Cookie and Privacy Settings

This website uses cookies to enable essential functions like the user login and sessions. We also use cookies and third-party tools to improve your surfing experience on preplounge.com. You can choose to activate only essential cookies or all cookies. You can always change your preference in the cookie and privacy settings. This link can also be found in the footer of the site. If you need more information, please visit our privacy policy.

Data processing in the USA: By clicking on "I accept", you also consent, in accordance with article 49 paragraph 1 sentence 1 lit. GDPR, to your data being processed in the USA (by Google LLC, Facebook Inc., LinkedIn Inc., Stripe, Paypal).

Manage settings individually I accept
  1. Dashboard 1
  2. Consulting Q&A 2
  3. Intern in choice #1 or full-time in choice #2? 3
expert
Expert with best answer

Ian

100% Recommendation Rate

291 Meetings

25,039 Q&A Upvotes

USD 289 / Coaching

Book a coaching
View profile of Ian
3

Intern in choice #1 or full-time in choice #2?

MBB

Hello,

I'm facing what you'd name a "good problem" to have. I'm about to graduate from a Msc degree and have just received an offer to join Bain as an Intern. Which I accepted without hesitation as Bain has always been my #1 for several reasons, from the amazing culture to clients in the PE and luxury industries. Few days after having accepted the offer I received an invitation to do the online tests for both BCG and McKinsey. I stopped my process with BCG, but did McKinsey for curiosity about the Imbellus test and because it was my choice #2. Now they reached out to me to tell me that soon I'll be called for interviews to join them as a full-time BA.

My problem is that Bain is my dream company, I am extremely enthusiastic to start there soon (in few weeks), however, the internship contract leaves room for uncertainty (even if apparently in this office 90% of interns are confirmed full-time). I am hesitant between stopping here and focusing on my experience at Bain, or carrying on with the McKinsey process which btw promises to do a full-time onboarding in 4 months (by then my internship will be done).

- Is it ethically correct? I repeat, I'm charmed by Bain, I wouldn't like them to think I'm compromising my engagement

- Also, I've gone almost through a burnout with the interview preparation, with 4 months of daily preparation and almost +80 cases. Keeping in mind these weeks I've my final exams and deliverables to conclude my MSc, I was so relieved to leave the preparation behind me. At me moment I'm not enthusiastic about the idea of restarting it for the upcoming McK interviews...

What are your thoughts about the situation? What would you do if you were in mu shoes?

Hello,

I'm facing what you'd name a "good problem" to have. I'm about to graduate from a Msc degree and have just received an offer to join Bain as an Intern. Which I accepted without hesitation as Bain has always been my #1 for several reasons, from the amazing culture to clients in the PE and luxury industries. Few days after having accepted the offer I received an invitation to do the online tests for both BCG and McKinsey. I stopped my process with BCG, but did McKinsey for curiosity about the Imbellus test and because it was my choice #2. Now they reached out to me to tell me that soon I'll be called for interviews to join them as a full-time BA.

My problem is that Bain is my dream company, I am extremely enthusiastic to start there soon (in few weeks), however, the internship contract leaves room for uncertainty (even if apparently in this office 90% of interns are confirmed full-time). I am hesitant between stopping here and focusing on my experience at Bain, or carrying on with the McKinsey process which btw promises to do a full-time onboarding in 4 months (by then my internship will be done).

- Is it ethically correct? I repeat, I'm charmed by Bain, I wouldn't like them to think I'm compromising my engagement

- Also, I've gone almost through a burnout with the interview preparation, with 4 months of daily preparation and almost +80 cases. Keeping in mind these weeks I've my final exams and deliverables to conclude my MSc, I was so relieved to leave the preparation behind me. At me moment I'm not enthusiastic about the idea of restarting it for the upcoming McK interviews...

What are your thoughts about the situation? What would you do if you were in mu shoes?

 Edited on May 02, 2021
115 Views
3 answers
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best Answer
Book a coaching with Ian

100% Recommendation Rate

291 Meetings

25,039 Q&A Upvotes

USD 289 / Coaching

Choose a time slot
View profile of Ian

"My problem is that Bain is my dream company"

You have your answer here my friend :)

Don't overthink this. Get Bain, do your best, and you'll be happy no matter the outcome.

If you try and go McK no matter what happens you're going to have regrets.

Tell McK HR you appreciate their invitation to interview but that you have, in the meantime, accepted another offer (don't mention it was before the Imbellus). Tell them you are excited by them but have to honor your other contract.

