Top MBBs offer Inquiry

What a great position to be in!

I think you're dealing with the classic problem of grass is greener. You're at the #1 firm. You're already there. If it were me, I  would stay/ However, I understand the country differences as well….

We can't advise on such a life changing decision via a Q&A. Consider using that consulting money to hire a career coach for 1 hour to ensure you make the right decision!

Hi there,

Congratulations on the two offers! In terms of your question:

Q: Since we’re comparing two top MBBs, do you think I should accept the offer? 

It depends on your goals. 

For example, if McKinsey allows you to reach more easily the exit opportunities you want, it might be worth staying there, despite the lower salary. At the same time, if you value a lot for personal reasons to be in the country of the Bain offer, that might be a good reason to move there.

In general, I would consider the following to decide:

• Where do you want to be in 5-10 years? Try to identify 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 probably 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, you can contact Alumni of your university (not current consultants) who worked for the possible alternatives (bonus if they worked for both McKinsey and Bain). You will learn more in a 30min call with them than with any online research you might do.

Best,

Francesco

Hi,

I guess you could imagine this as a case interview question - and you would probably need to understand what criteria matters to you when making this decision and out of those criteria which one is the most important.

In addition to salary, there are other things to consider between the 2 specific options:

• Professional (firm) wise
  • Office culture, office size, type of projects in terms of industry and function, travel requirements etc.
  • The above may differ significantly as it sounds like you are comparing McK in a developing country vs Bain in a developed country
• Personal wise
  • Preference for living in locations
  • Proximity to family/friends

Lastly, while I do agree that at the end of the day both are MBB and will both be great on your CV, it is also important to recognize that consulting can be a very ‘individual’ experience, i.e. your staffing and who you end up working with/for can greatly make/break your experience - and sometimes this is a function of office/geography.

All the best!

Hi there,

congrats - that's a great problem to have during these challenging times!

Whether you should accept or not pretty much depends on what you value most?

• Comp?
• Working in a certain geography?
• Fit with a particular work culture?
• Prestige?
• Other things?

Suggest you reflect first on which factors matter most and then rank the firms against each other accordingly. Hard to give adequate guidance without understanding what you care about most. And just to be clear - both are top firms, so you can't really go wrong either way.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

This is a tough one. I would say it depends on the following 

1. If you believe you can transfer with McKinsey in a couple of years then it might be worth waiting given the brand name of McKinsey globally 

2. If you're sure you want to leave asap and don't want to wait to see how things pan out it's worth switching because if your mind is made up then you'll have a lot of regret if you don't follow through. 

What we often miss evaluating when going to a new country is the support network and social side of things. It's 100% worth exploring but make sure you're looking at things holistically and not just focusing on pay. For example will you find mentors there just as easily? Will you fit into the culture well? Do you have a support network outside of work so that you're not lonely? Etc. 

Hi there!

It all depends on what your plan is. 

If your plan is to maximize revenues over the next 1-3 years, then go for it. Take the competitive offer. You'll have more money in your pocket this way. 

If your plan is to optimise for a consulting career, i.e., you're planning on spending many years there, or if you're planning on spending your future in the region where the McK office currently is, or if you prefer McK's culture, then by all means stay. 

The reality is that compensation changes massively with tenure. With time, regional differences get erased, so if you're planning on doing this long-term, the frictions around a transfer between the firms are not worth it. 

Best,
Cristian

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Hi,

as the other coaches pointed out, it's really not an apples-to-apples comparison and strongly hinges on what your personal plans are. 

McK is the top choice in terms of reputation globally. Wherever your Bain offer comes from, McK has likely an office there as well. You could aim to transfer there within the company after 2 years. That will give you the added salary benefit of the region plus the brand reputation. You would also be already established within the firm and have a support network.

If you decide to switch to Bain now, you might be burning bridges at McK. Again, lots of pros and cons - but only you can do the weighting of the criteria.

Best of luck

Hello,

Congratulations on your offer! McK and Bain are both internationally recognized companies with a large clientele and strong brands, so I think this choice is mostly based on your personal preferences. There’s no right answer here, they are both great options. I would think about some of the following things:

• Which country would you prefer to live in?
• Which firm would you prefer to work for in the long-term?
• How important are the financial considerations that you mention?
• What is the working culture like in the two firms that you are considering?