Verabrede dich zum Casen über das Meeting-Board, nimm an Diskussionen in unserem Consulting Q&A teil und finde gleichgesinnte Interview-Partner:innen, um dich auszutauschen und gemeinsam zu üben!
Zurück zur Übersicht

Break into MBB later

Hello everyone,

I received rejections from BCG and McKinsey. Currently, I have the opportunity to pursue a funded PhD at TUM in Munich or start as a Consultant at T3 / T4 like Horvath …

What would you recommend, to break into MBB later in my career?

3
400+
18
Schreibe die erste Antwort!
Bisher hat niemand auf diese Frage reagiert.
Beste Antwort
Peter
Coach
bearbeitet am 24. Juli 2024
Ex-McKinsey Engagement Manager; 18/20 personal case record; ask me for my free cheat-sheet

I think this depends on whether you were rejected (1) at the application stage or (2) after an interview. 

  1. Even if you have a strong existing academic pedigree your application just might have not been competitive enough against others - if that's the case neither T3/4 experience or a PhD will likely land you an interview in the future unless there is significant difference in credentials (on balance).  If you had an offer to work at a T1.5/2 firm that would be more favoured by MBB.
  2. If your application was strong enough to land an interview and you were a bit unlucky in the process, then you will have to wait ~18 months to apply again. I would lean towards a PhD. That way after ~3yrs you could apply as an advanced degree candidate and enter at the Associate level (or equivalent). Work experience is also valuable, but if you decided to work for 1-2yrs in T3/4 you will still (most likely) need to enter MBB at the entry level (Business Analyst or equivalent). 

JMO - good luck! 

Florian
Coach
am 25. Juli 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

It depends solely on your preferences.

From a theoretical perspective, both a PhD or a tier-2/3/4 would be a good starting position to try again, but at the end of the day, you need to ask yourself if that's what you want.

No coach can answer this for you. :-)

Cheers

Florian

Pedro
Coach
am 25. Juli 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

Both are equivalent.

But let me ask you a question: do you want to have a high-quality brand name in your resume, or do you want to be a strategy consultant (or at least experience 2-3 years as a strategy consultant).

Honestly I always lean toward getting experience in the industry (as long as it is a reasonably credible name) vs. more academics. Once you have experience in the industry and a good track record, then it is a good time to go for the academic route to support the transition to a better brand.

Ähnliche Fragen
Consulting
Just did the Mckinsey Solve Game (January 2025) - got some questions/insights
am 24. Apr. 2025
Global
5
3,6k
Beste Antwort von
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
39
5 Antworten
3,6k Aufrufe
+2
Consulting
McKinsey background check
am 31. Mai 2024
Global
10
2,8k
Beste Antwort von
Ex-McKinsey |5y consulting experience | Specialization in Psychology | Proven holistic mentor
64
10 Antworten
2,8k Aufrufe
+7
Consulting
McKinsey PEI - Same incident/story for Courageous Change and Inclusive Leadership
am 28. Mai 2024
Global
7
2,7k
Beste Antwort von
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
84
7 Antworten
2,7k Aufrufe
+4
Wie wahrscheinlich ist es, dass du uns einem Freund oder Kommilitonen empfiehlst?
0 = Nicht wahrscheinlich
10 = Sehr wahrscheinlich
Vielen Dank für dein Feedback! Deine Meinung hilft uns, PrepLounge noch besser zu machen.