Converting an internship application into a full time application - McKinsey Europe

Hi Mary,

Q: I also have more than 2 years of full-time experience. Is it possible to convert my application into a Junior Associate role or even an Associate role?

With 2 years of experience, you should still match the entry-level role (Business Analyst at McKinsey). To move up to the next level (Associate at McKinsey), typically you would need either (i) an MBA or (ii) 4/5+ years of experience, so, from what you shared, it doesn't seem to fit your experience.

In some regions, they might also offer an intermediary role (eg at McKinsey, Senior Business Analyst or Junior Associate) to bridge the gap between these two positions. If you find these intermediate positions on their website (their presence varies by region), they usually specify the required years of experience.

If you apply for the entry-level role (Business Analyst) and receive an offer, given your work experience, they might acknowledge some seniority and allow you to join with 6 months or 1 year of experience recognized.

Good luck!

Francesco

Mary,

Great to hear about your enthusiasm. 

The short answer is that it's highly unlikely you can change an application that is already ongoing - but still wort discussing it with the recruiter.

Typically, for Associate you need 5y of relevant work experience. With 2y years, you're still looking rather at the BA role. Depending on the region / office, it sometimes takes within McKinsey 2-3y to get from BA to JAsc, so it's unlikely they will offer JAsc. 

Lastly, the entry role doesn't matter that much in the long term perspective. In fact, it's better to go for a more junior role if it actually reflects your skills. Otherwise, you have a very tough journey ahead.

Best,
Cristian

Hi Mary,

when you join consulting without prior consulting background (an internship is not enough of a background for this example), you should do yourself a favor and allow yourself more time to adjust to the “different” ways of working compared to what you are used to. 

The higher your seniority is in a consulting firm, the higher (and more immediate) the expectations will be with regards to your performance. You don't want to have that additional pressure on top of everything else if your plan is to become successful in your consulting career.

In terms of compensation, always factor in base salary plus expected bonus which is usually higher in consulting than in an industry job. Even if you might take an initial pay cut in your base salary, you should make a comparison on a 3-4 year timeframe - salaries in consulting increase significantly and promotion trajectories are steeper (assuming on par performance). So while you might make less in your first year, you'll probably catch up by a lot after 2 or 3 years.

In consulting you just want to make sure that you can perform to the best of your abilities and then the rest will follow. So make sure you choose the most suitable entry point for yourself from a skills perspective.

Best of luck

An associate role is not possible. A junior associate may be possible, but that's something you should discuss with them, and it will be based on your performance. 

Most likely it is not advisable (you want to be at a lower level and overperform, not at a higher and underperform and be counseled out). This doesn't mean you shouldnt do it, it means you should discuss with them and in this case trust their judgement.

Two years of experience is not enough to apply as Junior Associate. You need 4-5 years to do it.

You should at least apply to business analyst entry-role. Talk with your recruiting contact to change your application. There shouldn't be any problem.

Best,

Alberto

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