Experienced professional transitioning from industry to BCG

Question

Hello everyone!

I have 3.5 years of experience in a large corporate and I hold a non-mba master degree. I come from a digital background and I recently got an offer from BCG in the middle east office as part of their digital practice.

My concern is that the position I was offered is entry level(same position they would offer anyone with 0 years of experience) and I tried negotiating a higher position or at least some tenure but that did not work.

Given that I am interested in transitioning to consulting and that their pay is higher than what I get right now, should I ignore the fact that the position is entry level and accept it?

your feedback is appreciated.

Answer 1

Yes, ignore it.

It really depends on the game that you want to play.

If your plan is to be in consulting in and out, i.e., spend 2 years so you have the brand on your CV, it's worth pushing for a more senior role. Then you need to build a case for it and if they offer an intermediary position between Associate and Consultant, you can get it.

If you're playing the long-term game, by all means, it's best to go with their guidance. Over several years, it will make no difference that you started in a more junior position, both in terms of total compensation and time to Partner (i.e., it should take you ~9-11 years to Partner anyway). The added benefit is that you'll have a smoother ride and time to build a proper foundation rather than rushing into a more senior role with higher expectations that you might not be qualified to deliver on.

I've seen cases in McK of people successfully negotiating a more senior role (J Associate instead of BA) and then leaving a year and a half later burnt out. I wouldn't recommend it.

I recently had a candidate with a medical background and work experience get an offer with McK Dubai who was offered BA instead of JAsc. I recommended him to go for BA for the same reason as above.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi there,

Q: Given that I am interested in transitioning to consulting and that their pay is higher than what I get right now, should I ignore the fact that the position is entry-level and accept it?

If the alternative is to stick to your current job and you prefer a career in consulting, from what you shared the best option is to accept it. At the same time, if joining with some seniority is really important to you, you might want to consider applying to other top consulting companies to see if you can get more seniority recognized.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 3

Congratulations on the offer!

Ideally you want to come in at a post MBA level but if that's not on offer it's still better to take it if the payoff in 2-3 years is good for you. Personally I would do it because you end up much stronger resume wise and can leverage it for the rest of your career pretty much.

Also one thing that's typically great about MBB is that if you perform better than your peers you get promoted faster and get paid more as a result.

Answer 4

Hi there,

Congrats on the offer!

Hmmmm, it sounds like your interview performance (defending your resume/experience and case level) wasn't what they needed to bring you in higher. Your chance for this was really on interview day.

You have to make your own internal decision, but, given pay is higher, the firm is so prestigious, and I already tried to get place higher, then, if it were me, I would accept. Remember that promotions happen quickly if you perform well!

Answer 5

Yes, you should take it. You don't have consulting skills, and you need to gain those from scratch.

If you are overperforming you will be promoted sooner. But if you were at a higher rank but underperforming, you would be kicked out.

They are making you a realistic and low risk offer.