How often/easy is it to leave MBB and return at a later stage?

Hi there,

It's not particularly common but it's not hard (as long as, as your say, you built up a good reputation etc.)

It might be worth considering getting an MBA on their dime - you can do internships in other areas, and even ask for a sort of secondment too.

1- Am i wecome to re-join my MBB? If yes, will i go through interviews and all? 

Yes and yes.
2- should i voice my plan when exiting? (I.e. does it matter? I cannot take the secondment option because the company im joining wont like that) 

Yes! Say you'd like to come back and want to talk through what that looks like

3- is it possible to rejoin at a higher level or will i join as the same position & tenure  or even worse as a fresh grad? 
Depends. Depends on how long you've been there now and what this other role looks like (including what promotions). You wouldn't join as a fresh grad though

4- if my MBB is not interested, im thinking the other two will be and even ”Tier 2” will welcome me. Is that true? Additionally, will it be a challenging battle like entering consulting the first time or will the MBB name act as if im recrutiing out of an MBA target school? 

Yes! MBB will act like a target school.

Hello,

To answer your questions:

1- Am i wecome to re-join my MBB? If yes, will i go through interviews and all? 

If you leave on good terms, absolutely! But yes, most likely you will have to go through the recruiting process again, though keeping in touch with your network there and having people vouch for you will certainly help.

2- should i voice my plan when exiting? (I.e. does it matter? I cannot take the secondment option because the company im joining wont like that) 

Absolutely - if your plan is to re-join a few years down the line, I would be open about this and make it known. Keep up your connections at MBB, and let them know when you plan on reapplying.

3- is it possible to rejoin at a higher level or will i join as the same position & tenure  or even worse as a fresh grad? 

This is going to depend on a bunch of things like what you do in your time outside of MBB, your performance thus far, and their needs when you rejoin. I would have a conversation about this as you start planning your return. 

4- if my MBB is not interested, im thinking the other two will be and even ”Tier 2” will welcome me. Is that true? Additionally, will it be a challenging battle like entering consulting the first time or will the MBB name act as if im recrutiing out of an MBA target school? 

Absolutely! Your MBB experience will be a strong brand name on your resume, so you should be perceived as an attractive candidate by other consulting companies.

Hi,

Sharing a couple of points on your questions

1- Am i wecome to re-join my MBB? If yes, will i go through interviews and all? 

• If you leave in good standing, yes → “boomerangs” as some firms call them are getting more common nowadays
• Based on my knowledge you would not need to go through interviews again

2- should i voice my plan when exiting? (I.e. does it matter? I cannot take the secondment option because the company im joining wont like that) 

• Personally I would just focus on the reasons for leaving right now and the immediate motivations of joining your next company
• The reason for this is 2 fold
  1. You are focusing on why you are leaving now - and that is genuine and honest and what people would like to understand as well
  2. You might think you want to come back later, but you never know and you might decide not to come back - no need to commit or talk about something in the future that is honestly quite far away

3- is it possible to rejoin at a higher level or will i join as the same position & tenure  or even worse as a fresh grad? 

• Your previous tenure within the firm will at the very least be recognized
• How much additional tenure they accrue to you will depend on the additional experience you have and how the firm chooses to recognize this
• Typically - coming back after ~1-2 years isnt enough to make you a PL/EM if you are leaving as a Associate/BA

4- if my MBB is not interested, im thinking the other two will be and even ”Tier 2” will welcome me. Is that true? Additionally, will it be a challenging battle like entering consulting the first time or will the MBB name act as if im recrutiing out of an MBA target school? 

• Yes - MBB on your CV will be recognized
• The T2 firm will still have to decide how to recognize your tenure and what level you come in at - but they will at least match your previous MBB tenure and arguably should give you abit more tenure (assuming they do want you)
   

All the best!

Hi there, 

great question - happy to share my thoughts on this.

1. Are you welcome to re-join? Yes, possible, while not overly common. Nowadays, I see it happen quite often that ex-MBBs rejoin their prior firm. It's definitely possible, while not a too common move. What's critical is that if you leave, it has to be in good standing and your performance track record needs to be very solid. Will you go through interviews again? Possibly, but not necessarily - they could (partially) waive the requirement, depending on how long you left and your relationships in that office. It's really case-by-case in my experience.
2. Should you voice your plan when exiting? I would only suggest to do so with trusted colleagues in the firm, but not formally, as otherwise it might be interpreted as a lack of commitment. However, it's good to keep good relationship and terms with senior decision makers, as it depends on them, whether the door opens. So do invest in the relationship with them, without being explicit about your plan
3. Is it possible to rejoin at higher level? Depends on the duration of your absence. If you're gone for 1-2 years, it's definitely possible to rejoin at a higher level - I know of 2 concrete examples of my MBA colleagues who rejoined BCG in SEA after a 1-2 year absence at a higher career level (from Consultant to Project Leader. In Europe and ME I've seen similar.
4. Will other consulting firms be interested in you? Yes, with MBB on your CV and strong track record, you should be easily able to attract interest from the other MBBs and Tier 2s, both during and after your MBA. Don't worry, your profile will be attractive.

I personally have been at a similar decision point prior to my MBA a few years back (I chose to stay though). Feel free to reach out, if you want to have a chat.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

Hi there, 

This sounds like a cool plan. And it makes sense that you want to explore other things. 

Let me take your questions one by one. 

1- Am i wecome to re-join my MBB? If yes, will i go through interviews and all? 

Yes, as long as you have a polite exit and you treat everybody nicely as you leave, you're always be welcomed back. And yes, you'll have to go through the interview process again (especially if you accumulate enough experience to motivate you going directly into a more senior role). 

2- should i voice my plan when exiting? (I.e. does it matter? I cannot take the secondment option because the company im joining wont like that) 

Yes, you should discuss this plan with your mentors in the firm. Maybe they can give you some advice on how to navigate this considering they know you more intimately. 

3- is it possible to rejoin at a higher level or will i join as the same position & tenure  or even worse as a fresh grad? 

You can rejoin at a higher level if you demonstrate having accumulated sufficient extra experience and ability to perform at a higher level

4- if my MBB is not interested, im thinking the other two will be and even ”Tier 2” will welcome me. Is that true? Additionally, will it be a challenging battle like entering consulting the first time or will the MBB name act as if im recrutiing out of an MBA target school? 

Yes, it's true. It will be significantly easier to get in this time because you know what to expect from the process and you also already have strong consultant-like skills. 

Best,
Cristian