Hi all,
I got an offer of a special practice expert (similar to a data scientist but also client-facing) from McK. They ask me to choose from the DC office and the Waltham office. Any suggestions?
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McK - DC or Waltham
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Hello,
Congratulations on your offer!
I would advise you to pick based on your personal preference - where would you prefer to live? It might also be a good idea to talk to fellow special practice experts who are already at the firm in those offices to ask them about their experience.
Work-wise, given that you are a special practice expert, I wouldn't expect the work you do to be very different between the two offices (though feel free to confirm that with HR and/or colleagues). If your role is not remote, you will likely be staffed with clients from a variety of states, so your home office location is not of huge consequence there. If you are interested in government/public sector work, DC might be a good choice.
Also, when you say Waltham, I assume you mean the Client Capabilities Hub? If so, it may be worth bearing in mind that DC is a larger office (whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends on your personal preference).
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Hey there,
This is a highly personal decision since the work you do will be the same in both offices.
Consider things such as
- lifestyle
- culture
- friends and family
- cost of living
- …
and decide where you would like it best. For me, DC sounds much more appealing, but then again, it's highly personal.
Cheers,
Florian
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Hi there,
Congratulations on the McKinsey offer!
Q: They ask me to choose from the DC office and the Waltham office. Any suggestions?
I would structure the decision as follows:
Step 1: What would you prefer, DC or Waltham?
- If you have a clear answer, go for that, otherwise
Step 2: Have a chat with McK Alumni of the two offices
- I would look for Alumni because if you ask current consultants they may be biased
Hope this helps,
Francesco
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Hi there,
My personal view is that DC is going to be far better from a career + life perspective. It's a great, multi-national/cultural city with a lot to see + do. Office-wise, there will be a good diversity + amount of projects.
Now, I'm from DC so understand I may be biased :)
Ultimately, think about which city you can see yourself in!
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It's totally a personal choice. In terms of office set up, Waltham is a McKinsey “back office” where the majority will be on the expert consulting or firm service professionals (FSPs) while DC will be a combined office with consultants.
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Pick based on the location you want to be in during the weekends. Especially if you will be staffed on client projects during the week.
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