Hi,
I recently received and rejected an offer from McKinsey in my home country (Eastern Europe). The reasons are myriad. I'd like to see whether it would be possible to apply to a larger European office at some point soon? Do I have to wait a year before reapplying like I would with a rejection?
Thank you for your help.
Hi there,
I believe it should be fine to apply to another office there should not be an issue of a waiting period since you were never rejected in the first place.
However, I think you went about it the wrong way - it's true that by interviewing and getting an offer in your home country you managed to get good practice and more leverage when negotiating with other McKinsey offices or even other firms but you should have voiced your goals from the start (e.g., talked to the recruiter that you are interested in a different office so that she can connect you with them, asked about an internal transfer to a different office and the policy regarding it, etc.)
I believe this path (applying directly to the office you want or applying for an internal transfer) might have been the easier one than applying to an office you knew you were not going to accept and then starting the process all over again with a risk of potential delays in the reapplication.
Either way, I do recommend you also apply to other MBB and tier 2 firms in the offices you want and use the existing McKinsey offer as leverage and strength to why you want to relocate to the new firm and specifically this office.
Feel free to reach out privately - I am more than happy to discuss application strategies in detail!
Hi there,
You’re not banned – quite the opposite in fact. Having had an offer from office X will give you a boost when applying to office Y.
However, there’s still some obstacles such as language. If you want to get into the German office for example, you have to speak German (same goes for France, Italy, Spain, etc.). If you “only” speak English apart from your native tongue, you should consider Netherlands and Nordics.
Hence, be clear about which office you’re targeting and start networking. For that, you should absolutely leverage your offer and you could even ask your recruiter or the Partners you interviewed with if they’re willing to make an introduction. They should be!
Hope this helps. Best of luck!
(edited)
This is a rare scenario. I don't think there's a rule as such that stops you. However it will be very difficult to apply without a referral that strongly recommends you. McKinsey is a global recruiting team so they can see you rejected an offer no matter where you apply.
Additionally it's much harder to apply to a country that isn't your home country for many reasons including a general bias towards hiring from the home country outside of large international hubs. But even in the hubs, to start with typically it requires you to have studied there or currently be working there.
(edited)
Hi there,
Theoretically there is a 1 year freeze, but it's usually for the same office. There is no cross-office means of checking the applications so I doubt anyone will notice. However, do make sure that you application docs are up to par before reapplying so you don't find yourself in the same situation.
Best,
Cristian
Hey there,
Usually 12 months for an internship and between 18 to 24 months for a full-time position.
The re-application ban is global and applies to all McKinsey offices.
All the best!
Cheers,
Florian
Hi there,
This is a tricky scenario! I think the answer here is going to be a bit case-specific.
I would network with the target office and, once you get a referral and/or a touchpoint with HR/Recruiting explain your situation. See what they say.
Hello,
I don't think the ban applies in your case since they gave you an offer, but I would definitely talk to HR about how to navigate this situation, and would start networking with consultants in the offices you want to apply to.
Hi there,
this is a special case, and I would suggest to treat it accordingly: apply for your target office once you feel ready with all your circumstances.
Throughout the application process, clearly communicate your previous offer and especially your reasons for turning it down. This is critical due to the global application system.
You are not banned after rejecting an offer, so you can reapply to a different office.
