MBB experienced hire – level/title downgrade

Hello!!

Could you please specify what you mean by entry-level?
For example in BCG we have:

1. Junior Associate (no work experience, usually straight out of university, or some work experience 1-2 years in a different sector)
2. Associate (2-3 years of experience, and in some/most cases MSc degree)
3. Consultant (3-5 years of experience, some of them in consulting, and in some/most cases MBA degree)
   etc.

Having said that, if they have offered you a position as a Junior Associate, then yes you should negotiate because you already have some experience. But if they have offered you a position as an Associate, then it seems fair to me.

What I am trying to say is that usually MBBs try to match people to their levels and they won't demote you in order to save up money (as many big4s do). So let's try to see what is the reasoning behind it and understand how we can solve it.

Hi there, 

Yes, these situations are indeed quite standard and I can understand that they can be frustrating. 

From my point of view, I would still consider the offer, especially because you're receiving it in the context of the current difficult economic climate. Plus, these chances don't come often in your life and the MBB brand will stay with you forever. 

The other thing to consider is whether you are confident that you could perform well at the ‘higher’ role. That's usually why they don't take in people directly on more senior roles because the learning curve is in fact very steep and almost everybody - regardless of their background - struggles. 

I would just follow their advice and start at the suggested level. If it turns out that you are performing super well, then your promotion will also be fast tracked. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your disappointment!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• Unfortunately, it is standard practice for most strategy consulting companies to discount the experience of candidates coming from outside the company. The main goal is to ensure that new hires are able to perform at the same level as their current employees, regardless of their previous experience.
• That being said, it is certainly worth trying to negotiate a better starting position based on your experience and qualifications. I would advise you to get a coach to guide you through the negotiation process and help you present your case in the best possible light.
• Ultimately, if you are unhappy with the offer, it may be best to decline the offer and continue at your current firm, where you have a clear career path and a higher salary.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

I think you can try to negotiate. Worst case they stay on their position.

It depends a lot on the level of your current company, and the work that you did there. I can definitely see your point that with your experience, you could aim to enter at the second stage of the ladder (Consultant for Bain-BCG/Associate for McK).

Sometimes it can be a risk to join a new firm, without knowing too much about it, the culture, and the colleagues, in a position where you are the full owner of a workstream, and you have to manage junior bright colleagues.

I know people that were hired the level before (so Associate or Analyst), but with a lot of experience credited, and got promoted within the first appraisal cycle.

Conclusion: definitely try to negotiate! But consider, especially if you don't want to stay in consulting long term, that having also a MBB on your CV doesn't hurt in finding other jobs.

Hi there,

Congrats on the offer!

This is fairly common. For instance, even if you would transfer from a tier-2 consulting as a project manager to McKinsey, they would let you start as an Associate and not as Engagement Manager.

You should definitely tell them about your desire to not be "downgraded." There is 0 risk. There are 3 possible outcomes.

1. They ask you to start as discussed

2. They offer you a higher position

3. They offer you to start as discussed, yet with a quicker promotion window

No harm in asking!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I would encourage you to seek a conversation with HR about the job grade. Just like everything else relating to the offer, this is something that can be discussed (I am purposefully not using the term ‘negotiating’ because it's a little different).

However, even if you weren't offered a higher title right now, you can expect to raise the ranks very quickly. If you're a BA now, you can easily be Associate by the end of the year.

If you think about exit opportunities in industry or elsewhere, nobody will look at your job title and everybody will look at your brand name. And in that case, MBB is always significantly better than T2. Same goes for experience, where MBB are a often a different ballgame compared to lower Tier firms.

So in essence, I wouldn't worry so much about the job title and take the opportunity!

Best,

Moritz

Hi there,

I agree with Pedro. You should seek the support of a coach

Ideally, you would have gotten a coach when case preparing. This would have ensured that you performed well in interview and were given a higher level role.

It sounds like your performance in the interview was not good enough for the higher level/title.

If you had performed excellently in the case and sold yourself properly in the fit interview this could have been different.

Now, there's a chance that you should negotiate up, and you should try. Try to get on a call and be prepared to defend yourself. As in, defend the extensive experience and skills you have. It's critical to practice this and have a well-rehearsed, punchy, powerful explanation here.

Good luck!

Hi there, 

I am an experienced hire and I can confirm that non-MBB experience accounts for significantly less than MBB experience. With 2.5 yrs of different non-MBB experience  (despite consulting experience) it is probably what you will be able to get. I dont see much of the chances to negotiate better job position. The great thing as an advantage to you is the faster track. This can allow you progress fast. From my experience in BCG I would not focus much here, rather on how quickly you can progress. 

Good luck!

Was this answer helpful?

Hello,

Congrats on the offer! Being an experienced hire myself and jumping from T2 to MBB (I also took a tenure cut), here are my thoughts:

1. I will echo what the other coaches have said and encourage you to try to negotiate - no harm there
2. Switching to MBB was the best career move and decision I made, despite me also taking a tenure cut
   • In pure monetary terms, I would have definitely made more staying at my T2 as I would have made partner alot earlier than at MBB
   • But beyond monetary terms, the benefit of having MBB on your CV opens significantly more doors than if I had stayed at T2
     • Not to mention also the stronger network etc. 
   • Lastly, consider also your experience and other potential benefits during the time you are at MBB. For me, BCG had tons of amazing internal mobility programs - I did one and it was arguably the most enjoyable 6 months in consulting :)

This is where a coach can help. You should be negotiating your offer. This is not a situation of take it or leave it, given the specifics of your situation.

Honestly, reach out to them and express your concerns, and state that you want to negotiate in order to change the offer into something that makes sense for everyone. You may not be able to start at a higher level, but you should be able to get a decent sign in bonus to mitigate the risk you are taking.

Nevertheless, in the long run, it still probably makes sense for you to change. Please keep that in mind.