Applying to MBB offices in different regions

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• It is not uncommon for applicants to apply to multiple offices of the same consulting firm, and each office typically evaluates candidates independently. Ultimately, you will only interview with one office, regardless of whether you applied to multiple offices.
• In general, consulting firms use a centralized application process that allows candidates to apply to multiple offices within the same firm. Whether they see it or not, is pure speculation, but most probably, they have the possibility to. However, applying to multiple offices within the same firm should not have any impact on your chances in the recruiting process.
• It is important to note that the selection criteria for consultants may slightly vary between offices, and the specific requirements and priorities of each office may also differ. Therefore, it is a good idea to research and tailor your application to each office you are interested in, highlighting your relevant skills and experiences that align with the specific needs of that office.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hello,

Office selection strategy is very tricky and it depends a lot on your background, nationality, work permit etc.

Also, every office does it a little bit differently. E.g. Bain in the Middle East does not have a segregation in the back-end across Dubai/Riyadh/Doha. But BCG has a separate process for each.

And yes, they will be able to see which other offices you have applied to with what priority.

Happy to chat individually over chat as this is very contextual.

All the best!

Rushabh

Hi there,

1) I know I will have the option to choose among 3 locations. How will this impact my chances to apply to completely different regions? 

If you select different offices, they should review your application in the order you selected. If you are rejected by A, the application will move to B and so on.

When you select an office, you should have the following – which will impact your chances to get accepted, together with your application material (eg CV, Cover and referrals):

1. Local language knowledge, unless otherwise stated (eg in the Middle East, Arabic is not needed for most companies)
2. Possibility to get a visa
3. Connection with the country

The Middle East is one of the few places where the connection with the country is not particularly important.

2) Will every office know what are the other offices that I am applying to? Will they have an option in the website or application process to see that I submitted my application to other offices in a different region?

Most likely people doing the screening will see the whole application, however the selection of the other offices should not have an impact on the decision for a particular office, which will be based on what mentioned in 1).

I would recommend to find a referral for your application. You can find more on referrals here:

▶ How to Find an MBB Referral

Good luck!

Francesco

They will see what offices you've applied to. No impact to chances is caused by the very fact of geography diversification. What impacts is current demand of offices.

The office of the 1st preference will screen you CV first, then if not interested the 2nd preference will screen, then 3rd.

Hey there,

This depends on the particular firm. However, usually

• this has no impact on your chances (MBB are global and they understand the global mobility and flexibility of their hiring pool)
• influences the priority of resume screening (your priority screens first and if they like you they will invite you, passing by your other priorities)

All the best,

Florian

Hi there,

This is not an issue and happens quite a lot. In my estimation, it only helps to increase your chances (potentially).

What happens is that your CV will be shared with the different offices in the order you provided until one office says yes, and that's where you will be interviewed.

Generally speaking, if there's no interest in US location A, it's more likely that MENA location A is interested than US location B. However, this depends highly on your specific situation.

Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!

Best,

Moritz

Hi there, 

Applying to multiple offices doesn't lower your chances, it just means that the offices will review your application in the order you provided.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

It is ok to apply to multiple offices and does not affect your chances. Make sure you're applying to offices that “make ”sense. E.g. where you have working rights, speak the language, have lived in/worked before, have relevant industry experience for, have networked with, etc.