US T25MBA PM to MBB International offices

Hi there, 

A couple of actions you might consider:

1. See if you have any alumni from your MBA program who are currently working with MBB in ME. If so, reach out and ask nicely for a chat. The response rate is usually not bad, if the person graduated recently.
2. See if you have any contacts who are currently in MBB or used to be in MBB in the US (could be MBA Alumni, ex-MBB now in FAANG, or even from your own circle), and check if they can put you in connection with someone from the ME office.
3. Lastly you can reach out cold to current or ex MBB people in the ME, though the response rate would be much lower than the previous 2 options. 

Good luck!

Emily

Hi there,

in addition to what was suggested, two more tips:

1) there are often specific events for a region (e.g., I remember attending a BCG Middle East coffee chat event).

2) if you reach out cold via LinkedIn, try to filter for people with similarities (e.g., same school, nationality, degree, etc., where you can catch their attention and bond over it).

Feel free to reach out for more tips and support in the preparation process.

Cheers,

Kevin

T25 MBA + FAANG PM will read v. well, but Abu Dhabi and Doha offices are small, and don’t run broad MBA pipelines the way Riyadh or Dubai do. 

Start by reaching out to Associates and EMs in those offices via LinkedIn. Prioritize people who either did MBAs in the US or came from product/tech backgrounds (check McKinsey Digital / Quantum Black, BCG Digital Ventures, also don't overlook Accenture who has a massive footprint in the region for digital transformations, especially Abu Dhabi / KSA). Frame your outreach around regional motivation, not just prestige, comp. or lifestyle. GCC offices screen hard for long-term commitment and cultural awareness.

Also be aware: many hires into Riyadh get routed through Dubai temporarily or are transferred internally after a year or two (e.g., when KSA visa quotas are issued intermittently). If you're set on that geography, express it early but stay open to starting where headcount demand is higher. 

Let me know if you want help refining your pitch for that path. I was at McKinsey in the region and have coached candidates applying from North America.

In addition to what other coaches have said, your 'why the Middle East' story needs to be really tight.

Lots of great candidates won't pass screening because they have no demonstrable connection to the region.

Hi there,

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

• First of all, assuming that you don't just want to network for the sake of it but are aiming for a referral, I would strongly advise you to first research whether there are any specific MBA program recruiting events for these consulting firms in the Middle East.
• Moreover, if not, you can still search on LinkedIn for people who ideally share something in common with you, as they are more likely to provide you with a referral compared to consultants with whom you have no prior connection.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen