All questions tagged reputation - Consulting Q&A - PrepLounge.com

They have been on a hiring frenzy as of late in MENA. I have heard they are asking interviewers to come in on Fridays (first day of the weekend in Dubai) to interview groups of candidates. My understanding is they are winning a lot of work in Saudi Arabia as part of Vision 2030 initiatives and the National Transformation Program. A lot of interesting work with a heavy focus on public sector (like most consultancies in the region).

It is considered T2 in the Middle East but the work they do is quite similar to MBB in the region. It is a great place to work, but probably wouldn't take it over an MBB offer in Dubai.

Is the question still relevant? If so, I am happy to share my views as a gp Alumnus

This is a good question. The short answer is both matter. However, it’s important to understand how MBB approach University recruiting. Having led both Office, Regional and University (MIT Sloan) recruiting as a Partner at McKinsey, I was often times of asked why McKinsey recruited at certain schools and not others. The answer actually comes down to a combination of factors. But, the main factor is the # of quality candidates available from a particular University. Scale matters. While the top 5 candidates at University X may be just as good as the top 5 candidates at University Y, the top 50 candidates may not be as good. So, there are typically a group of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Universities for both Undergrad/Grad and MBA recruiting. The difference being that Tier 1 Universities have full time recruiters assigned to them where a single recruiter may cover 4 or 5 Tier 2 Universities.

So, the primary factor for MBBs is the University and the second factor is the GPA, especially for undergrads. For many MBA programs, you don’t even disclose your GPA. This is not to say that GPA does not matter. There is an minimum GPA or ‘ante’ if you will. But, it’s a bit like your SAT / GRE / GMAT score. As long as it meets the minimum, you are pass the bar. However, there is a little extra credit given for honors / awards / distinctive GPAs.

Hi Anonymous,

both the groups are top for reputation in their respective sectors (of course, in tech companies it would depend on what exactly you do, as there are more roles than in MBB). For exit opportunities however, while tech companies’ reputation would come handy in the tech world, MBB reputation would come handy in every sector, as exit options are broader there.

There are several other differences between the two worlds:

Tech companies plus

• Less hours and comparable compensation till a certain level of seniority
• IT interaction (not only business one)
• More learning about innovation
• Less formal environment in terms of hierarchy, dress code, etc

Consulting plus

• Multiple clients and industries
• Faster career growth after the initial 3-4 years
• In general, more strategy projects, less operations
• Extremely broad exit opportunities

In general, I would not choose based on reputation only (for which all the companies you mentioned would be great), but for the kind of experience you would like to have based on the previous points, and where you see yourself in 5-10 years.

Hope this helps,

Francesco