Should I apply for McKinsey

Question

Dear Strategists,

I get a offer via “”BB""'s APD program (an APAC office).

But an ex-Mck consultant suggested that I should try to apply for McKinsey if I want to work globally. ( since their “one firm” policy?)

In my opinion, there is no big difference between M and BB for my future. I doubt if I should invest an extra month or two.

Answer 1

People tend to think about this in very separate categories, but that is not the reality. It is not work nationally vs. regionally vs. globally. There is a continuum.

In other words, if you are in an European office, you have higher likelyhood of working in your home country, then accross Europe, and then across the world.

Some firms will focus a bit more regionally, others more globally - but the difference is not huge. I worked for Bain in Madrid and at some point was being considered for an APAC project (and just didn't happen for non-staffing reasons).

Of course, if you are more of a generalist, you will focus more on national-regional, but if you become more of a specialist in certain industries, particularly if they are more of a niche type, you will have more of a global exposure.

You stating your staffing preferences has higher weight on this than the specific MBB staffing policy.

Answer 2

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

Generally speaking, you are absolutely right about the observation that MBB (and other consulting companies as well) are very much alike. While there might be slight differences with regards to focus industries, functions and ways of working, they practically all cater to (the same) clients across industries, regions and functions.
Moreover, mobility and staffing is mostly determined by specific needs, your versatility (with regards to languages) as well as the industry and function you might focus on, not by the company itself. For instance, when working for insurance clients, chances are very high that you will predominantly work for the local entity since insurance is a very national business. Or, in case you solely speak English, chances are very high that you will not be sent all across Europe due to existing language barriers (especially in Europe, most companies do not have English as business language).

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best decide about your next career steps, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Answer 3

Hi there,

It sounds like you were excited + happy to get the APD program offer. Then someone told you that you need more.

In my opinion you're good to go and should just jump headfirst into the BB role!

Congrats by the way! (If it's BCG shoot me a message - I worked in the BCG Melbourne office so happy to give you tips)