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Does McKinsey-USA allow new hires to start full-time in January for MBA graduates who graduate early in December??

and Bain BCG McKinsey
Edited on May 26, 2020
7 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on May 21, 2020

I would like to know if McKinsey has early start dates for Associates in the USA (post MBA roles) who have full-time offers through on campus recruitment. I know that typically MBA graduates join the firm in July-September after graduating in May from their MBA programs in the United States.

If I graduate early in December, can I join McKinsey as an associate in January (right after December graduation) instead of waiting until July-September (7-9) months after graduation)?

Thanks!!

(edited)

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Clara
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replied on May 21, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

We need to distinguish here between:

  1. Usual times: where yes, normally MBA intake was between July and September, which makes sense considering that most MBAs finish in June. However, there are also programs finishing in December (e.g., INSEAD), so it does not apply in 100% cases
  2. COVID times: since many companies and offices are in a wait-and-see approach, none really knows how it will look like this year. It could be business as usual, or that their start dates get pushed back too.

Best would be to call HR from your trget office and find out.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Francesco
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replied on May 21, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

it is definitely possible, in many countries the typical starting dates are September and January indeed. As mentioned by Emily and Ian, I would recommend to contact HR to verify if that’s the case in your particular office.

Best,

Francesco

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Ian
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updated an answer on May 26, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

I can see this working, but you really just need to reach out to HR to find out for your specific office. It might be a February start for all we know.

This changes office to office and certainly has potential to be impacted by Covid.

Just reach out to HR...anything here will be conjecture!

By the way, if anyone is interested in trying out cases that deal with other impacts of COVID-19, check out these two cases:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/brain-teaser/beginner/coronavirus-times-194

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/chinese-chess-191

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Anonymous replied on May 21, 2020

Hi there,

It depends on the supply & demand for the office you are starting. I think the easiest way to find out is writing to the HR of the specific office. They would know much better.

Best,

Emily

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Anonymous replied on May 23, 2020

Dear A,

Yes. This is the subject for negotiation. So you can fix it during your interviews with McKinsey and there should be no problem for you to join in January.

Wish you good luck,
André

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Udayan
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replied on May 26, 2020
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /6 years McKinsey recruiting experience

The typical answer to this question is no

The idea is you want to start as a class - a big element of working at McKinsey is learning from your peers which is why everyone starts together

However as suggested earlier - please also check with HR :)

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Robert
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replied on May 24, 2020
McKinsey offers w/o final round interviews - 100% risk-free - 10+ years MBB coaching experience - Multiple book author

Hi Anonymous,

For now, all consulting firms including McKinsey have very low visibility concerning future projects as the main driver for HR demand.

The most reliable source is probably still HR, but I am afraid they also won't be able to give you a clear answer for now .. so it's more like wait and observe for the moment, even if it might not be satisfactory for your own planning.

Hope that helps nevertheless to understand current situation a bit better - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

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