Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Interview Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

Oil and Gas Exploration to MBB

Hi gents 

I am currently working in major Oil and Gas company in Saudi as an Explorationist with almost 3 years of Experience. 

[Geophysics degree ( high GPA)]

[Current full package 30k SR / month - 96k $ / year]

[ intense 40 hours a week , extremely safe, Slow progression, almost zero exit opportunities] 

I read a lot about Management consulting in the past few months. I liked it and I understood the work life balance I am putting at risk relative to my current job. I already networked to understand the business in the region more. 



Before committing to that career shift, I have few concerns related: 

- Technically, I am qualified to the entry level roles. That means I am expecting a slight drop in my total compensation relative to my current job. Can I negotiate using my previous salary here? 
- Am I still going to be hooked by my prior consulting experience ( Oil and Gas Exploration \ Earth science)? when considering exit opportunities after a career in MBB + MBA ( degree). 
 


I would love to hear your insights. 

I already applied to McKinsey and received + prepared well for the Solve assessment game. 

 

2
< 100
0
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
Mihir
Coach
edited on Jul 11, 2025
McKinsey Associate Partner and interviewer | Bulletproof MBB prep

I did a large amount of O&G work at McK and worked with several people with similar profiles to yours.

To your questions:

- You can try to negotiate but if you’re coming in as an Associate, it probably won’t be successful. Pretty much all first year Associate are paid the same within each office.

- To some degree, your exits depend on the role you have chosen, as well as how you approach your career within McKinsey. If you’re coming in as an O&G specialist consultant, then almost all of your work will be O&G. If you’re coming in as a generalist, you can shape your own path completely, and your exit opps will shift accordingly.

Good luck. Let me know if you’d like some help preparing.

Jeroen
Coach
6 hrs ago
Ex-Netherlands Recruitment Lead OW | 5+ years of coaching experience | Great Price/Value | Free Intro Calls

Adding to the points above, career /salary progression at strategy consulting firms is typically quite steep so even if you’re taking a slight pay cut now you’ll likely make up for it soon again.


In terms of success, I have worked with many experienced hires over the years and being successful in a consulting firm can be slightly more challenging for them than for new grads. Reach out if you’d like to talk more about that so I’d give you some pointers too.

Similar Questions
Consulting
OW vs MBB in the ME: how Much Does It Matter in the Long Run?
on Sep 25, 2024
Middle East
6
2.3k
Top answer by
Alessa
Coach
xMcKinsey & Company | xBCG | xRB | >400 coachings | feel free to schedule an intro call for free
78
6 Answers
2.3k Views
+3
Consulting
Doing MBA at insead
on Jan 05, 2025
Middle East
6
1.0k
Top answer by
Ariadna
Coach
BCG | Project Leader and Experienced Interviewer | MBA at London Business School
22
6 Answers
1.0k Views
+3
Consulting
IESE vs IE for MBB (read below)
on Mar 11, 2025
Middle East
4
1.3k
Top answer by
Alessa
Coach
xMcKinsey & Company | xBCG | xRB | >400 coachings | feel free to schedule an intro call for free
15
4 Answers
1.3k Views
+1