I'm a second year analyst at a North American investment banking interested in entry level consulting roles at the MBBs. I came across some BCG postings for experienced hires, but does anyone know if Bain or McKinsey are doing an experienced hire cycle now or soon?
Back to overview
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Hi,
Experienced hire refers to anyone that has already graduated / not following the on-campus recruitment (OCR).
Entry level would informally refer to a seniority of a role - e.g. Associate is an entry level versus 'senior' role.
If you already have working experienced, you can apply for an Experienced Hire - Associate position, which typically expects you to have 0-3 years of work experience (so your profile is just right).
Experience Hire recruitment is on a rolling basis, depending on firm needs and requirements, it does not follow a strict/typical schedule like OCR, so you can apply as long as there are openings.
You might also want to check out this article:
5 Reasons Why Experienced Hires Fail the Interview
All the best!
The deadline differs by office and role, so to make sure you have the accurate info, check their website and then try to reach out to the recruiter from that specific office.
If you're at the application stage, this guide should also come in handy:
Best,
Cristian
Hi there,
Bain and Mckinsey do hire experienced professionals and the process is normally year round.
That's a smart pivot, and you're right to be scouting the Experienced Hire (EH) market now, especially coming from a strong IBD background.
The reality of EH recruiting is that it rarely operates on a clean, centralized "cycle" like campus recruiting does. BCG is often the most transparent about publicly posting roles, but for Bain and McKinsey, EH hiring is typically demand-driven. This means they open slots only when utilization dips or when they need to immediately backfill attrition, which can be highly localized to a specific office or industry practice. If you don't see an explicit posting for "Associate/Consultant - Experienced Hire," it doesn't mean they aren't hiring; it means they are currently filling those immediate needs through internal referrals and deep pipeline tapping.
Your profile (IBD analyst aiming for entry-level consulting) is highly attractive, but the key is forcing the door open rather than waiting for the job board. The best strategic action is to stop relying on formal postings and immediately shift your focus to targeted local office networking. Identify the specific US or Canadian offices where you want to land, find associates or managers who transitioned from IBD, and leverage those conversations to get a referral into the pipeline, regardless of whether a public posting exists today. This is how the firms quietly manage headcount.
Hope this helps steer your approach! All the best.
