Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 452,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

BCG London vs. New York?

BCG bcg london
New answer on Feb 29, 2024
5 Answers
331 Views
Anonymous A asked on Jan 18, 2024

I’m deciding which offices to rank, and I have family in and personal connection to both cities (currently Oxbridge undergrad). Would love to hear if anyone knows what the specialities of BCG London are (key industries, strengths, culture etc) vs BCG New York? I’m more keen on London so any extra info there is appreciated.

Thank you all very much!

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Cristian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 18, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Hi there!

Nice options to choose between. 

Based on the description you're providing, London would make more sense for you, especially since you are an Oxbridge undergrad. Being from within the same geography will make it easier to get referrals and pass screening. 

In terms of industries, both NY and London are two of the biggest offices that BCG has, which means that they both do projects in all industries. There's no public data on this, but I expect the distribution in terms of project types and industries to be similar. 

If you're at the start of your application process, you might find the following guide useful:


Do reach out if you have any questions I could help out with. 

Best,
Cristian

Was this answer helpful?
Cam
Expert
replied on Jan 18, 2024
Ex-McKinsey EM | 100+ interviews including final round | Cambridge Engineer | INSEAD MBA | London & Sydney Offices

Hi there,

Unless you have some really niche interests professionally, I would make a decision on where you really want to live (and have work authorisation). These are the two biggest offices globally and both have a raft of very similar industries. BCG in London has an integrated staffing model across UK & Benelux, whilst NY is well integrated into the US market. What these both mean is that the breadth of opportunities in both markets is huge. 
There are significant work culture differences between Europe and the US that span much wider than just BCG (US being higher paid, more career driven, higher intensity) that will have a big bearing on your experience, and are worth thinking about. Exit ops are also better in home office geography, so also worth considering where you really want to be long term.

Hope this helps

Cam

Was this answer helpful?
Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 29, 2024
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I would highly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional and personal mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:

  • Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., local culture, friends, family). After that, score the two options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in two scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
  • Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
  • By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Was this answer helpful?
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 18, 2024
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

I would match on your PROFILE and RESUME.

Where is your work experience? Working rights? What address is on your resume?

From what I currently know (Oxford) then from the recruiter's perspective London makes much more sense (again, just from what I currently see).

As long as your profile fits with a city/country, then you are good to apply. The more it fits, the better your chances. And the more you're networked there, the better your chances. If London is your preferred option, then, again, from what I'm seeing, London seems to be a reasonable choice for you.

Was this answer helpful?
Florian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 19, 2024
Highest-rated McKinsey coach (ratings, offers, sessions) | 500+ offers | Author of The 1% & Consulting Career Secrets

Hi there,

Since you are not comparing firms and locations but just locations I would go for the location I prefer to live in for whatever reasons are important for you (close friends, family, exposure, long-term goals, salary, and tax considerations).

Generally, what feels better for you is the choice you should make. Everything that follows is just rationalizing why it feels better. :-)

Cheers,

Florian

Was this answer helpful?
Cristian gave the best answer

Cristian

Content Creator
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach
688
Meetings
28,688
Q&A Upvotes
125
Awards
5.0
216 Reviews