Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 451,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

BCG Office Transfer after Internship?

BCG officetransfer The Boston Consulting Group transfer
New answer on Dec 30, 2020
8 Answers
2.8 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Dec 05, 2020

Hi all,

I hope you are all doing well.

I am a masters students in the UK. I was wondering, if I were to join MBB as an intern in my home country (southern Europe), and perform up to standard, would it be possible to join full-time in London at the end of the internship? I am not fussed about the location at the moment, but long-term that is where I envision living, as I spent 6 years here and all my loved ones are based there.

If it matters, I am a dual citizen and have a UK passport too.

(edited)

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 05, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

From a risk perspective I would highly advise against this. Each region has a stake in their interns and invest a lot of time/money in filtering out/recruiting you. I would highly advise that you look to convert that internship into a full-time role in your home country. It's hard enough to get into BCG...let alone when playing games!

Now, rest assured, you can absolutely switch to London after a few years working FT in your home country.

I've transfered a few times within companies and have the following advice:

1) Build a stellar reputation - do good work, work hard, and be known as "the guy/gal" for xx

2) Build your network - network agressively (yes, networking doesn't end once you've gotten the job offer). Make sure you're known by and have allies in people who make decisions such as staffing managers, Partners (specifically those responsible for recruiting/resources and who are heads of industry/function verticals), etc.

2) b). When I say network "aggressively" please don't be needy/annoying :) There's nothing worse than someone who is obviously working the room or trying to please!

3) Look out for opportunities - as mentioned in this Q&A already, look for office transfers, short-term projects, ambassadorships, etc.)

4) Practice patience and be flexible - how long have you tried for? This might take a year. And you need to be ready to go at the flip of a coin.

Bide your time, keep pushing, be smart, and you'll get there!

Was this answer helpful?
Vlad
Expert
replied on Dec 05, 2020
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

London office is extremely competitive, so no guarantees here. It's also hard to stand out during the internship. So I would rather rely on transferring later after you work several years full-time. Several things you should consider:

  • Working on projects in FS, retail, healthcare - typical London industries
  • Working on projects in London before transferring
  • Being a top performer (not standard)
  • Having a partner in London

Pls keep in mind that the salaries in London are much lower than in Europe. The difference is significant

Best

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous A on Dec 06, 2020

Dear Vlad, thank you for taking the time to respond. I foresee my work will be mainly CPG/Healthcare. Salary does not bother me at this stage of my career to be perfectly honest, but I will keep it in mind!

(edited)

Adi
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 05, 2020
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Best is to apply in London directly and avoid hassles of transfers etc. London is hyper competetive and this combined with Brexit and Covid is not going to make things any easier in the next 12 months at least.

UK market is picking up and I strongly recommend you apply through referrals in the target firms.

All the best.

Was this answer helpful?
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 05, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

I don’t think it is completely impossible, but I believe is quite difficult to do the transition right after an internship given how competitive London is. On the other hand, you should be able to make the move after a few years. I know several people who moved after the MBA to a new location.

If you want to be sure to be in London from the beginning, the best thing is to apply for the internship there. Although you have to take into account it could be more difficult to get the internship in the first place given it is likely more competitive than your home country.

Best,

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Gaurav
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 05, 2020
#1 Career Coach for Aspiring, Practicing & Ex-Consultants|The Only 360° Coach - Ex-Mckinsey, Certified Coach & Recruiter

Hello there!

There is a slight chance that all you have mentioned above is going to happen due to the situation in the world now and London office being competitive. It still might happen, but could take more time and definitely not right after the internship.

Find a referal to increase your chances and apply for an internship there directly.

Do you need any help with that?

GB

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous replied on Dec 05, 2020

There are cases, where such transfers of offers have happened, but they remain the exception. You will typically need to have a really strong reason to do so, and even then it typically depends on the capacity of the receiving office. Companies generally don't want you to (a) try to rig the system by applying to uncompetitive offices to then try to transfer internally, and (b) go through a very cost-intensive application and recruiting process with one office, just for that office then to lose the fruits of their hard work.

Bottom line: apply where you want to be directly. It's the safer path.

Was this answer helpful?
8
Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 05, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Indeed you can transfer offices between the intership and the full time offer (I know cases Madrid-Paris of that same circumpstance).

However, the question here is, why not applying to London directly? If you have the link there, you should have a similar chance in that office.

Best of luck!

Cheers,

Clara

Was this answer helpful?
Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 30, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,

I have never seen it. It usually requires a couple of years in the 1st office before asking for a transfer. Otherwise, you need to pass again the interview process

Best,
Antonello

Was this answer helpful?
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely