How strong is demand and competition in Jan to Mar hiring compared to July to Nov?

Hi there! 

This is actually one of those topics where candidates often get a lot of advice online that is well-meant, but simply not true, and in some cases genuinely damaging.

The idea of strict consulting “hiring cycles” is a good example. It gets repeated so often that people start treating it as a law of nature, even though it only really applies to a small subset of offices.

For the offices you’re targeting, that assumption doesn’t hold.

Amsterdam and the Nordic offices don’t operate with rigid hiring cycles in the way people usually mean them. That model mostly comes from the US and, to some extent, London, where recruiting is tightly linked to MBA classes, campus timelines, and fixed start dates.

In most of continental Europe, including the offices you listed, hiring is essentially rolling.

You can apply and interview throughout the year. January to March, July to November, or any other period, the chances are very similar. Based on several thousand real candidate outcomes I’ve seen over more than a decade across McKinsey, BCG, and Bain in these regions, there is no meaningful or consistent advantage tied to a specific window.

Demand in these offices doesn’t follow a seasonal cycle. It’s driven by very local factors: project pipeline, growth in specific practices, attrition, and partner needs. When capacity opens up, hiring happens. That can be in February just as easily as in October.

The same applies to competition. It’s true that fewer people apply outside the so-called “main cycle”, but interview capacity adjusts as well. Standards don’t drop, and selectivity stays roughly the same.

So rather than worrying about Jan–Mar versus Jul–Nov, the more important questions are:

• How clear and credible is your motivation for that specific office?
• How ready are you, right now, to perform at a client-ready level in interviews?

For the Nordics in particular, English-first is usually fine, but offices still look closely at long-term commitment and fit with the local culture and market. That matters far more than the month you apply.

In short, for Amsterdam and the Nordic offices, timing is not a lever you can really optimize. Readiness is. Applying when you’re fully prepared will always dominate trying to hit a “better” window that, in practice, doesn’t really exist.

Cheers, Sidi

______________________

Dr. Sidi S. Koné

hey there :)

Jan to Mar hiring is usually smaller and more opportunistic than the main July to Nov cycle, driven by sudden project demand or candidates dropping out, so demand exists but is less predictable. Competition can actually be tougher because you face strong off cycle candidates and fewer slots, but profiles like yours with a target MBA and big tech background can fit well if positioned clearly. In Europe, Amsterdam and the Nordics do hire in this window, especially when language requirements are flexible, but networking and early outreach are critical. My main advice is to be very targeted on offices, get referrals early, and be fully case ready since timelines move fast. Happy to discuss strategy in more detail if useful.

best,
Alessa :)

Overall, recruiting is lower in Jan-Mar relative to Sep-Nov. 

But, it differs a lot from role to role and office to office. 

Big offices e.g., NY, London, tend to work more on clear recruiting cycles. Esp when recruiting MBAs, they recruit in Sep-Nov for next year's intake. 

Smaller offices do it differently. 

In short, what you need to do is clarify what office you want to apply for and then check the timeline with the recruiter. 

Whether or not it's easier/harder in Jan-Mar vs Sep-Nov makes no difference if you can't actually choose when you can apply. And if anything, I would always recommend you apply earlier rather than later because you're likely to learn more from the experience this way.

If you're preparing to apply soon, you might find this guide useful:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

I also provide a comprehensive application review if you want professional feedback on your CV and CL. 

Best,
Cristian 

That’s a very common situation for strong MBA candidates who are pivoting into consulting—you missed the mass campus recruiting wave, and now you’re aiming for the secondary window. It’s the hard truth: demand in the January to March window is structurally different, and generally lower, than the July to November primary cycle.

The primary cycle is designed to fill annual analyst and associate headcount quotas, anticipating future project needs and integrating the summer intern pipeline. The Jan–Mar window, by contrast, is almost entirely driven by immediate, acute project needs or unexpected attrition. This means hiring is unpredictable, highly specific, and "just-in-time." You're not applying for 100 open spots; you're applying for two specific roles that need filling right now. The competition pool is smaller, but the bar is arguably higher because the firm isn't hiring potential—they are hiring someone who must be productive immediately.

For your target locations (Amsterdam, Nordics), these are generally smaller, highly coveted offices. They rarely have large, predictable off-cycle hiring waves. If they hire, it will likely be because a Partner needs specific expertise for a local client engagement starting in Q2. Your strategy must reflect this reality. Stop positioning yourself as a general MBA candidate and start positioning yourself as a sector expert. You have 5 years in Big Tech—that is your currency. Tailor every cover letter to explain how your deep sector knowledge (cloud migration, AI integration, digital transformation) directly solves a current, known pain point for their European client base.

The best use of your time right now is intense networking focused on identifying which of those offices has recently won a large tech-related transformation project. If you can target a specific team or Partner known for that work, you can turn a speculative application into a highly relevant conversation.

Hope it helps!

The January to March window exists, but it is not the same game. Demand is lower because most firms fill the bulk of their MBA hiring in the main cycle. What opens up in Jan-Mar is usually backfill, unexpected headcount, or specific office needs. Competition is also different. Fewer applicants, but you are competing for fewer spots. The math does not necessarily work in your favor.

For your target offices, Amsterdam is a solid market but competitive, lots of MBA grads want it. The Nordics are smaller offices with limited hiring. English-first is fine in all of them, but these offices do not hire in large numbers to begin with. When they do hire off-cycle, it is often for specific needs or profiles.

Your big tech background is an asset. Firms want people who understand technology and digital. That is a genuine differentiator. But no consulting internship means you need to show you understand how consulting works. Your case prep needs to be tight, and your "why consulting" story needs to be convincing and specific.

Here is my advice. Do not just apply and wait. Network hard. Reach out to consultants in your target offices now. Get referrals. In a thin hiring window, having someone internally push your resume makes a huge difference. Also, be flexible on office. If Amsterdam is your top choice but Copenhagen has an opening, take the interview. Getting in matters more than getting the perfect location. You can always move later.

One more thing. Apply to all the firms you would consider, not just MBB. Strategy& has a strong Amsterdam presence. Kearney and Roland Berger are active in the Nordics. Widen the net in a smaller hiring window.