a McKinsey badge resonates everywhere[i]hmm... i'd estimate that 99% of the UK population don't have a clue who McKinsey are, so in that regard google might be better recognised. but you really can't go wrong with either brand.[/i]Most importantly, you will not learn "the consulting" structured approach to problems, communicating through decks, and the rest of the "consulting toolbox". For this very reason, our internal consulting group values top tier consulting experience over an MBA degree. Almost all of our people have had consulting experience previously.[i]yes, top-tier industry bods don't necessarily make good consultants. i think with google on your CV though you will bring enough to be credible[/i]

This whole google thing really is a conundrum. amazing brand, no doubt a fantastic company to work for. But I just can't figure out what they actually DO in the UK....

@BEP - I'd never heard of google, so I went onto the Internet and used a "search engine" to see if I could find out about them. According to my favourite search engine - Alta Vista- google are a small tech start up with copycat technology and no USP. Consensus is that they are unlikely to amount to much.

Hehe. I used to use "Dogpile" which would aggregate all of the results from all those now defunct search engines like Excite. It was a really useful tool but I always felt the need to cover the screen when logging on to "Dogpile".