I get fired by MBB, what should I do..

Question

I still cannot make peace with myself… But the situation crashed me heavily..

several months ago, I was told 20% of my batch will be in PIP, and I am one of them. Someone just take the money and left, but I decided to do PIP and eventually failed anyways.

I got two months to find a new job, one months just passed. I tried my best to reach out to headhunters and people I know. basically applied every company I can think might be a fit.

I joined the firm one and half a year ago after college, and this is my first job. so my tenure is limited and limits my potential job search. My resume is basically a Bachelor degree + 1.5 yrs at MBB

Now I have several options.

A) strategy role at a well-known tech company, same salary but WLB

B) strategy role at another local tech company, 30% salary raise but huge scope

C) product manager role at a well-known company, 20% salary raise and something new, a lot to learn lol

D) investment manager at a unicorn, 25% salary raise and need to lead junior analysts, I am not sure if I can handle this….

E) keep looking for new roles…but I don't see new interviews coming

F) headhunter told me a tier2 consulting is hiring (actually tier 1.5 if you say so., not sure if I should go). I think its hard to explain in the future why from MBB to tier 2. But I also dont think 1.5 yrs at consulting makes me well-trained for the future…

I still wish I can keep up with my peers at MBB in the future…

I dont care short-term cash flow, but in my country, employers always ask your current salary to set according $$$ when you do job-hopping….

And i am thinking of doing MBA later, should I just pick one offer and planning for MBA to restart, or should I try to get my ass in a tier 2 consulting first? Or if there is any other advice or any aspects that I should consider, I am very much appreciated to learn your perspective.

Last but not least, I tend to believe I really have some problems with my technical skills (excel modeling etc.)， making me less confident to stretch myself in new roles.

Answer 1

Hi there,

#1 Don't beat yourself up. It's a hard job. Getting into McKinsey is such a feat in and of itself - you now have the brand, the learnings, the network, etc.! You've done amazing already!

#2 You have FOUR JOB OFFERS!!! That's incredible. Move on and never look back. Personally, I would get a career coach and just spend a session/half session talking through these offers. It's a big next step and you want to make sure you're picking the right one.

#3 Personally, I don't like option E. I also don't think MBA makes sense right now. Finally, Option F, sure, but only if you truly want that more than Options A-D (which are really just 1 option…take a job from the current offers)

Well done…you have a great exit/transition in play! I'm not worried about you at all.

Answer 2

Hi!

Sorry to hear about your situation, but it sounds like have a lot of options.

I won't tell you what to pick (for obvious reasons), but I do want to highlight that ‘keeping up with your MBB peers’ is unlikely to lead anywhere happy.

It rather sounds like what you need now is clarity.

Specifically, clarity in terms of what your goal is.

Once you have that goal in mind of who you want to be and what you want to achieve, you can start assessing which of these avenues best contributes to this vision.

To gain clarity, you need space. So take a few days off, go for a walk, take your mind off it and let things settle a bit.

But by all means, don't be desperate about the situation. I wasn't kicked out, so I don't know what it feels like. But I do know from your description that you're young, at the start of your career, and everybody that is in front of you is an opportunity. Try to embrace these opportunities, rather than to anxiously weight them countless times.

Good luck!
Cristian

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Answer 3

First things first - MANY people are getting laid off and when that happens future employers will completely understand (like they do with covid related employment issues).

You have some truly amazing options to move forward and not many people have that so congratulations! In terms of how to decide, here is what I would suggest

Have a framework for making the best decision for you

Think about where you want to end up in the next 2-5 yrs. For example you may want to do an MBA from a top 10 program in which case a role at the well known tech company might be better than the one at a local tech company
Solve for where you will be most valued for who you are - Most people go to roles for title and money. Both are important but cannot sustain happiness levels. What does sustain is being part of a culture that values you and is happy to have you there
Go with your instincts - we all spend ages analyzing all pieces of information to make the best decision. That is important and you should do it. Ultimately though, you cannot rely on data to make all decisions as we are not robots - trust your gut and you are likely to end up where you will be valued.

A lot of people are going through a challenging time in consulting now given the changing dynamics of the global economy. All the global uncertainty is creating an environment where clients do not want to spend money on projects and firms cannot sustain their cost basis. This is out of your control. You are doing the best thing by focusing on your next career move. I wish you all the best!

Udayan

Answer 4

Hey,

Last but not least, I tend to believe I really have some problems with my technical skills (excel modeling etc.), making me less confident to stretch myself in new roles.

From what I gather from your post, your problem is not your technical skills, but low self-esteem. I suggest you try therapy. I'm myself 3rd year into it and it has helped me tremendously in all areas of life.

Good luck,
Nick

Answer 5

Hi there, The timeline you've outlined for the application process at firms like McK, BCG, and Bain is quite accurate... (read entire answer)

Hi there, The timeline you've outlined for the application process at firms like McK, BCG, and Bain is quite accurate. Typically, the recruitment process from submitting your re... (read entire answer)

Answer 6

Hi Samy, Congratulations on the offers! In terms of your question: Q: I feel as though McKinsey has higher prestige a... (read entire answer)

Hi Samy, Congratulations on the offers! In terms of your question: Q: I feel as though McKinsey has higher prestige associated with the name, however, is this the case within th... (read entire answer)

Answer 7

Hi Anonymous! You touch on an important point here. Many candidates don't understand what distinguishes the clarifyin... (read entire answer)

Hi Anonymous! You touch on an important point here. Many candidates don't understand what distinguishes the clarifying questions at the start from later analysis-related questio... (read entire answer)