Firms middle east

Congratulations, that's a fantastic position to be in.

In terms of pay scaling (especially beyond manager level), progression, and exit opportunities, McKinsey is likely to be your best bet (assuming you are joining as a generalist BA). 

You’re also most likely to get to work on the top corporate priorities with C-level exposure at McKinsey vs. the others. 

All of them are good options though! 

Very straightforward answer : On all the criteria you mention, I think McKinsey outperforms the rest. 

Hello there,

First of all, congratulations! 
As a generic answer, I would say for you to go with McKinsey. But it may depend on your profile, personal strengths, long term goals and even family situation.

For the questions you’ve made, McKinsey outperform other players in all of them but work life balance, which is likely the worst (60-100h/week).

Best,

Mari

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, I would strongly advise you to consider whether these are the only meaningful criteria for deciding on your professional life for the next few years. For instance, given your house, location/housing seems to be an obvious aspect you may want to consider, as well as aspects such as culture (to the extent that you can assess it) and others.
• Moreover, and contrary to what other coaches have said, exit opportunities, career progression, and work-life balance depend much more on you individually than on the consulting firm as a whole.
• Lastly, please keep in mind that the country and its tax system has a significant impact on total compensation. Which countries and offices are the offers from?

You can find more on this topic here: Salaries in the consulting industry.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offers! In terms of your question:

Q: I want to know which to choose based on exit opportunities, fast progression, total compensation(based on your best knowledge in the middle east)

McKinsey should be the best in terms of exits and long-term compensation (thanks to exits).

Not sure about the fast progression and work-life balance, but exit opportunities are probably more relevant to optimize for.

You can find some information about salaries at the link below (please note that the data are from a few years ago).

▶Top Consulting Salaries in the Middle East

You can also find a prestige ranking at the link below:

▶ Top 15 Consulting Firms by Revenues and Prestige

All the best for a great start!

Francesco

Hi there!

Congrats on the offers!

Basically, it depends on what it is that you're optimising for long-term and what your plan with consulting is (e.g., stay 2-3 years and move into the industry, or build a long-term career in consulting). 

Overall, if I had to choose, I would likely go with Kearney because within management / strategy consulting they have a stronger brand. And also because I know lots of people at Kearney who are genuinely satisfied with the firm. 

But that's of course, without knowing what is genuinely important for you. 

If I were you, I'd try to have a call with 1-3 people from each firm and from the specific office you could be joining and get a sense of the vibe. Maybe that will help in making a decision.

Best,
Cristian

Hi Congratulations on securing the three offers. I agree that McKinsey is the best option. While you may progress faster at Strategy & and Kearney and get higher salaries, you need to keep in mind that the market in the Middle East is volatile and McKinsey is more resilient and opens doors to better exit opportunities if needed. Also worth it to investigate the culture and utilization of consultants in all three firms to confirm your decision.