resigning an already signed offer letter from McK

In addition to the excellent responses from my colleagues, I want to challenge you to think about something different:

You mentioned, “I do believe that being a generalist is better than a junior specialist as I am changing careers.”

Take a moment to carefully consider this. The average turnover for people transitioning into consulting from another field is less than a year. As a generalist, you’ll be competing with professionals who have been trained as MBB consultants since university. They’ll create slides faster than you, build Excel models twice as complex, and have the endurance for the long hours typical in consulting.

An entry-level specialist role, on the other hand, might allow you to leverage your previous expertise, giving you an edge in certain areas.

I’m not suggesting that one option is definitively better than the other. Instead, I encourage you to seek evidence to challenge and refine your perspective.

Best,

Alberto

Congratulations on the offers! Generally, contracts do not impose obligations unless a signing bonus was provided, in which case you may need to return it.

The best approach is to communicate your decision with honesty and professionalism to the other firm, explaining that this opportunity better suits your long-term objectives. Firms usually understand such situations.

Best of luck!

Hey there, 

A highly probably drawback would be potentially harming obtaining future offers from McKinsey. I'd recommend you understand whatever legal implications exist in your area on contracts. 

I'd challenge the generalist vs specialist view have too.. :-) Not because it's wrong per se - but just that there is quite a lot to unpack to understand which may be more relevant for you

DM me if you'd like to discuss this further. 

Wishing you all the best!!

Congratulations on the offers! This is an enviable position for a lot of folks. 

People find themselves in this situation, and it’s a scenario that firms are familiar with. If BCG is the right move for you (generalist vs specialist thinking makes sense), I would encourage you to pursue that opportunity and communicate that decision to McKinsey as soon as possible. 

I can’t offer legal advice, but what I would say is that these contracts don’t typically lock you into any obligations unless you’ve been paid a signing bonus. 

no drawbacks at all; at worst you get blacklisted from McKinsey in the near future, which is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things considering you have mBb in your resume regardless. 

if you want to play both sides; inform mckinsey that you were offered one position higher at bcg and they might adjust accordingly. 

Hey there!

First of all: congrats! Resigning from a signed offer, especially at McK, can be a difficult decision. It's not common to rescind an offer once signed, and while McKinsey might understand the situation, it could impact your reputation with the firm and in the industry. Legally, there may be clauses in the offer letter regarding breach of contract, but in most cases, firms like McKinsey are more concerned with how you handle the situation professionally. You should approach this with transparency and professionalism—ideally, explaining your decision respectfully and acknowledging the opportunity they provided. If you have a cross offer from BCG, this is a strong reason to switch, and firms will likely appreciate your candor if you handle it the right way. From my own experience at McKinsey, it's important to weigh both the immediate benefits and the long-term impact on your career trajectory.

Best, Alessa :)

Hi there,

Congratulations!

The legal drawbacks depend on the country and local laws. In my home country, the worst that can happen is that they can ask you to pay 1 month of gross salary as a penalty I believe (they would never do that in reality).

Other than that, you might never be able to apply with McKinsey.

All the best,

Florian

1. This is not the place to look for legal advice.

2. I doubt they will take legal action, as it is not in their best interest to "force you" to work for them. But you will be blacklisted and it will be very hard to get a job at Mckinsey later on.

3. You only live once. Have an open conversation with them. They won't be happy, but they will understand.