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Apply to both McK BA and Junior Associate? How does that work?

I graduated a year ago from a European MSc program and have done a bunch of internships since then.

For my McK application, I want to primarily target the Dubai office (BA) but also want to have a chance at another office, in case my Dubai application is unsuccessful. In the portal, you are usually able to choose additional offices.

Because of my background and language skills, I was thinking of applying to a European office as well. However, for that office, I would need to apply as a Junior Associate.

Because of the differences in office requirements, the problem is that i) I am not eligible to apply as a Junior Associate to Dubai, and ii) I am not eligible to apply as a Business Analyst to that specific office.

This would not be an issue if both offices had the same role description for the BA / Junior Associate role. 

How should I approach this situation if my goal is to apply to both offices at the same time?

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Top answer
on Apr 13, 2024
#1 Rated McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates

The reality is that in 95% of cases it's either the first office or nothing.

As in, it's rather an exception that the first office reviews your application and considers you to be more suitable for the second office and then forward it. 

Most often, they either take you forward in the process or reject it.

So think carefully about which office you want and which is going to give you better chances, and just go for that.

This article should also help:

Best,
Cristian

on Apr 14, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Q: How should I approach this situation if my goal is to apply to both offices at the same time?

In this case, I would apply as BA, given you prefer Dubai as BA as a priority. If they select you for the second office, they will most likely move the application to the JA role there.

Good luck!

Francesco

Pedro
Coach
on Apr 14, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

Customize your application to your #1 option.

Regarding rank… if the #2 office thinks you have a good profile (for the lower rank) most likely they will reach out and ask if you are willing to interview for the lower position. 

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