Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

These are indeed interesting questions which are probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• Here are some factors that you may want to consider when evaluating these two opportunities:
  • Practice areas and industries: Both McKinsey and BCG offer a wide range of consulting services, but there may be some differences in the specific industries or practice areas that each firm focuses on. If you have a particular area of interest or expertise, you may want to consider which firm is known for working in that area.
  • Professional development: Both McKinsey and BCG are known for providing strong professional development opportunities for their consultants. You may want to consider what types of training and development programs are offered at each firm, as well as the overall emphasis on career advancement and growth.
  • Compensation and benefits: Consulting firms generally offer competitive compensation packages, but there may be some differences between the two firms in terms of base salary, bonuses, and other benefits. You may want to consider what is most important to you in terms of compensation and benefits, and how each firm stacks up in those areas.
  • Work culture: Both McKinsey and BCG have unique cultures that may be a good fit for some consultants, but not for others. You may want to think about what type of work culture is most important to you, and how well each firm aligns with your values and preferences.
  • Diversity and inclusion: Both McKinsey and BCG have made efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in their workplace, but there may be some differences in their approaches. You may want to consider the overall diversity of each firm's workforce and leadership, as well as the resources and initiatives that are in place to support diversity and inclusion.
• In terms of the overall culture, both firms have a reputation for being highly competitive and demanding. However, McKinsey is often seen as having a more formal and traditional culture, while BCG has a reputation for being more laid-back and relaxed. This may impact the overall atmosphere and working environment at each firm.
• Even if it is interesting, I would advise you to wait for the potential start with McKinsey, given that you will be provided with the very details of the performance reviews then.
• It is possible that offers from McKinsey or BCG London could be affected by the current economic climate, as all companies are facing uncertainty and may have to make adjustments to their hiring plans. However, it is also important to note that these are two highly respected consulting firms with strong track records, and they are likely to do everything they can to honor their offers to top candidates. It is always a good idea to communicate with the firms and stay informed about their hiring plans during these uncertain times.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

(edited)

Hi there,

You need to consider the factors that matter to you. I recommend you pick 2 or 3 that are your priority, to help you simplify the decision:

• Prestige
• Pay/Benefits
• Career
• Culture
• Work/Projects
• Location
• Work-life balance
• Training / L&D

To better understand the above you need to speak with people at those offices! (That's one major point of networking)

CONGRATS! Having been in your shoes recently, I spoke to HR at BCG LON and they told me a few months ago that I shouldn't worry about offer being pulled.

I would decide based on where you feel you fit best. BCG and McKinsey will allow you to speak to consultants and partners before making the decision. Make sure you do!

McK and BCG are more similar than different. You will be spending countless hours with these people - make sure you choose the one where you feel you can be yourself best.

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offers! Answering some of your questions below:

1) What factors would you recommend considering when making this decision? 

I would consider the following:

• Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Look at the company that can help you to achieve that goal faster. You can check LinkedIn for that (see below). If you are not sure, the McKinsey brand is still stronger in most countries.
• If you consider the average consultant/partner you talked to in each company, which one would you rather be? You will spend a lot of time with your colleagues in the next years - be sure you choose a company where the people are close to the person you want to become.
• If money and prestige were not a consideration, which company would you choose? This could help you to identify additional elements to weigh you have not considered yet.

In terms of exits (for most people they are a very important factor to join a consulting company), you can check them as follows:

1. Look for alumni of the two companies on LinkedIn
2. Check how many moved to your preferred exits in your target region
3. Normalize for the size of the companies in the region

If you want to do extra due diligence, contact Alumni of your university (not current consultants) that worked in the two companies (bonus if they worked for both companies). You will learn more in a 30min call with them than with any online research you may do.

2) Could you please help provide insights as to how the culture varies at both the firms?

If you want to get unbiased opinions for your particular office, the best thing would be to contact Alumni who left the companies – they should be able to provide honest feedback.

3) Is there a chance of the offers being pulled given the current economic climate?

I haven’t heard of any case of signed MBB contracts being withdrawn during COVID, so I highly doubt it could be the case now. Worst case, I would expect they might postpone the starting date.

Best,

Francesco