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Converting an internship application into a full time application - McKinsey Europe

Hello to everyone!

My situation is this; I am an MSc student in a STEM-related degree and I applied early this year for a BA internship in McKinsey; thinking I would like to test the waters and see if consulting is a good fit for me professionally. However, I recently got into a McKinsey program and that made me understand that I do want to continue with consulting full-time.

I also have more than 2 years of full-time experience (and even more including full-time internships) albeit in a technical field (data engineering and data analysis.

Is it possible to convert my application into a Junior Associate role or even an Associate role? I think it is not worth it for me to consider a BA role because of my educational background.

 

Update: Thank you everyone for your answers, they were very enlightening about the level of experience required for the different roles.

I have contacted HR in my local office and they're totally fine with converting my application to a full time BA. The timelines of the interviews will just move a bit later.

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Top answer
on Apr 23, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Mary,

Great to hear about your enthusiasm. 

The short answer is that it's highly unlikely you can change an application that is already ongoing - but still wort discussing it with the recruiter.

Typically, for Associate you need 5y of relevant work experience. With 2y years, you're still looking rather at the BA role. Depending on the region / office, it sometimes takes within McKinsey 2-3y to get from BA to JAsc, so it's unlikely they will offer JAsc. 

Lastly, the entry role doesn't matter that much in the long term perspective. In fact, it's better to go for a more junior role if it actually reflects your skills. Otherwise, you have a very tough journey ahead.

Best,
Cristian

on Apr 23, 2024
I could say that going for a BA role is just not favorable to me financially wise since I have a technical background. Also I have closer to 3 years than 2 but I still haven't reached the anniversary.
on Apr 24, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach
I understand how short term that might not make sense financially. Which is why you should only do it if it's aligned with your long-term goals. Compensation increases rather quickly with tenure and promotions consulting.
on Apr 25, 2024
Thank you for your answer. It really made me put things into perspective. I'm from a different industry with different promotion timelines and I think it affected my judgment. I did speak with HR and she was glad to convert my application to senior BA. The timeline of the interviews will just move a bit later.
on Apr 25, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach
Sounds good. Do reach out if I can help in any way going forward.
on Apr 24, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Mary,

Q: I also have more than 2 years of full-time experience. Is it possible to convert my application into a Junior Associate role or even an Associate role?

With 2 years of experience, you should still match the entry-level role (Business Analyst at McKinsey). To move up to the next level (Associate at McKinsey), typically you would need either (i) an MBA or (ii) 4/5+ years of experience, so, from what you shared, it doesn't seem to fit your experience.

In some regions, they might also offer an intermediary role (eg at McKinsey, Senior Business Analyst or Junior Associate) to bridge the gap between these two positions. If you find these intermediate positions on their website (their presence varies by region), they usually specify the required years of experience.

If you apply for the entry-level role (Business Analyst) and receive an offer, given your work experience, they might acknowledge some seniority and allow you to join with 6 months or 1 year of experience recognized.

Good luck!

Francesco

on Apr 25, 2024
Is it really necessary to get an MBA in order to be offered in a Associate role generally speaking? I see no reason to get an MBA since I've studied business at an undergraduate level (I also have an undergraduate degree in C.S from another university) and my degree is much more extensive than our equivalent MBA. Compared to someone who's done an MBA locally (abroad is a whole different thing) academically I'm much more advanced than they are, which is natural since they have 12 classes and I've had 45 classes. It baffles me that someone with an MBA would be considered for an Associate role but someone with a business degree wouldn't be.
on Apr 25, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
Hi Mary, it is not necessary, as mentioned you can also join as an Associate after 4/5+ years of work experience. However, depending on your profile, a top MBA could increase your chances of receiving an invitation. Hope this helps!
Dennis
Coach
on Apr 24, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi Mary,

when you join consulting without prior consulting background (an internship is not enough of a background for this example), you should do yourself a favor and allow yourself more time to adjust to the “different” ways of working compared to what you are used to. 

The higher your seniority is in a consulting firm, the higher (and more immediate) the expectations will be with regards to your performance. You don't want to have that additional pressure on top of everything else if your plan is to become successful in your consulting career.

In terms of compensation, always factor in base salary plus expected bonus which is usually higher in consulting than in an industry job. Even if you might take an initial pay cut in your base salary, you should make a comparison on a 3-4 year timeframe - salaries in consulting increase significantly and promotion trajectories are steeper (assuming on par performance). So while you might make less in your first year, you'll probably catch up by a lot after 2 or 3 years.

In consulting you just want to make sure that you can perform to the best of your abilities and then the rest will follow. So make sure you choose the most suitable entry point for yourself from a skills perspective.

Best of luck

Pedro
Coach
on Apr 24, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

An associate role is not possible. A junior associate may be possible, but that's something you should discuss with them, and it will be based on your performance. 

Most likely it is not advisable (you want to be at a lower level and overperform, not at a higher and underperform and be counseled out). This doesn't mean you shouldnt do it, it means you should discuss with them and in this case trust their judgement.

Alberto
Coach
on Apr 30, 2024
Ex-McKinsey Partner | Most experienced coach (15 years exp, +2.000 real interviews) | 95% success rate

Two years of experience is not enough to apply as Junior Associate. You need 4-5 years to do it.

You should at least apply to business analyst entry-role. Talk with your recruiting contact to change your application. There shouldn't be any problem.

Best,

Alberto

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

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