Is it difficult to join McKinsey BCG or Bain as an experienced professional?

Neil,

I was an experienced hire as well, so can definitely relate. The hardest part for your will likely be to get an interview. McK is probably most open, assuming you have a specific expertise set that they need; BCG does also hire some experienced hires but that's rare; as for Bain... to my knowledge, they pretty much don't take anyone out of school. I ended up at BCG because I had worked alongside them for 4 months on a project at my company, and the principal felt comfortable recommending me for an interview. Contacts at McK and Bain were unable to get me an interview however, even after BCG had already made a verbal offer. I do know of 2 or 3 folks who got an offer from BCG as experienced hire without having worked with anyone there, but they were definitely exceptions. Now, once you got an interview... expectations will be largely the same. Yes, you probably should have a slightly better business sense than average due to longer work experience, and yes you might feel more comfortable talking to senior execs, but that won't make a noticeable difference in how you will be judged. At least, these 2 or 3 folks I mentioned above and I didn't feel we were treated any different than the rest. Does that help?

Hi Neil,

I rebuilt from the ground up the experienced hire recruiting program in 2007 for McKinsey's Operations Practice and also led McKinsey Solutions recruiting which was mostly focused on experienced hires. 

Knowing you have 4 years experience is insufficient to determine if you're going to be a reasonable candidate; however, I can address your specific question about the screening process. 

Firstly, the criteria to get an interview, typically the resume review, will be very different than campus recruiting and based on McKinsey's needs and your background.  You'll typically be evaluated for Specialist/Expert roles in a practices whereas campus candidates will be evaluated for generalist roles in offices.

Secondly, your assessment, typically the interview process, will in principle be exactly the same during first and final rounds focused on case and PEI.  However, the preliminary process at the front end will be slightly different depending on where  you're in the world but should include a Webex case prep (American Beauty - it's a junk case), 1-hour one-on-one phone coaching with an alumni coach and typically a week later (although it can be scheduled further apart) a 30-minute go/no-go phone case to determine if you'll get an invitation to first rounds.

I can't speak to other firms but what I wrote above is going to be accurate for 99% of all experienced hire candidates applying to most offices in the world.  McKinsey is a firm that is easy to get an offer from but you need to know how to make that happen - feel free to book a session with me if you'd like to know more.

Cheers,

Nick 

I'd even say, nowadays experiences professionals are more and more in demand, as client problems increase in complexity and require more hands on industry experience than they used to. 

I did recruit experienced hires for BCG.

1) You need to have credibility / challenging experience in your vertical industry 

2) You need to be clear on whether you would like

→ A generalist progression

→ An expert progression → you would have an advantage here vs. other candidates - so if it suits you - you should explore this 

Hi Neil,

The differences could depend on where you are applying, e.g. certain Bain offices in Europe typically prefer experienced hires rather than graduates. But mostly your behavior during the interview as well as dealing the cases determine your success. You need to be prepared for the case interview, and it's also essential that your CV should be polished.
Do you need any help with that?

GB

Hey Neil,

Let me just add to this conversation that McKinsey also has expert roles, that are equivalent to the generalist roles (e.g. Specialist = Associate, Expert = EM, …).
In addition there are expert roles that also offer development into a Partner role (if they are client facing) - often via an Expert Associate Partner Track (to become Expert Partner or Partner - equivalent). 

Best

Simon

When transitioning to consulting as an experienced hire, focus on showcasing:

Industry Expertise: Highlight your in-depth knowledge.

Proven Track Record: Emphasize past successes and leadership roles.

Client Management: Showcase any client-facing experience.

Problem-Solving Skills: Demonstrate a sophisticated approach.

Adaptability: Stress your ability to thrive in diverse environments.

Network and Relationships: Mention any valuable professional connections.

Advanced Degrees: If applicable, highlight relevant advanced education.

Tailor your application to align with the firm's specific requirements. Best of luck!

Warm regards, Frederic

Hi,

You are expected to have a better understand of the area you come from. You should have more powerful FIT answers, as you should have had some tying/challenging experiences.

Hi!

No, not mroe or less than fresh from Uni from master. The bars that you need to meet are just different, according to the expected experience. 

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi Neil,

A lot of good answers below! A few things to add from my perspective as an experienced hire at McKinsey.

You are likely to be interviewed by more senior consultants from the first round - McKinsey will generally not send junior EMs or Senior Associates to interview a seasoned exec. Expect Partners and APs from the start. The implication is that you need to focus more on showing your business sense, exec level communication and confidence, and ability to generate immediate rapport with the interviewer.

Hope it helps!

Hi A,

My short answer is no, not that difficult. However, expectations on some criteria will be higher (e.g. on your business judgement).However, you need to prepare well for the selection process. 

Type of selection exercises: there are no regular interviews. All selection stages revolve around business cases (written case/group case study/case interview). Your experience and specific industry knowledge play far less important role. You will be assessed for having right competencies and ability to solve business problems. 

If you need any help, feel free to reach out. 


Best,


André

I would say equally difficult as applying when you are a student. You need to pass the same interview process.

Jorn

Hi Neil,

I partially agree with Guannel regarding the chances for the different firms, but I have to precise that experienced hires will be generally penalized on their career paths. Especially if they do not come from a strategy consulting background, in the first period they will struggle a lot more than an internal consultant of the same level because of the specific mindset of the big 3. However I fully agree with Guennel taht the treatment during the interview process is exactly the same. except that generally if you are and experienced hire you should skip the analitycal test and get directly to the case interviews. Hope this is useful, I wish you a wonderful WE!

Hi Nick, 

Could you elaborate on the "go/no-go" phone call for experienced hires at McK- mine is scheduled soon. So I would be grateful for any insights. 

Thanks! 

Hello,

With 4 years of experience, I would say you are perfectly positioned to break into consulting either as an Associate or as  Consultant (if you do the MBA route).

Consulting firms typically expect some experience so that you can start offering value right off the bat.

Best,

Rushabh

It's about supply and demand. I know of several experienced hires who went into McKinsey. One went from being a director at a pharmaceutical (about 7 years out of college) to an Associate at McKinsey in their Business Technology practice and eventually became a Partner there. I know of another person who was hired straight at the Associate Principal level after about 12 years out of college and coming from a senior role in the Government. As of BCG and Bain not too familiar with their policies on experienced hires but they definitely do interview experienced hires as well.

Hi,

I got selected by HR and very soon will face 1st round with Senior Manager in McK Digital practice.I am experienced Enterprise Architect and former Deloitte consultant. Can anyone please explain me McK experienced hire process?

Thanks!

Hi Neil, 

Not difficult at all, is the short answer. Granted you wouldn't have the 'traditional' access to on campus events, though being an experienced hire can give you an edge nonetheless. Each of the firms have an experienced hire-specific recruiting program. Don't think the expectation is higher - as long as your 'story' of applying and transitioning to consulting makes sense. Happy to chat more if you'd like. Best of luck with the process. 

Cheers,

Shikhar