Offers & Career Decisions
Bain or Kearney if Kearney pays much more?
I have offers from Bain and Kearney in the Middle East. I would normally choose Bain pretty quickly, but Kearney is offering about 41% more salary and a higher signing bonus. At what point does the pay difference become big enough that I should choose Kearney instead?
Ian’s Answer
I'm actually surprised the salary + bonus is that much higher! I would also have trouble making that decision.
I think it comes down to your goals - are you trying to maximize value in the next 2-3 years or the next 5+? It would be worth looking at whether the pay structure evens out (or Bain pulls ahead) as your rise up the ranks.
One final thing I would suggest is, if you're truly on the fence, ask Bain if they can increase the salary + bonus. Flag that Kearney has provided an offer with 40% higher pay. Say that if they can even provide a 20% bump you'd sign on the dotted line.
Be honest with yourself about which offer you would truly be happy with at the end of the day. Then, figure out what the $ gap is and ask for it! No harm no foul.