Kearney Post-MBA

Question

Hi All

I have recently gone through the Kearney recruiting process after completing my MBA. However, the feedback I received was quite unexpected as they wanted me to join as a Senior Business Analyst rather than the usual entry point for post-MBA as an Associate.

They cited the need for me to develop my “consulting skills” as I don't have consulting experience prior. In particular, they deemed my structuring skill to be on the low end (their word).

Has anyone received this feedback before? What are your thoughts? I have 8 years' working experience plus an MBA as mentioned. I am quite keen to join as I like the firm, but the offer puts me off a little bit tbh.

Cheers.

A

Answer 1

Hey,

Congrats on the offer! It is still an achievement, even if it is not the position you expected.

To add on the other comments, I will say that you need to be fully convinced by your choice, especially if you decide to join as SBA.

First, realize what it means in terms of work and team set-up vs. your previous job / your expectations of consulting (e.g., not expected to manage junior colleagues, not a lot of flexibility in terms of deadlines and work organization, need to adapt to the manager style, limited impact on the project / on stakeholder management etc.). That's where I see a strong risk of demotivation. And of course, as other mentioned, it can be a bit hard for the ego and feel like a step back if you are starting to compare yourself with others.

Second, have a clear view on the promotion path. Think about what would be a reasonable time to promotion e.g., 6-12 months or 12-18 months and negotiate your tenure accordingly before signing the contract. Once you join it is too late (you lost all your leverage).

Of course you can try to negotiate for an Associate role, but it is unlikely to succeed, as you interviewed for that position but they considered it didn't fit.

Answer 2

Hi there,

I get your frustration! Nonetheless, let's see what the real problem is:

Does it simply make you feel less appreciated? → Remember how quickly people move up the ladder. It may just be a matter of months until you get promoted.
Is it financially unfeasible to accept the BA role? → Try and negotiate (unlikely to lead to much as already pointed out) or compare with your BATNA. If there isn't any, you don't really have much of a choice.

In any case, you got an offer from a top firm! Don't let your ego get in the way of recognizing and celebrating this achievement!

Best of luck!

Answer 3

Hi Andy,

I'm sorry to hear about this - it's definitely a bummer!

Yes, this happens when candidates essentially don't perform to the level expected. In all honesty, you're probably lucky to have an offer giving your poor structuring. It seems they feel you have what it takes and just need to be trained.

You have a few options:

Try to negotiate (unlikely to work)
Accept the offer - recognize that oftentimes this happens for your own benefit (if you start higher than you should, you'll crash and burn)
Look for other roles - if you do, you need to improve this weakness

One last point - if your structuring is bad like they say, you could really use a coach! Get one (perhaps biasedly, like me) that actually focuses on the mindset shift of structuring. This is not easy, and you'll be much better served (in both succeeding in the role and getting a faster promotion) if you hit the ground running on the job already knowing how to structure/framework properly.

Here's some reading that's important for proper structuring/frameworking: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Answer 4

Hi Andy,

Sorry to hear that. This could happen, but they should offer a quick promotion path (eg 6 months) to Associate given your experience. If they didn’t, I would try to negotiate it.

If they don’t offer it, it could still make sense for you to join depending on:

The opportunity cost to join versus the other options
Your willingness to work in a role with colleagues/managers that are a lot more junior. For many people this could be a source of demotivation

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 5

Hi

With your level of experience and MBA, I would negotiate very hard with the team. Otherwise, it will become very demotivating after a short while when you will see candidates with similar experience as yours in more senior positions. I have seen plenty of similar cases where candidates have not lasted long with the firm because of their discontent with the position offered.

I hope this helps.

BR

Answer 6

Dear candidate,

do not worry. While this might demotivate you a bit, simply think long-term about this. Let's say you have to work until your 70, the 2-3 extra years of entering at a lower level but at a firm that you like, will not make the difference. And hopefully they will show enough appreciation for your work after you have joined so that you will be happy and satisfied. You will advance quickly and will get to exactly the level you want to be at.

Best regards

Answer 7

What does this actually mean in terms of salary and progression. Will they promote you after one year (assuming you do “ok”)? Or do you face an up-or-out after that year?

Is your salary going to be significantly downgraded or not.

If you are actually getting an extra year before “up-or-out” and the salary cut is not very significant, this is not necessarily a bad deal. Can actually be a good one in the long run. Whereas if you face up-or-out at the end of the deal and get a relevant salary cut… I suggest you weight vs. the alternatives. Then it is more an issue of how bad you want to be in consulting and what alternatives do you have.