It would be good to hear from MBB consultants with experience in London, and whether there are differences between Bain, McKinsey, or BCG.
I understand that travel is mainly dependent on the case/client you are working with at the time; however, how realistic is it to have an average of one or two days working remotely (from home) per week?
Hi there,
Happy to provide a perspective on this.
The difference between the firms across the London offices is minor, especially in terms of their industry focus.
Travel-wise, all of the three have started offering more projects where the travel days are no longer Mon-Thur, but rather Tue-Thur or Mon-Wed (basically, switching from three night at the client site to one or two for projects outside of London).
The benefit with London is that many projects do happen in the city, but as you can imagine, the competition / demand for these projects also tends to be higher.
If you're interesting in lifestyle while in consulting, you might find the following guide useful:
Best,
Cristian
hey!
you’re right, it depends a lot on the client and team culture, but in London, hybrid setups have become more common post-COVID. 1–2 WFH days per week is realistic at all three firms, especially if the client is local or open to remote work. Bain is generally seen as a bit more flexible, but ultimately it varies more by project than by firm. worth flagging preferences early on with your team lead!
best, Alessa 😊
Based on my personal experience at McK and friends at BCG London - honestly, it's pretty project dependent as it depends on the EM & partners's working preferences. Typically Friday is pretty flexible but increasingly expectations are to colocate Mon-Thurs either at client's or office, though you could commute in later if calendar permits.
Realistically as an ASC/BA you'll likely be pressured to follow the structure the EM dictates. However, if you're on the beach you'll most likely be remote.
There's no real difference between the firms.
In most cases, you can get away with one or two days a week WFH.
When I joined consulting in 2019, I was at the client site 4 days a week in most cases. Now it's down to 2 or 3.
Some projects demand more time on site, but that is the new normal.
Hi there,
Most firms are rolling back their work-from-home policies — especially for entry-level roles — and there’s a good reason.
When you’re starting out, your learning curve is steep. You’re not just solving problems — you’re learning how to work: how to build a slide, communicate like a consultant, use Excel like a ninja, and decode your client’s industry. That stuff doesn’t happen as well over Zoom.
After COVID, firms noticed: juniors working remotely learned slower. That’s why many now expect you to show up in person, at least most of the time.
So don’t plan around WFH flexibility. If you’re joining MBB (or any other top firm), be on site. You’ll grow faster — and stand out sooner.
Best,
Alberto
