Offers from BCG and Digital McKinsey: Decision?

Hi Robert,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I would highly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional (and maybe even personal) mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:

• Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., prestige, culture, international exposure, compensation, location). After that, score the two options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in two scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
• Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
• By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

Digital is the fastest growing segment in consulting. It means:

• Dedicated staffing and thus more choice
• More training
• Faster career progression
• Better exit opportunities 

So my recommendation is to go for McK Digital. Everything else will become obsolete in 5-10 years.

Best!

Hi Robert,

First of all, congratulations! Are you aligned to the digital practice in BCG, or did you receive the offer as a generalist? The answer to your question will be highly dependent on your appetite for digital projects.

As far as I know, both companies provide similar opportunities regarding career perspectives, salary, and alumni, thus this may not be a differentiating factor in your decision.

I would also encourage you to think about the people, interviewers you met at BCG and McKinsey, and assess who you would like to work with more. 

Best,

Deniz

Hi Robert,

congratulations on your offer! I would consider the following elements:

1. Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Based on that, look for how many alumni are more present in that field. It is not relevant that McKinsey has more Alumni, if they are not related to what you really want to do in your life. If you are keen to digital or you still don't know, everything equal the McKinsey brand is stronger.
2. If you consider the average consultant/partner you talked to in each company, which one would you rather be? Quoting Jim Rohn, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And you will spend a lot of time with your colleagues in the next years. Be sure you chose a company where people are close to the person you want to become.
3. What is your gut feeling telling you? Our gut feeling is able to catch elements we cannot rationalize, most of the time aligned with what we really want. After evaluating all the elements, if you still cannot decide I would recommend taking that in consideration as well for your final decision.

Best,

Francesco

I say go for the culture, if you are in an entry level position it's about the people you meet and whether you'll find a mentor. All the best, and great work!