MBB Dubai to Europe? Is it possible (tell me about your experience or just your realistic opinion)

Hi there,

Congrats on the offer!

Worst case scenario: Leverage the brand to get a job at another company in the UK.

If you have McKinsey on your resume you can chart your own course.

Now, if you want to transfer within McKinsey, you can. It is do-able. It's not easy, but you can.

I've transfered a few times within companies and have the following advice:

1) Build a stellar reputation - do good work, work hard, and be known as "the guy/gal" for xx

2) Build your network - network agressively (yes, networking doesn't end once you've gotten the job offer). Make sure you're known by and have allies in people who make decisions such as staffing managers, Partners (specifically those responsible for recruiting/resources and who are heads of industry/function verticals), etc.

2) b). When I say network "aggressively" please don't be needy/annoying :) There's nothing worse than someone who is obviously working the room or trying to please!

3) Look out for opportunities - as mentioned in this Q&A already, look for office transfers, short-term projects, ambassadorships, etc.)

4) Practice patience and be flexible - how long have you tried for? This might take a year. And you need to be ready to go at the flip of a coin.

Bide your time, keep pushing, be smart, and you'll get there!

Hi there,

Congratulations on the McKinsey offer! In terms of your question:

Q: 2 years down the line I want to move to Europe, will it be possible to make a transition from the region with the firm or externally after working in the area?

Normally it is possible to transfer between offices or to a different consulting company in another region after a few years. 

To get a data-driven answer on the likelihood for the McKinsey Dubai office, you can do the following:

1. Go to LinkedIn
2. Add in the search bar a keyword related to your office (ie Dubai or UAE)
3. Add McKinsey as “Company” or “Previous Company”
4. Add as the current location the UK/your target country in Europe
5. Check how many current/former McKinsey consultants are present 
6. Normalize the results for the cohort size of your office to understand the likelihood

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi there, 

Congrats on the job offers! This sounds amazing. 

Sharing below a link with tips on how to be a distinctive consultant in your first year:

• How to Survive Your First Year as a Management Consultant

Then, in terms of the transfer, this is by all means doable. 2 years is actually a healthy timeline and being part of the Dubai office is great since it's a rather international office. What you need to work on for the transfer are two things:
1. Pull. You need to identify 1-3 Partners that really want to work with you and need you on a regular basis. They could then make the case for your transfer.

2. Value proposition. You need to develop a strong value proposition. Basically, what are the 2-3 things that you stand for in terms of expertise and for which you'd be attractive to your target office. 

Best,
Cristian

There is nothing wrong with joining McK in Dubai.

Why don't we discuss this matter after you've spent 2 years in Dubai - perhaps that will change your mind?

You've taken up an opportunity that thousands are fighting for every year. Why regret it now? Let it play out.

• Case 1: 2 years later you want to continue with McK and/or Dubai
• Case 2: 2 years later you get an McK transfer to a country of your choice
• Case 3: 2 years later you do not get a transfer and do not wish to continue in Dubai - so you resign and find another job in your target EU country

How bad can it be?

Feel free to drop me a message if you want to discuss this further.