Application Strategy Advice

8 firms is totally fine for an ADC with your profile. but 3 offices per firm is risky unless youre very selective about which ones.

MBB treat applications as essentially global. if you apply to McK Australia and get rejected, youre probably locked out of McK Singapore for 12-24 months. same with BCG and Bain. so dont treat offices as "free shots" - your first application at each firm is your only shot for a while.

what id actually do:

start with singapore where you have work rights and can tell a real story. thats your wave 1: McK, BCG, Bain, plus maybe 2 of the life science shops (LEK, Simon Kucher, ZS, IQVIA). network hard here first.

for wave 2_relocate markets, only pick offices where you have genuine ties. did you do research in london? family in sydney? studied in the US? otherwise youre just another generic applicant and the odds are worse. pick 1-2 max per firm for this wave, not 3.

sequencing:

dont blast all 24 applications at once. do 3-4 firms in wave 1, wait to see if you get interviews, learn from any feedback, then adjust your story before wave 2.

networking should start 6-8 weeks before you hit submit. aim for 2 real conversations per office so your application isnt cold. ask about ADC hiring volume and whether your life science background actually matters there - at some offices it will, at others they just want generalists.

the reapplication thing:

pretty much every firm will see your prior application in their system. for MBB assume a rejection anywhere is a rejection everywhere for 1-2 years. for the others its murkier but safer to assume the same. dont "test" an office youre lukewarm on just to see what happens.

bottom line:

target 8 firms but probably 1-2 offices each, not 3. start singapore, move to relocate markets only if you have a real story for being there. network before you apply. and treat your first app at each firm as your only shot that year.

Your profile is strong. Let me help you think through the strategy.

Eight firms is fine. Three offices per firm is too many. MBB uses global systems, so it's one application per firm. For specialist firms, pick 1 to 2 offices where life sciences is strong. Aim for 10 to 13 total applications. More than that and you can't network properly for each one.

Network first, apply second. Start 6 to 8 weeks before applying. Have at least one conversation at each firm before you submit. A warm referral gets a human to read your resume instead of an algorithm.

Sequence smartly. Apply to ZS, IQVIA, Simon Kucher first. Then LEK and Oliver Wyman. MBB last. Don't make your dream firm your first case interview. Space things out over 4 to 6 weeks.

Reapplication rules matter. McKinsey is global. Rejected anywhere means a 12 to 24 month cooling off everywhere. Don't waste it. BCG and Bain are slightly more flexible. For specialist firms, ask the recruiter directly whether applying to one office affects another.

Where to focus. Singapore as your primary MBB target. Specialist firms are where your PhD really shines. ZS and IQVIA hire life sciences PhDs aggressively. Don't treat them as backups. Sydney and London are your best additional options.

One thing most PhDs miss. Your PhD trained you to go deep for years. Consulting needs you to go wide in weeks. The biggest adjustment is getting comfortable giving "good enough" answers quickly with incomplete data.

Feel free to reach out if you want help with your target list or networking approach.

Great question and I love that you're thinking about this strategically.
It also sounds like you have a great profile - which always helps in applications. 

To answer your questions directly:
1. Yes, I think 8 seems like a good strategy. A couple elements that I would add to this is a tier approach (which are your top vs back up), as well adding in a few more firms as back up for application/interview practice
2. Networking - then leading to applications should start with firms that are more likely that you will convert but maybe not your top choice - leading into a water fall approach, leaving the top choice for last. This way you can use the first ones as practice (networking, applications, screening tests, interviews etc) so that by the time you're hitting your top choice you're in a strong position and very confident.
3.This is very dependent, but typically for firms that function on a city or country application basis if you're not selected you could apply to other locations of that firm. However, if firms use that global talent attraction approach then you would have to wait for the ban period to be over. This is firm/location specific and can be determined through your networking calls and online research.

Happy to discuss more if helpful, I have an application strategy session that I do with clients going into all of this in more detail.

Good luck!
 

Love the fact that you're asking these questions. 

The application strategy is something I always tell candidates about because it seems very few people consider it. 

So let me answer your questions directly:

1. Is targeting eight firms, with three office per firm, a reasonable and sufficient strategy? >>> No. You're not targeting 3 offices, but 1. Even though it might seem like they are 3, in +90% of cases, it's the first office that either takes you or rejects you. 8 applications in total is borderline ok, but I would recommend you go for more.
2. How would you recommend sequencing applications and networking efforts? >>> Clarify first the deadlines and work with those - as in, if some firms are starting the recruiting earlier, you can't change that. But when you can prioritise which to start with, always start with the firms that you're least interested in, so by the time you have the interview with your favs your at your absolute best
3. I understand that some firms use a single global application where candidates rank office preferences, while others post location-specific roles. If I apply to a location-specific role (e.g., Australia) and am not successful, would that typically trigger a firm-wide reapplication waiting period, or would I still be able to apply to another office within the same year? >>> Yes, if you fail then you have a 1 year freeze from the entire firm. 

Sharing here a guide you might find useful:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

And I strongly recommed you reach out if you have follow-up questions since this is one of the areas I emphasize the most in the prep with my candidates.

Best,
Cristian

It sounds like you have a fantastic background and are approaching this strategically, which is exactly what you need to do with a PhD.

Targeting eight firms provides good breadth. For the global strategy firms (like MBB), applying to "three offices" isn't a matter of submitting multiple applications; it's usually one primary application where you rank your office preferences. A rejection, particularly if it goes through the interview stage, will almost certainly trigger a firm-wide reapplication waiting period (typically 12-18 months) across all offices. For firms with more localized application portals, a resume rejection from one office might theoretically not block you from another, but your name could still be flagged internally, making it a risky strategy. It's critical to be very deliberate with your top-ranked office choice for these global systems.

My strong recommendation is to prioritize networking significantly before submitting any applications. Reach out to consultants, especially those with advanced degrees, in your target offices. A strong internal referral can often bypass initial automated screens and get your resume seen by the right people. Once you've built these connections and refined your story, then strategically roll out your applications, perhaps prioritizing firms with earlier deadlines or those where your networking feels strongest.

Hope this helps you strategize effectively!

Hi there,

1. Is targeting eight firms, with three office per firm, a reasonable and sufficient strategy?
   1. Reasonability also depends on how strong your resume and interview/case performance. I've seen people apply to only MBB and got all 3 offers and I've seen people apply to MBB, Tier 2, and boutique consulting firms and received no offers.
2. How would you recommend sequencing applications and networking efforts?
   1. I suggest tracking deadlines of each company as they'll have their own timeline for applications. In regards to networking, it's always good to start early to build the relationship as expectations that any new/recent networking would lead to something significant is a bit ambitious.
3. I understand that some firms use a single global application where candidates rank office preferences, while others post location-specific roles. If I apply to a location-specific role (e.g., Australia) and am not successful, would that typically trigger a firm-wide reapplication waiting period, or would I still be able to apply to another office within the same year?
   1. This would also depend on the firm. MBB generally requires a 1 year wait period globally. I suggest you reaching out to HR for each to get the latest.