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In MBB, if you're under consideration for office X then does that mean you've been rejected from any offices higher up in your prefereces?

In MBB, if you're under consideration for office X then does that mean you've been rejected from any offices higher up in your prefereces? Also what is the best thing you can do if you've been left hanging for several months – should I reach out to a  consultant and ask if they could look into it as I haven't heard back?  US application by the way. 

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Top answer
on Apr 15, 2024
#1 rated McKinsey Coach

In the US, it's a bit different. 

Basically, it rather means that the office that you're being considered for was actively looking for more people to recruit, whereas the offices higher up in your preference were already ‘full’. 

If you haven't heard back from them in a couple of weeks, send a polite email to the recruiter asking for an update.

And in the meantime, get going with other applications. You might find this guide helpful:

Best,
Cristian

Anonymous A
on Apr 16, 2024
Hi Cristian, thank you for the response! When emailing the recruiter, would it help to have a referral that you can name drop? Or is the priority to email asap?
on Apr 16, 2024
#1 rated McKinsey Coach
Just email them directly. For now it’s all about info gathering.
on Apr 16, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

1) In MBB, if you're under consideration for office X then does that mean you've been rejected from any offices higher up in your preferences? 

Correct. Not necessarily due to your application – it might be that they don’t need other applicants in that office.

2) Also what is the best thing you can do if you've been left hanging for several months – should I reach out to a  consultant and ask if they could look into it as I haven't heard back? 

If you have a referral and a good relationship with the person who referred you, you can reach out to that person to ask for an update. If you don’t have one, I would recommend calling HR to ask if they have correctly received your application.

Good luck!

Francesco

Pedro
Coach
edited on Apr 15, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

1. Yes, it means the higher ranked offices don't want to interview you

2. You may reach out to HR, not a consultant (unless you have a closer relationship with that consultant).

Anonymous A
on Apr 16, 2024
Thank you for the response!
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