Is it possible to transition from a Big 4 to an MBB firm at a principal/ associate partner level?

Question

If yes to my question, what are the advance preparations one should do to be 1) MBB ready and 2) MBB interview ready?

Answer 1

Hi,

Yes it is possible to transfer at the Principal level, but it is quite rare.

I would say #2 is easier than #1.

Being MBB interview ready - there are a ton of great materials out there to practice and plenty of coaches like myself who can give you guidance on how to excel in the case, especially for expectations of a PL/Principal.

In terms of being MBB ready - this is much harder. There are alot of things that you will be faced with which is really hard to prepare for. Having the right mindset is key, but also being able to demonstrate the core skills needed at that senior level are key.

Happy to chat more to anyone in a similar situation - I was a Principal at BCG

Answer 2

Hi,

Yes, there are such cases. You need to have something as a selling point:

Client relationship
Deep expertise in a particular industry
Deep expertise in a particular function (e.g. Digital is very hot topic now)

If you have it - everything else is less important at this level

Best

Answer 3

Hi,

It is actually, I would be more positive on the Associate Partner level rather than Partner/Senior Partner.

The preparation should be the same (e.g., case in points, victor cheng, ...). The only difference are the fit questions (it is highly probable that you would be asked with reference to your previous experiences) and the "quality" of case resolution (e.g., from an AP I would expect more precision, sense of numbers and insights in the decision-making process than from a BA)

Hope you would find it useful!