Then, rest up! The internship is going to be intense. Get some R&R and hit the ground running for the intership. This will maximize your chances of getting that full-time offer!

Aesop's fable regarding your situation:

Let me tell you about Aesop's fable about the dog and the bone. There was a dog who was given a bone by a local butcher. It was super happy about about this and ran to the river to chew on it. However, upon arriving, and looking into the river, it saw another dog with a bone in it's mouth. Thinking it could snatch this bone away, it dove in with jaws open. It's own bone fell out and drifted away in the current as the 2nd dog reflection vanished with a splash. The dog was left with nothing.

"My problem is that Bain is my dream company"

You have your answer here my friend :)

Don't overthink this. Get Bain, do your best, and you'll be happy no matter the outcome.

If you try and go McK no matter what happens you're going to have regrets.

Tell McK HR you appreciate their invitation to interview but that you have, in the meantime, accepted another offer (don't mention it was before the Imbellus). Tell them you are excited by them but have to honor your other contract.

Then, rest up! The internship is going to be intense. Get some R&R and hit the ground running for the intership. This will maximize your chances of getting that full-time offer!

Aesop's fable regarding your situation:

Let me tell you about Aesop's fable about the dog and the bone. There was a dog who was given a bone by a local butcher. It was super happy about about this and ran to the river to chew on it. However, upon arriving, and looking into the river, it saw another dog with a bone in it's mouth. Thinking it could snatch this bone away, it dove in with jaws open. It's own bone fell out and drifted away in the current as the 2nd dog reflection vanished with a splash. The dog was left with nothing.

(edited)

20 Book a coaching with Ian
Book a coaching with Adi

100% Recommendation Rate

82 Meetings

7,712 Q&A Upvotes

USD 169 / Coaching

Choose a time slot
View profile of Adi

Hey,

You are being spoilt by the illusion of choice.

The fact is that you have the Bain Internship in the bag, while you still have to work to get McK. You may or may not get the job. No harm in trying provided you can commit the time & have the energy & motivation.

Otherwise, stick with Bain, smash the internship and get the full-time offer there. If not, you can go somewhere else. Clearly your CV is good and is getting the attention.

My standard advice on such "choice" questions is this: Make a choice based on the firm & role which is a better fit with your career aspirations, values and risk profile. Choices are never perfect as with every other event in life. So remove that pressure.

Good luck choosing & congrats!

Hey,

You are being spoilt by the illusion of choice.

The fact is that you have the Bain Internship in the bag, while you still have to work to get McK. You may or may not get the job. No harm in trying provided you can commit the time & have the energy & motivation.

Otherwise, stick with Bain, smash the internship and get the full-time offer there. If not, you can go somewhere else. Clearly your CV is good and is getting the attention.

My standard advice on such "choice" questions is this: Make a choice based on the firm & role which is a better fit with your career aspirations, values and risk profile. Choices are never perfect as with every other event in life. So remove that pressure.

Good luck choosing & congrats!

16 Book a coaching with Adi
Book a coaching with Clara

100% Recommendation Rate

59 Meetings

16,242 Q&A Upvotes

USD 229 / Coaching

Choose a time slot
View profile of Clara

Hello!

Golden problem, HUGE congrats to you! Effort paid off.

This is a totally personal choice.

I would honestly go until the end with McKinsey, and only think about which one to take whenever you actually have two offers in the table -atm, you have only Bain´s-.

Furthermore, given you are burned out, I wouldn´t do any more prep, but leverage the one you already have done and see how it goes.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hello!

Golden problem, HUGE congrats to you! Effort paid off.

This is a totally personal choice.

I would honestly go until the end with McKinsey, and only think about which one to take whenever you actually have two offers in the table -atm, you have only Bain´s-.

Furthermore, given you are burned out, I wouldn´t do any more prep, but leverage the one you already have done and see how it goes.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

15 Book a coaching with Clara

Related case(s)

MBB Final Round Case - Smart Education

Solved 18.4k times
MBB Final Round Case - Smart Education Our client is SmartBridge, a nonprofit educational institution offering face-to-face tutoring services. The client operates in the US. The mission of SmartBridge is to help as many students as possible to complete studies and prevent that they drop from the school system, in particular in disadvantaged areas. The client is considering starting operations for its services in the Chicago area. They hired us to understand if that makes sense. Due to the nonprofit regulation, SmartBridge should operate on its own in the market, without any partnership. How would you help our client?
4.6 5 647
| Rating: (4.6 / 5.0)
Difficulty: Advanced | Style: Interviewer-led (McKinsey style) | Topics: Growth strategy, Market analysis, Market entry, New product

Our client is SmartBridge, a nonprofit educational institution offering face-to-face tutoring services. The client operates in the US. The mission of SmartBridge is to help as many students as possible to complete studies and prevent that they drop from the school system, in particular in disadvant ... Open whole case

Espresso, Whatelse?

