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

McKinsey vs T2 offer Riyadh

I have offers from McKinsey and Oliver Wyman, both in Riyadh for entry level positions. 

I want to choose Mck for the brand name and prestige and extremely friendly people who I met during the interview process. OW package is ~30% higher all in compared to Mck which to me is a considerable difference. The interviewers at OW were nice too but I couldn't connect with them as much as the interviewers at McK.

My question is:

Is the McKinsey brand name worth sacrificing the higher comp from OW? Or should I cash out on the OW offer as brand names don't matter as much? 

6
1,3k
34
Schreibe die erste Antwort!
Bisher hat niemand auf diese Frage reagiert.
Beste Antwort
Mamoun
Coach
bearbeitet am 23. Juli 2024
Prepares you to crack ALL cases | Interviewer with recent cases, 150+ interviews, 6+ years exp (France, MENA)

First congrats for your 2 offers!

From my experience:

  1. McK brand is stronger than T2 and will help you get you through screening processes and you will get a bit more attention from headhunters
  2. However, the brand is a small component in what will get you a strong exit, more importantly is the network you will build during your time within the firm (internally and with clients) and how you perform during interviews. Some of the best exits I saw were consultants hired by a former partner/manager or client. I worked at Kearney and Roland Berger and yet I managed to get offers against x-MBBs when I left consulting because I did better during the interviews. 
  3. 30% gap in salary can seem huge but it may not be. You get promotions and salary raises very fast in consulting, so look at your total compensation over 3-4 years at least (or more if that’s your goal). OW used to give a signing bonus for entry positions in Paris - they were the only one to do it - to improve their conversion rate on offers made. But if you consider it over your entire consulting career it really doesn’t make a huge difference
  4. Finally, don’t give too much importance to the fit you got with a couple of guys during an interview. There are hundreds of consultants at McK in the region (projects are often staffed across offices), it is likely that the guys you met  are not that representative…
     
Florian
Coach
am 22. Juli 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

Potentially biased but I would go with McK in your situation for two reasons:

  • Connection with the people: If you mention that you enjoyed the process with them much more, that is a great indicator of how you will enjoy the work, which in turn influences performance, progression, and most importantly, your happiness and well-being. 30% more comp is not worth it if you like something less
  • Lifetime comp and exit opportunities: The McKinsey brand will open many more doors in your future than a T2 brand (even though OW is a great firm). Long-term your opportunities will be better with McKinsey. If you decide to stay and make partner, the comp will be higher. If you decide to leave earler, exit opps will be better.

Congrats! :-)

Cheers,

Florian

Ariadna
Coach
am 22. Juli 2024
BCG | Project Leader and Experienced Interviewer | MBA at London Business School

Well done on the offers! 

I fully agree with both previous answers - even if they argue slightly different points, all the points mentioned are extremely valid and hope they help you in your decision. 

One other consideration I would add from my side: they type of work they do in the region. I don't have first hand info on either McKinsey or OW in RIyadh (I was with BCG there for a while, so could talk about that, but not representative for your situation), but this is something worth investigating before selecting an option.  

To illustrate, I know quite well the difference between McK/BCG and OW London and plenty of people that would have not thrived in one or the other environment. The type of project, the type of clients, the way teams are set-up are sufficiently different to fit someone better than another person. 

I expect these differences to be even bigger in Riyadh. 

So my advice is try to talk with folks at similar levels you would be joining (+ 1 or 2 levels up max) and ask what type of work they have been doing so far. What they like and dislike about their work. The goal is to imagine working there and add this as one of the criteria to your decision, beyond prestige and money. 

Hope this helps, 

Ariadna 

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

I would take the Mckinsey offer. It's a better brand, and you'll get ~20% yearly salary increases anyway. There's a chance you'll catch up in time, and any difference is merely temporary.

Also much sure you compare the variable part of the compensation. It is possible that one get's more fixed but less variable, and the difference is not as steep.

am 31. Juli 2024
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer & top performer

Yes, the brand name is worth it. (in addition to other advantages). 

Take it from someone who jumped from T2 to MBB :)

Thabang
Coach
am 1. März 2025
Ex-McKinsey Consultant | McKinsey Top Coach & Interviewer | Special Offer: Buy 1 Session Get 1 Free (Limited time!)

Hey there,

McKinsey brand name is powerful yes, but also because you will get opportunities to work with major brands that could open up doors. 

Also depending on how long you choose to stay, the McKinsey comp tends up with and pass the OW 

Weigh your short term vs long term needs 

All the best! 

Ähnliche Fragen
Consulting
How to prep 1st round of interviews with BCG in less than 1 week?
am 29. Juli 2024
Global
9
11,4k
Beste Antwort von
Tiago
Coach
ex-BCG Consultant & Interviewer | +150 interviews | Tackle any case w/o memorizing frameworks | Harvard MBA
354
9 Antworten
11,4k Aufrufe
+6
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
Consulting
BCG Knowledge DIRECTOR SALARY
am 31. Mai 2024
Global
6
3,2k
Beste Antwort von
Florian
Coach
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU
80
6 Antworten
3,2k Aufrufe
+3
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.