Moral issue!

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from MBB!

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

• It's completely normal to feel a sense of discomfort when considering a transition from a current job to a new one.
• Instead of just trying to superficially reframe the situation in your mind, I would advise you to take the time to understand and appreciate the feelings you're experiencing. Take a step back and try to discover what is causing your discomfort. Is it the fear of the unknown or leaving behind familiar surroundings and people? Is it the pressure of living up to the expectations of working at an MBB firm? Clearly reflecting on these feelings and understanding their root cause will be much more helpful than trying to trick your own mind.
• Additionally, getting a coach or mentor who can help you navigate these feelings and guide you through the transition can also be beneficial. Remember that change can be challenging but it can also bring great growth and opportunity. Keep an open mind and trust in your own abilities.

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

Hello A,

First of all, congrats on your interviews, and good luck with them!

I am trying to understand what is the reason why you feel so bad. (1) Do you feel that you are being dishonest and “unloyal” to your current company, or (2) do you really like your job and your team and the only reason you're thinking about moving to the MBBs is because of the career opportunities?

If it is the first, then you should have in mind that everyone would do the same. When I did it myself, my colleagues completely understood the situation and we still have a great relationship.

If it is the second, then you should do what makes you happier. If going to the MBBs stresses you out, and you only do it because it's the logical thing to do as everyone says, then take some time with yourself and make the better choice for you. What is more beneficial for someone else, isn't necessarily the best option for you too, and vice versa. Being happy in your work environment is super important and there is nothing bad with prioritizing that over money or fast-track careers.

To sum up:

1. Professionally, you always need to prioritize yourself and what you wanna do. The people who are closest to you will understand, and those who won't, are not important to you.

2. Working for the MBBs is not something everyone should do. Working at a tier 2 firm is equally good as long as you are happy. At the end of the day, you lose some you win some. And only you can tell what is going to make you feel better and force you to accomplish more.

Hope I helped. :)

Hi there,

My main advice is to trust your gut.

MBB is not the holy grail.

I worked at a no-name company called Appian and have never been happier, never learned more, and never advanced my career more. BCG was great, but if I had to only choose one I would always choose Appian.

Don't let a name/brand/label influence all of your decisions.

You also have to remember that you can have a fantastic career at tier 2. 

I'm not saying don't interview for MBB. 

But you should also remember that you do not know that MBB will be better. It might be. It might not.

Please make sure that you're balancing your decision across the things you truly care about, whether that's money, career, prestige/brand, network, team/culture, type of work, L&D etc. MBB wins on some of these but it's not a given that they win on all.

Hi there,

Consider this - your current firm would let you go in a heartbeat, if it served any of their business success criteria. It wouldn't be personal at all, and they would probably feel bad. However, they'd still let you go.

You should approach it in the same way. Manage the personal side but don't let that get in the way of your career success, which is primary. Everybody does it and it's ultimately a respected move that happens all the time.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

I always found that the people you work with make a huge difference in terms of what kind of positive experience you can get from you job/career. When you change companies, you will have to position yourself again from scratch and build up your reputation. You also likely won't have an internal network in the beginning. Not saying that this lasts forever, but just something to consider.

So you really need to focus on what it is that attracts you to MBB:

• more money?
• better brand recognition for when you want to exit consulting at some point?
• more profound coverage of certain industry/functional areas you want to be in?
• “more interesting” client accounts?

Are those reasons good enough to leave your current firm which you reportedly like? If yes, then you are taking the right approach and there is no need to feel awful. You are just playing the professional game like everyone else in this business.

Good luck

Hello,

Here are my thoughts:

1) If you feel that your current job is sufficient to help you achieve your long term career and personal goals, then you don't need to get into an MBB to show it to anybody. There is no need to give in to the peer pressure.

2) However, if you feel that your current job will not help you achieve your personal and professional goals, but working in an MBB can, then you should definitely interview. 

In this case, either you are complacent in your current job OR you have a fear of losing a great working environment. Either of those should not stand in the way of achieving your long term personal and professional goals. 

3) And maybe, working in an MBB may surprise you with a better work environment :) Worst case, your old company might be willing to even take you back a few years down the line. 

All the best!

Rushabh

Hi there, 

It's not super clear from your question whether you feel uncomfortable with how to explain to your peers that you want to make this transition or it's something else, but it would help to try and reflect on it and also discuss it more extensively with a professional. Feelings are like alarm signals and there's a reason probably why yours are getting triggered.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Q: How can I psychologically frame the situation so I do not feel disgusted (as I currently feel) and I can do my best in the interviews without losing focus on this matter?

I think you need to start with your goal: why do you want to switch to MBB? Does your current company make it impossible to reach that goal? Is it just for external validation? 

Once you have clarified the goal, you can evaluate whether your current company or MBB is better. There is nothing wrong with changing jobs if the new company allows to achieve your goal faster. If instead you can achieve the same goal with your current company at the same speed, there is no real reason to change.

Best,

Francesco

Please remember that this is a professional and not a personal situation. Meaning that if you find that something is better professionally for you, there's no reason for people to take it personally. And in consulting they usually don't, because they've seen it so many times before.