Office / selection

Hi there,

you will not have "easier" interviews by selecting one office over another. However, offices in very popular locations certainly get more applicants with the respective office being their top priority. Ultimately, you should choose where you can see yourself living.

One thing to consider - cost of living. You can assume that you will travel a lot in your consulting job. Maybe not as much as pre pandemic, but still enough. That means that you will only really get to enjoy the city you live in on weekends. Salaries are typically standardized per career level within the same country. So if you end up in an office location with a very high cost of living, your net income will likely be noticeably lower compared to other locations - just some food for thought.

Best of luck

Hey!

1. The office you select can have some impact on your chances, as certain offices may have higher demand or competition based on the region. For example, offices in major financial hubs like London or New York often see more applicants, so the chances of selection may be tougher. However, overall, the selection process is more about the quality of your application and fit with the firm, rather than the specific office you choose. From my time at McKinsey, I noticed that the firm focuses on finding the best fit for candidates rather than just hiring based on office location.
2. The second office you select typically doesn’t have a major impact on your chances, but it may provide more flexibility in terms of office logistics or hiring needs. If your first choice is highly competitive, selecting a second office with lower demand may increase your chances of being considered. In my experience at McKinsey, the second office is usually seen as a backup, and your primary office preference is where you will be most strongly evaluated.

Good luck! Alessa :)

Hi there

1. Major cities (e.g., NYC) will be more competitive than smaller ones due to volume of applicants
2. Firms want to know your true preference, so I recommend placing significant weight (78-80%) in the city you want to end up in. The secondary offices get your resume but want to focus on candidates with clear preference for being in that office. Don’t overthink it from a gaming the application perspective. Choose where you’d be happy. 

If your question is about choosing office within the United States, I find that people tend to overexaggerate the importance of the "popularity" of a particular office. For instance, New York is ten times larger than smaller offices, so it needs ten times more consultants each year. This occasionally leads to a lower number of applicants per seat compared to smaller offices. Additionally, interviews are completely identical—I have never had a discussion with other interviewers where we decided to be more strict just because there were too many applicants. The bar is the bar—if you perform well in the interviews, you will get in. My advice would be to choose the office you truly want to join and the city where you want to live.

Choosing offices internationally is a different story. It is indeed much more difficult to get an interview in London than in other, less popular locations.

Office selection can influence your chances, as highly sought-after locations (e.g., NYC or London) tend to have greater competition, while smaller offices may face less demand. Additionally, certain offices may experience higher hiring needs due to industry-specific project demand (e.g., offices with strong energy practices during periods of high oil prices). Firms prioritize aligning candidates with their stated preferences, so it’s essential to select offices where you genuinely see yourself thriving and can clearly articulate your authentic interest.

Your second office choice typically has limited impact on the application outcome but offers flexibility for placement. Focus on choosing locations where you’d be happiest and most productive.

Best of luck!

Hey there, 

In general, the more applications a certain office gets - the more competitive it becomes. So as far as chances of selection go, less popular offices are not as difficult to get in to. Also, another consideration is any specific expertise or characteristics/requirements an office may have. For example, if an office does a lot of tech and analytics work, they may look for more of these profiles - and if yours fits this profile, you'd have better chances than an office that would be looking for healthcare expertise. 

Generally, a second office just adds an extra option if the first option doesn't work. But be careful, because in some firms - if you don't get into the first choice offer - you can be rejected across all other offices, but other firms will allow you to try again with another office

All the best

Hi there,

1. At the end of the day, it comes down to supply/demand, hence popular locations can be a bit harder
2. Can make a difference if your first office is extremely popular and you might get rejected during resume screening for that office

All the best,

Florian

This is important for two reasons:

1. Recruiting targets are determined by each office.

2. Some offices are more competitive, with a higher number of applicants than others.

Best,

Alberto