Hi there,

Q: I have more than 2+ years of working experience. Considering that I am 28 years old, would it still be realistic to apply for these entry-level roles?  

With 2 years of experience, you should still match the entry-level role (Business Analyst at McKinsey, Associate Consultant at Bain). To move up to the next level (Associate at McKinsey, Consultant at Bain), 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/Associate Consultant) and receive an offer, given your work experience, they might acknowledge your seniority and allow you to join with 6 months to 1 year of experience.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

No matter to which role you apply, recruiters will align your profile to the appropiate role based on your experience.

Being said that, these are the main responsibilities of each role:

• Business Analyst: run analysis, craft pages and lead small parts of a workstream
• Junior Associate: same as BA but having more ownership over a workstream and working with less supervision (more independent)
• Associate: own a full workstream, running analysis, crafting pages, leading client meetings / client relationship within the workstream and, sometimes, managing 1-2 team members

In parallel, you can check how the recruiting process works from an internal MBB perspective here:

MBB Hiring Hacks - Behind the Curtain Secrets

Best,

Alberto

—

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

Best,

Roles are specific to the firms, and now also specific to the regions. Do not try to compare them - it is worse than trying to understand time-travel. Instead, focus on pitching your profile well, and getting an assessment from the recruiter or your referee on what is the best entry point specific to you.

While the 2+ years of experience is a bit light, the MiM is tilting the scales to the other side. But we need more info about you to give a better answer.

And like I already said - the recruiter and referees are best positioned to take a call.

1. If you apply to a level that is too low, they will move you up to the higher role

2. With 2-3 years experience, it's the analyst/associate role (although most likely an “experienced” role within this rank). With 5+ years experience, it's a post-MBA role (associate / consultant)