Hi everyoneI have an offer with IBM GBS for their new grad program (consulting by degrees) and an offer with EY's ITRA group.Though IBM's salary offer is about 10K higher than EY's, it's not a big enough gap for me to sway towards IBM completely. I want to one day get into a top tier MBA school to further my career, so I'm looking for a place where I can grow both internally and on paper.What do you guys recommend?Thanks!

IBM GBS v EY ITRA? IBM.

Could you please tell me why you'd choose IBM?

did you not see the period after IBM!! So no more questions please ;-)Happy weekend!!

Because the IBM offer is £10K more to spend far less time kicking tyres for a living. IBM do provide assurance to clients but it's a side line and not sold as a service offering in GBS. ITRA is still perceived as essentially an audit/assurance offering, and as such you'll find it very difficult to cash that experience in for a move into consulting later on (if you wanted to get into consulting, which as this is a consulting forum I assume you do). Neither is exactly going to set you up directly for a top tier MBA in due course, although frankly the options in IBM would be much closer to it. Yes it's big, yes it's blue, yes it's a corporate behemoth with all the flattening, dulling properties such huge organisations usually entail. But deep within IBM there are pockets of people doing some really quite staggering things. So the light has not been extinguished. Unlike ITRA where it never shone in the first place..

I've worked for EY ITRA (Fs) and it was the most excruciating experience of my life (long hours/lack of training - I was not from an audit background, and generally ITRA is not a "sexy division of EY"). As mars mentioned the work is solely assurance focused with some testing thrown in if you manage to do any work with ITA. FS ITRA has a turnover of over 50% but admittedly UKI ITRA seems to have a better work life balance and retention rates. I could go into more detail if the OP wishes.I don't know a lot about IBM but did work a smaller competitor (Steria) before EY whose work was a lot more interesting and transformation focused. Bleeding edge maybe not but taught me a lot more in terms if tangible skills - project management, service management etc. Hopefully that helps as my experience was as an associate at EY and grad programme at Steria.

[quote]I've worked for EY ITRA (Fs) and it was the most excruciating experience of my life (long hours/lack of training - I was not from an audit background, and generally ITRA is not a "sexy division of EY"). As mars mentioned the work is solely assurance focused with some testing thrown in if you manage to do any work with ITA. FS ITRA has a turnover of over 50% but admittedly UKI ITRA seems to have a better work life balance and retention rates. I could go into more detail if the OP wishes.I don't know a lot about IBM but did work a smaller competitor (Steria) before EY whose work was a lot more interesting and transformation focused. Bleeding edge maybe not but taught me a lot more in terms if tangible skills - project management, service management etc. Hopefully that helps as my experience was as an associate at EY and grad programme at Steria.[/quote]I'm unfortunately, ex EY ITRA and i would avoid it like the plague. I was also seconded to EY ITA for a bit where..........i did more ITRA work, go figure.

LOL! Like the plague??! Hehe u sure do have a way with words, meF.

Good to hear some good things about IBM GBS on here! Going back through older threads, it seems there's a lot more to say for it now. (Good news for me, I'm awaiting a business matching interview there).