What to do in the case of Entry level cross offers?

Question

Hi,

I have Mck final round as well as BCG final round scheduled for this friday and I was just wondering what I can do in the case that I get both offers?

Keep in mind I would be joining as entry level role, first job after my undergrad + MiM.

Its not a europe/US office so not sure what I can negotiate here….and also worried as they told me they dont negotiate for entry level….

One thing I really want to ensure is that they pay for my MBA down the line…

Thanks in advance….still cant believe the position I am in

Answer 1

Hi there,

Congrats on the journey so far! Sounds promising.

If you get both offers which is likely if you get one (generally if someone passes McK, they should also be able to pass BCG and vice versa), I would take the one where you felt most at home during the recruiting process.

Think about the interactions you had with consultants and HR. Where did you enjoy it the most? What did you learn about each firm and culture?

There are other differences as well that can help you make a decision (harder factors). For those, you could generate a weighted scoring system and figure out which offer carries a higher score for you. I describe this in my book Consulting Career Secrets in a bit more detail but it's not rocket science to do it yourself! :-)

Your point is correct: There is usually no room to negotiate at the entry level on salary/bonus in Europe. What sometimes can be discussed is relocation, starting bonus in certain cases. It does not hurt to try!

All the best for the interviews and the decision!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 2

Hi,

Both would obvioulsy be terrific options - you can't go wrong with either.

I'd optimize for fit: where did you like the people the most ? Keep in mind that hours can be long, so culture matters more than candidates typically assume

Usually there is no room for salary negotiations. In rare instances, you can try to negotiatie your position with a good counter-offer if you are experienced (e.g., if BCG offers you a more senior position than McK), but this does not apply to post-college positions (everyone is hired at the same level)

Cheers,

Answer 3

Hi there,

As Udayan said, let's focus on the important now and make sure you secure both offers. Come back here once you have them and we'll be more than happy to guide you on the decision process.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Answer 4

Hi there,

1) What I can do in the case that I get both offers?

I guess you mean how to choose between them. I agree with the other comments that it would make sense to wait to have both offers to decide.

In general, I would consider the following:

Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Try to identify the company that can help you to achieve that goal faster. You can check LinkedIn for that (see below).
If you consider the average person you talked to in each company, which one would you rather be? You will spend a lot of time with your colleagues in the next years - be sure you choose a company where the people are close to the person you want to become.
If money and prestige were not a consideration, which company would you choose? This could help you to identify additional elements to weigh you have not considered yet.

In terms of future exits, you can check them as follows:

Look for alumni of the two companies on LinkedIn.
Check how many moved to your preferred exits in your target region.
Normalize for the size of the companies in the region.

2) Its not a europe/US office so not sure what I can negotiate here

Normally the base salary for a given position is fixed for everyone. What you can usually negotiate is:

The signing bonus (if present)
The relocation bonus
The seniority you join (unlikely if you are applying for an entry-level role)

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 5

Hi there,

Great stuff! I hope you found time to reflect on your achievement.

Both firms will pay for your MBA, unquestionably, so don’t worry about that. And in terms of negotiating a better offer, some folks are successful at that, but my view is that it shouldn’t be an important factor in your decision making as frankly an extra $10k will be peanuts in the scale of things over the next 10 years.

The first, second and third most important thing to consider is which firm feels like ‘home’. Yes, some will be better at X industry or Y function but my strong view is that you’ll perform the best at whatever firm you feel happiest at, and that’s a function of people, culture, environment etc. In the mid-to-long run you’ll do much better in your career if you’re happy and healthy than if you’re slaving away so go with the firm which feels right.

Normally when you get a cross offer the firms start to woo you into joining them, so shamelessly take up every offer for dinner, coffee, social events, networking events etc and meet as many people as you can. By the end of it you’ll be socially exhausted but completely content with your decision.

Hope that helps, and again, well done!

B.

Answer 6

Don't mean to burst your bubble but for now focus on getting both offers. It's much easier to negotiate something when you have two offers vs planning for it beforehand. All the best for your interviews

Answer 7

Well, if you get both offers, the first thing that I would do is celebrate!

Congrats on getting this far in the process.

Both options are absolutely great, so you can't go wrong. I'd recommend you go for the one that gave you the best vibe during the recruitment process. It might also be worth chatting with a few people in that respective office to get an understanding of the culture.

Regarding negotiating the offer, indeed, you can't do much about the base salary - that's fixed for each role. Depending on the geography, you can negotiate the signing and relocation bonus. Especially on the relocation bonus (if applicable), you should create your own estimate of the associated costs and use this as an instrument during the negotiation.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 8

Hi there,

I think you should really spend your time and energy at this stage to focus on passing the final rounds and securing at least one offer. If you only get one, you won't have the “problem” of choosing.

If you get both, you should go with the firm where you felt a stronger connection to your interviewers and the company culture (if the compensation and the rest is comparable). However, don't count your chickens before they're hatched which is what you are currently doing.

Good luck

Answer 9

Hi there,

Congrats on two final rounds with MBB - that is fantastic!

A few things:

Don't think about this until after. Please focus on the interviews and don't count your chickens before the hatch
Figure out your priorities/values, then pick the one that fits best
Negotiate with the one that doesn't (why not)

And, again, don't even think about this until 2 offers come in :)

Good luck to you!

Answer 10

Make sure you pick the best one on the long run. The mistake here would be to look into the financial return over a 12 month period.