Solved 10.8k times
Espresso, Whatelse? Espresso Whatelse is an Italian company that produces coffee and espresso machines since 1908. It is the Italian market leader and has a strong presence overall in Europe. In 2019, Espresso Whatelse has increased its revenues but it has seen declining profit margin. Your client wants to understand the root causes of this 2019 trend and how to increase its profit margin again.  
4.6 5 536
| Rating: (4.6 / 5.0)
Difficulty: Advanced | Style: Interviewer-led (McKinsey style) | Topics: Market analysis, Operations strategy, Pricing, Profitability analysis

Espresso Whatelse is an Italian company that produces coffee and espresso machines since 1908. It is the Italian market leader and has a strong presence overall in Europe. In 2019, Espresso Whatelse has increased its revenues but it has seen declining profit margin. Your client wants to understand ... Open whole case

MBB Case: COVID-19 Vaccine

Solved 6.0k times
MBB Case: COVID-19 Vaccine The COVID-19 pandemic has killed millions of people worldwide and led to devastating economic impact. A vaccine is one of the biggest hopes for stopping the pandemic.  The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with multiple stakeholders to ensure groups at higher risk of becoming infected and dying (e.g. elderly people and healthcare workers) receive a safe an effective COVID-19 vaccine in the next six months. The WHO’s Director-General asked your help to build a plan to achieve this goal. What should be included in this plan?
4.6 5 292
| Rating: (4.6 / 5.0)
Difficulty: Advanced | Style: Interviewer-led (McKinsey style) | Topics: Market analysis, Market sizing, Operations strategy, Organizational behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed millions of people worldwide and led to devastating economic impact. A vaccine is one of the biggest hopes for stopping the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with multiple stakeholders to ensure groups at higher risk of becoming infected and ... Open whole case

Hot Wheels

Solved 5.7k times
Hot Wheels Problem definition: Our client is Korean Car Parts (KCP), a multi-national original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of car parts based in Korea. They've recently seen a decline in profits and have brought us in to understand how to address this falling profitability.
4.6 5 304
| Rating: (4.6 / 5.0)
Difficulty: Intermediate | Style: Candidate-led (usual style) | Topics: Competitive response, Growth strategy, Market analysis, Operations strategy, Profitability analysis

Problem definition: Our client is Korean Car Parts (KCP), a multi-national original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of car parts based in Korea. They've recently seen a decline in profits and have brought us in to understand how to address this falling profitability. Open whole case

Chinese Chess - Airline Business During COVID-19

Solved 4.2k times
Chinese Chess - Airline Business During COVID-19 Sky China, a government-backed Chinese airline, has recently seen profits plummet due to COVID-19. Profits are down 80% in the months of February and March, but are showing early signs of a rebound in April.  They've brought you in to first investigate what can be done immediatedly to prevent hemorrhaging cash and surive in the short-term. They are also looking to see how the current situation can be viewed as an opportunity, and what can be done to prepare for the future. 
4.3 5 121
| Rating: (4.3 / 5.0)
Difficulty: Intermediate | Style: Candidate-led (usual style) | Topics: Capacity change, Competitive response, Growth strategy, Operations strategy, Organizational behavior, Profitability analysis

Sky China, a government-backed Chinese airline, has recently seen profits plummet due to COVID-19. Profits are down 80% in the months of February and March, but are showing early signs of a rebound in April. They've brought you in to first investigate what can be done immediatedly to prevent hemor ... Open whole case

Similar questions

BCG 2nd Round - Mixed Feeling - How bad are the mistakes?
What's your opinion on University of Illinois online MBA?
Employer Restricting
It's pride month: how do you feel about the diversity in the big consulting firms?
Pushing HR for Interview
Dealing with Nervousness
How to answer "tell me a project that you are most proud of"?
MBB support functions
I'm planning on applying to McKinsey Dubai
How to find a non-consulting job in Dubai
Ask new question

Related companies

Career and application at Bain & Company Boston Consulting Group McKinsey & Company