I'm 33 with an offer at MBB: should I accept it?

Hi Dan,

In terms of age I would not be as concerned with what is achievable. A lot of people in McKinsey were in their 30s and managed just fine. Energy levels matter more than age.

The normal hours are what you describe and can be more depending on the project. In terms of downtime, on most days you will have some down time but it does vary from project to project and also how efficient you are at getting work done. In terms of age here again I would focus on the fact that you bring your greater experience to the project and that counts for a lot when it comes to the output being produced.

The question on career progression is a very valid one. I think it truly depends on what you are after. What MBB gives you is a brand name to leverage at a larger variety of firms and an alumni netwrok that is usually very responsive and extremely helpfu. If you want to go to MBB and then come back to the same company you are at or a similar company it is probably not a good idea, but if you are looking for more diverse set of options then it could be worth it

(edited)

Hi Danny

you will work long hours and you will love it J

Given your track at Unilever etc, you seem to have a lot of experience in the corporate world and this knowledge will ultimately help you to stay ahead of younger colleagues.

In terms of people management skills, consulting firms heavily invest into training their consultants and you will definitely have a lot of trainings helping you to improve this. Don't worry about this.

After all, your carrier progression is much more structured in the consulting compared to traditional industry roles in London and the pay is more generious.