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Bain Nordics vs Middle East

Hi everyone,

I have been working at a Tiers-2 consulting firm in Europe for 2 years now. I would like to switch to MBB and more particularly to apply to Bain.

Given the economic slowdown in Europe impacting recruitments in consulting:

- 1/ for which offices between the Bain Nordics ((I only have ties to Amsterdam where I lived in for 6 months) and Bain Middle East (no ties to the region) do I have the best shot ? Are recruitments still ongoing for those offices?

- 2/ For which role (Associate Consultant vs Senior Associate Consultant) should I apply ? 

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Top answer
on Feb 19, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Hi there!

Happy to provide a perspective. 

1 - which office.

Always go for an office where you can demonstrate a link. If you have no connection to ME (nationality, having lived there, worked there, having family there or any personal reasons), you have a high chance of being screened out. 

Amsterdam might make more sense then. But also reflect on what offices would fulfil the criteria / reasons mentioned above and go for those. 

In terms of which ones are accepting applications because the situation is so tumultuous at the moment, it makes the most sense to approach and ask the recruiters directly. Nobody can give you a more accurate answer. 

2 - which role

As above, ask the recruiter directly. If they have an intermediary role between Associate and Consultant (such as Senior Associate), because not all offices offer it, then you should be eligible to apply for that. 

Last but not least, don't apply only to Bain. Apply at least to all of the MBBs AND any other firms that you might be interested in joining. 

Having your application centred around only one firm in a difficult period like this is super risky. 

Best,
Cristian

Florian
Coach
on Feb 19, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

These are excellent discussion starters for networking efforts.

I would reach out to similar people in your target markets via LinkedIn and get the discussion going,

  • highlighting your motivation to apply
  • asking about the current recruiting situation
  • asking about the best role to apply for

You will get the information you need from the most up-to-date source AND potentially also a referral.

All the best,

Florian

Ian
Coach
on Feb 19, 2024
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

1) Neither…If you don't have working rights in either, don't speak the language, don't have a history of living/working there, and haven't networked, then you're really just throwing your application into the abyss.

Now, if I have misunderstood and you are European then Europe is better odds. You still need to network though and prove you have ties there

2) Entry level if you have just 2 years of consulting work with a bachelor's degree

Pedro
Coach
on Feb 29, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

1. Since you have no ties to Nordics, I would suggest Middle East as being more open to people from the outside, and more active in recruiting right now. 

2. Associate Consultant, but this is something you can discuss with HR. It is unlikely you will be recognized the full 2 years of experience when you move.

Nikita
Coach
on Feb 28, 2024
MBB & Tier2 preparation | 100+ offers | 7 years coaching | 2000+ sessions

Hey,

You should shoot for the office in the region where you have ties, such as:

- having a work permission;

- knowing a local language;

- having previous experience of working in this region and knowing its specifics;

- having expertise that is valuable in this region etc.

Hope this helps,
Nick

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