Types of people MBB hire

This is a good observation. I think that the percentage of people in general in consulting, in particular at MBB, who are overweight or obese is 1/5th of the population at large. 

But to be sure, I am not aware of any process of discarding applications from obese people. 

There are several factors at play:

• People at MBB usually come from tier-1 schools. Tier-1 schools have people who usually come from a better upbringing, and being more educated, they eat less and better
• Image is very important, and people who apply for tier-1 schools and consulting firms do it also for image and status. Eating less and better cultivates a positive image
• People hired by MBB usually have more grit, more determination, more stamina, and better self-control than most other people. As a consequence, they eat less and better
• Interviewers want people similar to them at least subconsciously
• Obese people are more insecure and less confident, this is clearly something that disqualifies most candidates

I know that this can sound un-politically correct, but this is just reality. There is no malevolent intent from MBB, it is just self-selection and subconscious at work.

Hey there,

Simple answer: Not at all! :-)

If you are preparing for McKinsey, check out these articles:

Case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mckinsey-interview

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All the best!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi,

What an interesting question and great observation!

 I can assure you that there is no drive to only hire fit people. However that tends to happen for a few reasons

• Regardless of what we do or say there is a bias towards attracting attractive people as per the current social norms of what is considered attractive
• In addition especially as a junior talent, the more you ‘look the part’ of what a consultant might look like from the eyes of the client may play an unconscious part in the hiring process
• Being fit could be seen as a signal that you have other things ‘in order’ or are disciplined enough to take care of yourself despite the pressures of a degree from a top school etc.
• It is also ironic given that once you join fitness becomes nearly impossible to maintain consistently

Do not worry about how you look. If you are confident and come across as intelligent you will make it just fine. I have worked with plenty of consultants that do not fit this mould.

Best,

Udayan

Definitely not although the observation resonates with me too…  Personally, I found consulting lifestyle to be a difficult to stay healthy due to excessive travel where its difficult to control exercise and diet.  For me personally, it meant I lost a lot of weight. 

There used to be a famous term called the “McKinsey stone” (probably no longer due to its politically incorrectness), used for new consultants who put on weight due to all the free food that they have access to with limited exercise. 

Hi there, 

it is very interesting question! MBB at least speaking for BCG we do hire people based on their capabilities to solver difficult problems, there are no decision made on  weight, age, or any other physical factor of the applicant. 

Lucie

Was this answer helpful?

Hi there,

Some of the best consultants I ever met were on the larger side :) They got me through some tough times in my early days and were fantastic mentors that I really looked+look up to - they're crushing it in the consulting world!

Trust me, your own weight is not going to change anything if you case + interview well - that's all that matters!

That I am aware of, I would say no. I have worked with colleageus of all shapes and sizes :-) and, more importantly, diverse backgrounds and cultural identities. 

This is perhaps what I miss the most of consulting: working alongside colleagues that challenge you daily with their different views of the world provided their diverse backgrounds. 

 

Dear candidate,

being bigger is not an issue at all. Overall there are a lot of consultants who are heavier than the average weight. All else matters more. 

Best regards

Hello!

You are right that there seems to be a bias, particularly in the more junior collages. 

However, I couldn´t think of someone getting refjected for this reason. Furthermore, people really tend to get fat once in consulting

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi there,

Nothing to worry about! I’ve actually had some bigger colleagues. 

Admittedly, some got in skinny and went all out on the daily food budged in 5 star hotels :)

But companies like McKinsey are making every effort to eliminate possible bias when it comes to gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, appearance, etc.

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!

No reason to assume that MBB is different than any other company or organization regarding this matter.

If it helps I'm a BCG Project Leader and I'm a heavy fellah :P