how Big 4 and MBB consulting differ

Demistifying consulting and corporate more broadly one video at a time. Today we're talking about how the big four and NBB consulting firms differ. Like I said in my previous video comparing the three NBB firms because I've only ever worked at one. My information is not perfect. I found everything I'm talking about today through a combination of talking with friends and the internet. Take it with a grain of salt, correct me if I'm wrong and follow for more videos like this. The bottom line is NBB has higher stakes and more intensity whereas the big four is more specialized and has more sustainable lifestyle. Point one, projects and clients. First thing you should know is the big four firms are much larger than MBB and they have a wide range of services, tax, compliance, audit, IT implementation and some strategy. MBB firms focus almost exclusively on strategy consulting, which is helping very high-level stakeholders at typically 4500 companies answer questions around what should we do? Whereas the big four firms often come in to provide a wider range of corporate financial services that can include consulting, but it's typically limited to implementation and operations, so more answering the question of how do we do it. People might get mad me for saying this, but I think the application on your day-to-day is an B B you're focused more on analyzing data, getting expert input and delivering really high quality insights, whereas in big four there's a lot more program project management. It's important to know that the big four all have their own strategy arm for example, PC has strategy and EY has EY Parthenon. These are intended to be like sub branches of the broader firm that are a little bit more similar to B B. Difference to selectivity/ prestige. People like to say that B B is more prestigious, but I actually applied to all these firms when I was in college and I only got interviews from the MBA firms. So I think it's more so that they select candidates from different types of schools. Not sure how the acceptance rates differ across these firms, but I do know that MBA firms have a notoriously intense case interview process. Point three, work life balance. I'll give it to you straight. Big four is more sustainable than MBA. I have big four friends who straight up work from home every single day. Not sure if that's the norm, but very jealous. Generally, MBA works longer hours and has more travel requirements to learn more, check out my previous video. point for compensation. At the post undergrad entry level, MBB pays low six figures with a pretty generous bonus and big four pays very high five figures with I don't think as good of a bonus. Not a crazy gap, but it does widen as you progress to partner, but it is a trade off between compensation and work life balance. Finally, number five, exit opportunities. out here is your personal skills and endeavors and network, a matter so much more for your exit than what from you work at, but in general at like the two to five-year mark where I see people exiting. Big four is more into specialized finance operations, even accounting roles and MBB tends to exit into more generalist strategy and ops, startup chief of staff roles. Like I mentioned before, the big four firms have their own strategy consulting arms that are more similar to MBB. So folks from there typically also enter into more general strategy and ops. I hope that was helpful. Keep the questions coming and I'll see you in my next video.