Choosing between two MBB offers

Wow...first, congratulations! Take a moment to reflect and appreciate the fact that you have such a good problem on your hands.

Think about if you got one of these offers...think how happy you would be. Now, embrace that mindset :)

No matter what you choose, you have successed are well on your way to a fantastic career.

You're about to receive a lot of information from other coaches, researching online, etc. I just have a few pieces of advice:

1. a) Figure out what 2 things are MOST important to you. In a vacuum. Write them down. Diversity? Prestige? Money? Advancement opportunities?

2. b) Figure out which company has the things you want and go for that

3. This is a bit cheesy, but, go with your gut/instinct. It's there. You just have to figure out what it's telling you. fundamentally, based on your interactions with Mck/Bain/BCG you already know the people you like more.

4. b) If you're still not sure...get on a call with MBB consultants. Have very frank/open conversations with them. Try to talk to people seperate from the recruiting process that can give you a real honest opinion of what it's like working there.

Good luck!

P.S. You will work super super hard at both and be very stressed. At both you will have immense exit opportunities, pay, and career trajectory. McKinsey is far ahead of Bain in terms of reputation and expected future growth/performance (Bain just isn't investing in the right things), but most people also view Mckinsey's culture to be very rough/abrasive and Bain's to be friendlier This is the most I can say comparing the two without overcomplicating things!

Also, have a read through:

The Pros and Cons of Working at a Top Consulting Firm

Consulting Survival Guide

Hi,

First of all congratulations, you're in a very good position to be able to choose between two companies.

Both offers will give you fundamentally the same job in substance, so I would not spend the coffee chats working out which firm is better; the differences you can see today, industry mix, staffing model, growth rate, may not be the ones that matter in 3 to 5 years, which is when they would start to shape your career.

If possible try to speak to 3 people per firm: someone who joined recently at your level, someone at manager or project leader level, and ideally someone who has left. Same questions to all of them, so you end up with comparable answers instead of a collection of impressions.

What I would ask about, roughly in this order:

1) the industries and project types that office actually sells and how much say you get on staffing

2) travel expectations and how international the work is out of Stockholm and out of Amsterdam

3) how a new joiner is supported through the first year, and who specifically would be looking out for you

4) MBA sponsorship terms, if that is on your horizon

I would keep compensation last. Financial outcomes are driven by how your career progresses, not by the gap between two entry packages.

Good luck!

Best,

Franco

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations! That's a great position to be in.

I was in a similar situation, and I'd use the coffee chats to validate a few key criteria:

1. Location: Which city do you genuinely see yourself living in for the next few years? Office culture matters, but so does your life outside of work.
2. Project mix: What types of projects are you likely to work on? Ask about industry exposure, functional focus, and opportunities in areas you're interested in.
3. Staffing model: How are projects staffed? How much flexibility do consultants have in choosing projects, industries, and travel patterns?
4. People: Perhaps the most important one. Do you feel a connection with the people you're speaking with? It's only a small sample, but it can give you a good sense of whether you'd enjoy working with them day-to-day.

Honestly, you probably can't make a bad choice here. I'd focus less on prestige and more on where you can see yourself thriving personally and professionally.

Best,

Anna

Hey there :)

Congrats, that’s a great position to be in. I was in a similar situation myself and also had offers from MBB, so I’d use the coffee chats to go beyond the general firm culture you’ve probably already heard about.

I’d ask about the actual day to day experience: staffing, typical projects, travel, feedback and promotion, how much responsibility you get early on, and what happens when a project or team isn’t a great fit. I’d also ask why they chose their firm over the other one, especially people who had a chance to compare them directly.

Since you already know both cities well, I’d probably put more weight on the specific office and people you’ll actually work with than on the MBB brand difference.

Best, Alessa :)

That is amazing, congratulations!

Both will show you their best side and try to win you over, keep that in mind. Try to focus on yourself, what you want and which connections feel more genuine to you. It is usually harder to change the people than the project.