I'd love to help provide some context/advice/color on anything recruitment related. #recruitment #MBB #Mckinsey #Bain #BCG #consulting #managementconsulting #recruiting
Hey! Thanks for this AMA. I have a few questions. How difficult is it to lateral to McKinsey or the other top 2 from a mid-sized firm like mine? Would it just entail a lot of networking? What’s the main cultural differences between the top 3 firms? I’ve heard in the past that Bain is very “frat-like” almost but I assume it depends on the team and location of course. How many hours do you work a week? What are the peaks and troughs like for that? My company has amazing WLB so just wondering what I’d be getting myself into if I did attempt a lateral
Of course! 1) there has been alot more lateral movement lately as firms try to expand into 'newer' and 'not as developed' industries (e.g., digital, analytics). so if you have experience in those types of fields it's more helpful! Mckinsey isn't as focused on networking as Bain/others are though. 2) mckinsey is a little bit more intense i've heard; bain has greater social cohesion; BCG is known to be more intellectual. generally west coast is a bit less intense compared to NYC and Asia. 3) 60-80 hrs/week :) hope this helps!
How would someone move to a consulting firm without any prior experience? (3 years of FP&A work at a big bank)
It'd be easiest to pivot post-MBA! I would say if you're done alot of leadership work in a niche area, there's a chance you can move into a firm as an 'experienced hire'
Few questions How McKinsey handles technology driven consulting ? Does your management knows in and out of technology? Or you partner with some other third party services ? I know McKinsey do strategic planning and roadmap, but you guys do software/system architecture and solutioning ? Does enterprise architectures would found McKinsey interesting? What would be challenging situations he/she needs to address
1) the analysts and managers are incredibly familiar with the technology (because often they'll do multiple studies for tech consulting); the partners and upper management involved are INCREDIBLY knowledgeable. We partner with experts for interviews through third party vendors 2) yes, but still with a strategic planning lens 3) yes, if you're doing tech stack/strategy work! for example, i'm working for the CEO of a large enterprise software company expanding more deeply into vertical industries
What are some specific key skills (e.g. financial modeling, data analytics) management consulting firms look for in a candidate other than the generic language in job post? Do you see any peers with audit background? How have they made the switch to management consulting? What are some of the common exit opportunities your peers pursue after becoming a management consultant? How often does one travel? I would expect that it varies by engagement and industry specialty but I've often heard management consultants are always on the road.
1) ability to think logically through solving a business case and present your "findings" (hypotheses) eloquently, concisely, and logically. 2) I haven't seen too many people with an audit background, but I think if you're making a post-MBA pivot, it's definitely doable 3) the most common that I've heard about: exiting into a 'more chill' industry role (e.g., product manager at Facebook), PE firms, growth equity firms, starting a business, going to get an MBA, being recruited into a client's internal company 4) It really does vary; bain is a bit more local; I travel about 70% of the time (from SF to Germany, NY, LA, Charlotte, etc) but I would say you can push to be local
I have 10+ years of marketing & communications experience (both agency and in-house roles that range from PR to brand marketing to direct to consumer and B2B), but am actively exploring my next career move and management consulting is definitely an area I’m looking into. Any advice for someone who wants to showcase how that range of experience is transferable?
You should prepare very well thought out stories of how you demonstrated leadership, entrepreneurship, etc. The fact that your skills are transferable is pretty clear, as long as you have a good storyline of how you demonstrate the 'above and beyond' aspect of marketing and communications. It would especially be helpful if you're looking to enter management consulting specifically for marketing and comms - so you'd essentially be an experienced hire :) hope this helps!!
Thank you!
What do most people do after McKinsey and at what point do they generally leave ? For what reason ? Also do you see a lot of movement between the consulting firms ?
1. the most common that I've heard about: exiting into a 'more chill' industry role (e.g., product manager at Facebook), PE firms, growth equity firms, starting a business, going to get an MBA, being recruited into a client's internal company. 2. people generally leave around the 2 year mark as a business analyst and after 1-2 years of EM-ing (engagement manager) 3. usually to find a better work life balance or to exit into a more 'lucrative' job 4. I haven't seen too much lateral movement among younger tenured associates/analysts but a few partners/associate partners!
I heard there is no room for negotiation for MBA grads. Would this be the same for experienced hire?
MBA from top college or any mba is okay?
I know what management is but not quite sure what management consulting really means? How does that differ from say engineering manager or product manager?
Management consulting is broader than engineering and product managers. Often times, management consultants may have a broad set of functional experiences (e.g., finance, strategy, implementation), industry experience (e.g., banking, real estate, retail, enterprise tech), and even type of project (e.g., working directly with CEOs, developing outside in research). An engineer or product manager would be responsible for a select product/set of products at a given time and would likely focus solely on the end to end process for the product(s). Does that help? :)