Defer Start Date for Bain Experienced Hire

You can always bring this up and discuss with HR, but it might come at a risk. The key question for me would be: why?

If you're joining as an AC3 now you'll be an SAC in a year. So even if they let you enter at a higher tenure (which is unlikely because MBB typically do not weigh a year somewhere else equivalent with a year at MBB), you'll have gained nothing in the long run.

In my eyes this might run the risk of just signalling that you're not fully committed to joining consulting. If your current company offers you another great opportunity in 12 months, you might face the same situation again or even stay for good.

Hello !

Usually, I would say you can defer.

However, 12 months it´s quite some time, it´s a full cycle!

It is worth bringing it to the table in any case since you:

1. have nothing to loose
2. With COVID, offers are being pushed back in time, so perhaps it does aling with Bain´s needs atm

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

I agree with Henning. MBBs are typically quite flexible about deferring start dates but 12 months for an experienced hire will raise questions of concern on your commitment to joining.

Hi there,

Yes, you can defer.

Yes, you can bring up the deferal to HR.

No, it cannot be discussed completely "openly", and yes, it could be taken in a negative light.

You need to be very careful with how you bring it up. Instead of saying "there's this other opportunity that I value more than Bain", you need to position it more as, "there are a few comittments I have to my current company and feel that there's some final development opportunities that I would like to obtain before I close that chapter. However, the end goal is ultimately Bain, which I would be very excited to join after a here"

Be careful with your wording, and make sure it sounds like a proposal/ask, rather than a demand. Furthermore, it's highly unlikely you can enter as an SAC.

On the one hand, I would say that it's a little bit risky to negotiate your defer for such a long term like 12 months. That's the whole cycle.

On the other hand, you can try, since with COVID situation most of the candidate have significantly postponed start date.

Cheers,

GB