Are MBB's truly more similar than different? (I think not...)

It's great that you're being so thoughtful about the decision!  There's also clear variation between offices/practices to be mindful of.  Personally, I would be slightly hesitant to extrapolate your personal experience (I have heard many opposite cases too) to be representative as both are large firms but your experience as a candidate is definitely a worthwhile consideration.

If helpful, I would add my experience being a client to both McKinsey and BCG now.  I find BCG much more collaborative (with their clients) by listening, understanding stakeholders and delivering what is being asked even if mundane tasks.  For example, I seen BCG senior partners engaging with junior members in my company and not feeling the need to drive the conversation either.  On the flip side, McKinsey has brought a more independent perspective which has been valuable in certain situations where they don't allow the company politics to drive the answer they present.  Again, this is n=1, but I was aware of this general nuance on average when I was at McKinsey although it really depends on the individual teams of consultants.  

If you are clear of the type of work/people you want to work with then I would solve for them.  If not, the experience can be so similar that I would just go with where you feel a stronger overall fit for you to be successful which is far more important than the company name, especially when you're comparing McK vs. BCG. 

Good luck!

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Hi there,

With regards to your own experience - I would suggest that you have to few data points. That's because:

• For any given firm and office, you may get lucky or unlucky with interviewers depending on the day
• For any given firm, you may get big differences between offices and regions e.g. Germany vs. Chile (my own experience with McK)
• For any given firm, you may get big differences between practices e.g. M&A vs. Ops

Hence, what it comes down to is what you make out of your time in any of those firms! You could join either one and have a VERY different experience, depending on what path you take. They're not homogenous at all…

Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!

Hi there, 

From personal experience, they are very similar. 

My wife and I joined BCG and McK respectively at around the same time and both spent close to five years in the firms. We had very similar experience overall and the people in the firms are very similar as well. 

You are likely to find bigger differences within the offices inside the same firm (e.g., BCG US vs BCG Europe) than between firms within the same geography (e.g., McK Europe vs BCG Europe). 

I think you should do whatever has a better vibe for you and based on your story, it sounds like it's rather BCG. Of course, it's also fair to say that your story is not representative of everybody and many tends to have the opposite experience. 

Best,
Cristian

There are some great answers here already from people who know MBB better than I do (I worked at Oliver Wyman for 11 years) so I won't opine on which is better between the three.

One piece of advice I often give mentees who are struggling with the decision around multiple offers - there may be differences but all firms (and others like OW / ATK etc.) are all pretty good places to start your career. You shouldn't feel anxious about your decision because it's likely that no matter what your choice it will leave you in a great place in a few years' time.

Hello!

Huge congrats!

I do think that they are VERY VERY similar, particularly related to the fact that what matters most, the people, is quite similar (talented, friendly, overachievers -insecure overachievers actually-, eager to learn and teach, curious…)

I think you are being very thoughtful about the process and it´s great. Honestly, I would do what a parter with whom I used to work with did: ask to spend a day in each of them. She had it clear then … ;) ;)

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

At the core of it- behaviours, performance expectations, type of work & general well-being, I am going to say that they will all be pretty similar. Of course there will be variations in various aspects by office/country, but broadly the core will be same. Same thing different logo :).

As a candidate, I always advice people to go for mutual FIT! This includes strong FIT in terms of:

1. Personal and professional values (culture, leadership, ways of working, reputation, etc
2. Career aspirations
3. Will this job allow me to give my best and be happier
4. Are any underlying risks of taking this job manageable

Please have a browse of this article which provides more guidance on how to choose between jobs/careers- https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-do-i-know-which-career-is-right-for-me

All the best!

Hi there, 

congrats on both offers! A great achievement! I hope you celebrated in those <2% of getting the offer!

I am still with BCG so maybe I am not the most objective person, but BCG is a really a great company with amazing people, where you can be yourself. This impression i had from day 1 when I got contacted until now, almost 3 years working for the firm. 

On the salary and prestige: I very much disagree that McKinsey is more prestigious than BCG, I actually think BCG is ahead on digital, sustainability and many other things, plus we are NOT prone to scandals as McKinsey eventually (still think is individual failure rather than company). 

I would leverage you offer from McKinsey to negotiate the salary difference with BCG, 10% is not much and you should be able to close it. 

Good luck!

Lucie

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