Choosing Between BCG And McKinsey Fulltime Offer - Considering Recent Press?

Hi there,

This is a really tough (good) question that's hard to answer via Q&A!

Personally (emphasis: personally), if I had to do it all again, I would still pick BCG over McKinsey. To me, the added prestige of McK wasn't worth being in a place that I felt I didn't “fit” with. (To me, MBB was “enough”).

That said, McK continues to be and will likely continue to be the #1 firm. It's hard to predict the future - the scandals may bring McK down to “equal” BCG/Bain in prestige or they may not.

Additionally, while I would read online culture information with a grain of salt, I also did find what I read online to be mostly on point with my experiences at BCG - that stuff is written for a reason…it doesn't come out of thin air!

Ultimately, you need to balance your current and future happiness - i.e. what are you willing to sacrifice now for a different future and what does that future look like? Only you can decide!

Hi there,

First of all congratulations on the offers, getting both McKinsey and BCG is a great achievement!

Interesting questions. You can find some answers on the recent press here:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/career-at-mckinsey-given-the-scandals-9193

In terms of McKinsey being more formal than BCG: I got the same impression when I interviewed with them. However, this could be office-dependent and things may have changed since then (feeling a bit old writing this;)).

In terms of the scandals: they are definitely not good for McKinsey, but personally I doubt they will lead to a significant decline of the brand on their own.

In terms of the decision to make, I would consider the following:

• Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Look at the company that can help you to achieve that goal faster. If you are not sure, the McKinsey brand is still stronger in most countries.
• If you consider the average consultant/partner you talked to in each company, which one would you rather be? Quoting Jim Rohn, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You will spend a lot of time with your colleagues in the next years - be sure you choose a company where the people are close to the person you want to become.
• What is your gut feeling telling you? Our gut feeling is able to catch elements we cannot initially rationalize. You may “feel” a company is better, but don’t know exactly why. Delve into why you feel that way, do some research on that and try to understand if that point is valid.

If you want to do extra due diligence, contact Alumni of your university (not current consultants) that worked in the office you are targeting (bonus if they worked for both companies). You will learn more in a 30min call with them than with any online research you may do.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

Nicely done! You can’t really choose wrong here.

I am former McKinsey and loved working there! What differentiates McK from the other MBB is its internal talent i.e. plenty of highly specialized people blended in with all the generalists. I always found that to be very unique and amazing!

As for culture, all MBB are ultimately very similar despite what people will tell you about any differences. It’s always crunch time and the work is never done… Which is good and bad!

As for any scandals, I wouldn’t worry about it. Personally, I don’t think any MBB is better or worse that the other. It’s just that the media and investigative journalism is hyper focused and obsessed with McKinsey, which make them stand out in the public eye.

Bottom line, go with your gut and if your gut doesn’t tell you anything, go with McKinsey :)

Hi there,

Although I think culture is important (and I have a feeling that BCG is not only more supportive and transparent, but also more diverse), I think a more crucial factor in your decision-making process should also be your long-term career plans: i.e. which industry do you see yourself in. So for me, for instance, I knew that I wanted to work in healthcare and I picked BCG because it was the market leader in healthcare in my region. 

I would not underestimate industry focus and would incorporate it as your decision-making criteria. 

But other than that, you are right, the two firms are quite similar - that's what I've at least heard from people switching from McK to BCG.

Well done and good luck!

Hi there, 

congratulations on your offers! Well done! 

I am BCGer and I would be happy to share my experience and answer your questions if interested (no fee). Feel free to reach out directly, 

Lucie

Was this answer helpful

Instead of asking random ex-McK/BCG consultants from various offices on PrepLounge,  I would try to meet as many consultant/partners at both firms in your location.   I recall one candidate who had offers to all three MBBs and asked to meet with every single partner in the office before making his decision!  That will inform you the actual people you would likely be working with and the culture you would be exposed to.  The recent press is extremely uninspiring but like with any media attack, it is often seasonal and so I wouldn't use that as a way to generalise your decision.  

Congrats on the offers.

Regarding the negative press, remember they (various big Consulting firms) are “all the same” :). 

For some more tips on how to choose wisely have a look at this article- https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-do-i-know-which-career-is-right-for-me

Hi there

first of all, congratulations! Great problem to have.

In my personal view, while being biased (exBCG), I'd choose based on where you can relate to the people more. Comp, perks, types of projects, way of working, prestige, mobility etc. will largely be the same - where the definitely firms differ is their company culture / people.

In terms of reputation, while it is true that McK has some negative press, the firm's brand is still very strong. Hence, would not over-index on that part at all. Regarding cross-offers - this really varies year-by-year (I have an MBA myself and did MBA recruiting after - hence am well aware of the stats)

Suggest you reflect on where your interactions with friends, network and interviewers from the firm were more relatable for you personally - that will give you a good indication on where you would enjoy the job more.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Andi

Choose the firm you had the best fit with. Don't believe all the hype in the New York Times. They make all consultants sound like criminals but the reality is far from this. 99% of people at McK worked hard, had the best interest of their clients and wanted to make an impact. If someone started digging into BCG and Bain (as has started to happen) plenty of stuff will come out there too. This is true for literally any large company that has been around for ages.

Udayan

Hello!

Perhaps my opinion is a bit biased for my McK background. 

The piece of advice that I would offer is: ask them to spend a day with a team in each of the companies, you get a taste of how the culture is, and how you feel in it. 

Cheers, 

Clara