Why would you consider joining one of the MBB in Riyadh

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I would highly advise you to opt for the option that better aligns with your professional (and maybe even personal) mid- to long-term goals. In order to make an informed decision, I would advise you to do the following:

• Weigh the different criteria that are meaningful to you independently of the current options (e.g., prestige, culture, compensation). After that, score the two/ three options based on your criteria and their weighting, resulting in two/ three scores. This way, you have covered the left-brain perspective.
• Critically assess your initial reaction to the outcome of the scores. For instance, if you feel the urge to tweak the numbers, this is a solid indicator that you do not want this decision to become reality. This way, you have covered the right-brain perspective.
• By doing so, you will be able to integrate both parts of the brain into the decision-making, guaranteeing a higher chance that you will still be happy with it years later.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

I can offer you a perspective on the Riyadh Office across MBB. First of all congratulations on securing offers already from McK and BCG.

Of the three, McKinsey's Riyadh office is the most established and has been growing rapidly with an increasing international presence. The culture is dynamic, diverse, and collaborative. BCG similarly has a large Riyadh office with a strong local presence than McK. Of the three, Bain's office is the smallest at the moment and therefore expect a more tight-knit office environment.

There are also compensation differences for similar roles across the firms as you will find out. 

Hope this is helpful!

Your instinct is right in terms of needing to speak with people from these offices. 

The best answers you can always give to these interview questions are based on conversations you've had with current hires. 

Even if it didn't work until now, then try it with other people. 

Just check that your own questions are not generic, because that might trigger generic answers. 

Sharing a guide that might help on how to conduct these coffee chats:

Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

On a high level, the situation in the kingdom is not too different from the rest of the world: McKinsey leads the pack, followed by BCG and then Bain in terms of prestige, projects, people, etc.

However, to make your decision, think about the softer factors and your gut feeling: Where did you enjoy your interactions the most? What culture and environment speak to you?

The latter should be the decision criteria for you.

Cheers,

Florian

That's a great question to ask them during the interviews. Learning that in first hand is the best way.