Office location choice & application strategy

Question

Hi, I would like to hear some advice on office location choice & application strategy. (Selecting the office in my country vs. selecting other offices where I want to go)

I am considering applying to MBB's "Greater China Offices" - Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei. I am strugglying to make the decision of choosing my home office. As I am currently based in Taipei, I think I would have a higher chance to get an offer if I apply to the Taipei office (given my cultural understanding and professional experience). However, due to family reason and sector choice, I am more pressured/interested to apply to Hong Kong or Shanghai office. Would it be possible if I apply to one of these two offices, but still have the interviews in Taipei? Currently it is not possbile to attend interviews overseas.

Also, is the recruitment on a regional basis (if recieved an offer, candidate can pick a preferred office location), or it is more office-specific? I've heard that for McKinsey, all the recruitments in Greater China region is handled by the regional office.

Thanks a lot for the advice!

Answer 1

Hi there,

I highly recommend that you apply where your application most "makes sense". That is, where you have the most work, education, and living experience. You want the recruiter to say "I understand why this person applied here".

Additionally, try and get a referral. Referrals work across offices, but are best in the office from which the referrer comes.

So, it sounds like Taipei would be your best bet, but try and also network with all 3 offices!

That said, for the MBBs you can select multiple choices (they all did this a bit differently). As such, you can rank them in your preference order and allow that process to take place.

Answer 2

Hello!

Given how things are, I would go with what maximizes my chances. In your case seems to be clearly Taipei.

Then, once you have your offer in hand, the power game changes a bit and you have higher barganing power to try to make the shift to other Greater China offices.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 3

Hi, in the application process you have to indicate your 1st preference and if you're succeeding in achieving the invitation you are going to be assessed by them. Most of the interviews are currently made via zoom, so it won't be a problem of where you are located right now

Best,
Antonello

Answer 4

Recruiting for McKinsey GCO is regional with the exceptoin of HK and Taipei which are often handled locally. Assuming you have residency in Shanghai/HK then I would definitely go for it. Consultants work across the Greater China region and so your experience will be relevant regardless.

Answer 5

Hi there,

If you’re based in Taipei, applying there might give you an edge due to your local knowledge, but if Hong Kong or Shanghai is more aligned with your goals, it’s worth considering those offices.

By the way, if you're looking for IT roles in the Greater China region, I recommend Silicon Valley Associates Recruitment (SVA Recruitment). They specialize in tech recruitment with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Shenzhen, and Dubai.

Good luck with your applications!