This is such a great dilemma. The answer is going to surprise many people. Therefore, pay attention to the logic we apply to answer this question, as well as the real examples we will offer. The options are a) going back to Deloitte as a manager, or potentially a lateral move as senior consultant in another country, b) going to industry or c) moving to BCG. The path you want to take is important, and leads to some surprising conclusions.

Far too many applicants simply assume BCG or McKinsey are better than Deloitte S&O. All other things being equal, they are if you are pursuing corporate strategy and particularly their training and value systems.

However, things are rarely equal and you have to isolate those things which are not and understand their impact on the attractive of each firm to you and only you.