Firms middle east

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,

I'm going to give you my experience: I was at Monitor Deloitte, the consulting leg of Deloitte - which is the same Strategy& in my opinion. I've also been at McKinsey. 

• Compensation: McKinsey is honestly better -  perception is that you are paid above market which gives you better options.
• Exit opportunities: Depends on what you want to do then try align your future self with what you want to do - if you're aiming for another fast-paced industry PE/VC/IB etc. then stick to McKinsey - they have a global presence and are known for work in these industries. But otherwise:
• Kearney is known for their operations, procurement and strategy execution - so if you want to go into ops or heavy industries, good choice.
• Strategy& is known for its big gov mega-projects in the Middle East (i think they did the Saudi Vision 2030 - someone corrects me if I'm wrong), and their energy work.
• Fast progression: This is ENTIRELY up to you - you could be killing it at Kearney and make manager in 1.5 years or you could be trash and get asked to leave after 6months. It depends on you. Each place will reward good work, each place has a programme and progression horizons - so ASK people at each firm, reach out to them and ask them about their experiences.
• Work-life balance: McKinsey work-life balance is not why you go - You could carve out WLB after a while, but in your first couple of years you will be grinding. You will work hard at each place, but for sure though.

It all depends on what YOU value. 

Happy to chat!

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

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! 

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.

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

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

Hey there :)

Big congrats, that’s amazing! Between McKinsey, Strategy& and Kearney in the Middle East, McKinsey generally offers the strongest exit opportunities globally, fastest progression, and highest total compensation. Strategy& comes second, with good regional brand strength and slightly better work-life balance, especially depending on the office. Kearney is great too but usually lags slightly in brand recognition and comp.

If salary isn't critical due to your housing situation, think long-term: McKinsey is hard to beat for doors it opens. But if lifestyle and regional comfort matter more, Strategy& could be the sweet spot.

Happy to chat more if you’re deciding!

best,
Alessa :)

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

McK has the better brand. S& gives you the better location. Unsure about exact salaries you are being offered so can't comment on that.

At the end of the day it is a very personal decision. In your position, I might have picked McK regardless.