London vs the ME

London MBB Middle East Private Equity
Neue Antwort am 21. März 2021
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Anonym A fragte am 18. März 2021

Hi,

I am currently doing an MBA at a top European business school. I have an invitation for a summer internship at the London office of BCG as well as at the Dubai office of Bain. Until recently, I hoped that I would not have this dilemma but now I need to choose one.
Looking ahead, I plan to work for 2-3 years in the field of consulting and move to a London-based PE firm.

London BCG
+ More opportunities to network/deal with PE firms
- Tough competition; hard to stand out(?)
- Infamous compensation level

Dubai Bain
+ Good chances to deal with DD (given the firm's specialisation)
+ Better income
- Far from target exit firms (zero networks opportunities)

Please evaluate the correctness of the above.

To summarize, do PE firms need a specific skillset (both options) or regional expertise (London office)?

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Beste Antwort
Francesco
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Content Creator
antwortete am 18. März 2021
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Just from the information you shared, I would go for BCG London:

  • Target city – important for networking
  • Doesn’t preclude the possibility to work in PE
  • Bain in ME is not that strong
  • Compensation level long term won’t matter much

As an additional point: I would also consider the personal fit with the companies. It doesn’t make much sense to join a firm where the culture is very different from the one where you feel you would thrive.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

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Ian
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Content Creator
antwortete am 18. März 2021
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

At first glance this is a real tough one! Then, once factoring in what matters do you, I think it becomes clearer that BCG London is your best choice.

Why?

  1. Europe is where you want to be - no point in deviating
  2. If you want London PE, you'll want to be there over the next few years....you're going to build out your London network during this entire time (not just from BCG, but just from going out in London and socializing)...far more valuable than a foreign Bain network
  3. Bain doesn't inherently mean PE. And BCG doesn't inherently mean not PE. I had a close friend in BCG Australia who opted to get ring-fenced...I.e. was "tagged" for only DD projects for half a year. You can absolutely get yourself onto finance/banking/PE projects in BCG London.
  4. The only benefit with Bain is total compensation. This doesn't really seem to matter much to you (and it shouldn't). As the level you're at, more $$ doesn't bring happiness...fullfillment and being somewhere you like does.
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Clara
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 19. März 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Congrats!

It´s a very very very hard choices since both align to you in the short and long term. Good news is that the decision cannot be wrong at this point.

Personally, I would remain in Europe and try to build the network here.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Ken
Experte
antwortete am 18. März 2021
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

Assuming you are thinking of deal (not ops), moving to PE 2-3 years after MBA is not typical which is something I thought might be worth flagging. Based on my experience at McKinsey, the PE market in the ME is extremely limited compared to Europe or US and so it's worth thinking about how much actual deal experience you will get (vs. just the perception of Bain globally). Lastly, regional experience is important where there are interesting PE/investment roles in the ME too but if you are focused on working in London then it probably makes more sense for you to develop your network and experience there.

Good luck!

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Raj
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 21. März 2021
FREE 15MIN CONSULTATION | #1 Strategy& / OW coach | >70 5* reviews |90% offers ⇨ prep-success.super.site | MENA, DE, UK

I would aim to go to a globally renowned office to start off your career such as SF / NY / London / Singapore.

It will be far easier to go from Europe/US -> MENA/APAC, but the inverse isn't so true.

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Adi
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 18. März 2021
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Hey,

Congrats!

A quick answer for you- choose that which is a better fit to your values, career aspirations & risk profile. Choose that which will allow you to do what you really want to do & help you achieve your mid term goals (2-5 yrs). Long term planning is very difficult in this environment. Rest will follow if you make the right moves. Dont let money alone be the deciding factor.

All the best choosing.

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Gaurav
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 18. März 2021
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there,

Congrats on both offers!
I'd join the coaches - I would also go with London since it aligns more with your future plans.

Cheers, GB

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Francesco gab die beste Antwort

Francesco

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