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Just turned down Mck for BCG

Hi all,

Did I do the right thing?

Just turned down Mck for BCG in Africa considering multiple factors from comp (50%), exits, culture, wlb etc.

End goal is to return to europe….Mck was sort of trapping me in golden handcuffs for 6 years with the MBA + returning to the office….no currency fluctuation adjustments(crazy for africa)…

Even though given the higher prestige of Mck, I didnt feel the lower comp would keep me motivated for 2 years even if I was just looking to exit after 2 years…..but know there may be a few more doors that could have opened for me using the mck brand? I guess?

 

Just dont want to regret, so would appreciate any words that will help me feel like I made the right choice for my current short term path hahah

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Top answer
on Feb 27, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Congratulations on landing both offers, that’s a great achievement! In terms of your question:

Q: Just turned down Mck for BCG. Did I do the right thing?

It seems you are mainly worried about the fewer possible exit opportunities offered by BCG versus McKinsey.

Although it is true that McKinsey has more alumni (correlated with more opportunities to network), it doesn’t necessarily mean you will have fewer exit options for what is interesting to you.

If you would like to double-check it, you can do so as follows:

  1. Look for alumni of the two companies on LinkedIn
  2. Check how many moved to your preferred exits in your target region
  3. Normalize for the size of the companies in the region

This should give you a data-driven answer.

Good luck!

Francesco

Udayan
Coach
on Feb 27, 2024
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /12 years recruiting experience

As someone who went to mck and now is in a role where I hire ex consultants I can confidently tell you that there is not much difference in your perception between the two firms. 

 

The only real difference is the size of the alumni pool. McKinsey has a significantly larger pool and therefore more people to help you in your search and more opportunities you can reach out to people for  recommendations. But that alone is not worth working for a company you're not excited by. 

Anonymous A
on Feb 27, 2024
Honestly, I am really excited by Mck, it has been my dream firm but the chances of internally moving to europe arent as high. The pay is 15K less accross 2 years, significant in africa. Also BCG offers promotion opps within 18 months, rotation opps at other offices and a much larger comp package. Considering I am looking for 2-3 years then back to Europe
on Feb 27, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

First of all, congratulations on the two offers!

You really can't go wrong. The difference in brand is not significant from my point of view. And it sounds like you made an informed decision based on what is important to you and what you value. 

So go ahead with it. 

If you're starting soon, I'm sharing with you two articles with tips that you might find useful as a fresh consultant:

Best,
Cristian

Dennis
Coach
on Feb 27, 2024
Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi,

you chose one MBB over another. You will be fine either way. This is a total non-issue.  It sounds like you already factored in a series of parameters important to you to pick a team in this luxury decision. So roll with it and don’t waste your time second guessing yourself. As a consultant, you also need to make informed decisions and stand by them. Use this as a practice situation.

Enjoy your time at BCG and best of luck 

Nikita
Coach
on Feb 27, 2024
MBB & Tier2 preparation | 100+ offers | 7 years coaching | 2000+ sessions

Hey, congrats on two offers!

I suggest you don't stress about it since you've already made your decision based on the factors that are important to you.

Besides, BCG company culture is generally considered more friendly than that of McK.

Regarding the exit opps: honestly, I think that your networking skills play a much greater role than the particular MBB you've got on your CV.

Enjoy your time at BCG and good luck,
Nick
 

on Feb 29, 2024
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer & top performer

Hi,

McK is the bigger firm than BCG, and in -some- instances more ‘prestigious' (e.g. man on the street may have heard of McK but not BCG). 

But in my experience working in a developing region, MBB is regarded in the same tier. People (businesses) who are likely to matter will know BCG as well. 

Will there be more doors that McK can open? Maybe. But that's not something you should worry about. Rather, work towards what you want instead of worrying about what could have been. 

All the best!

Florian
Coach
on Feb 27, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

You weighed the factors and made the decision that benefits you most. I see nothing wrong with that!

All the best at BCG! Exciting journey ahead.

Cheers,

Florian

Pedro
Coach
on Feb 27, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

You can't really go wrong between the two. Particularly if you were not that convinced with Mckinsey in the first place.

Anonymous A
on Feb 27, 2024
It was my dream company. Swayed by BCG for their comp package, faster promotion cycle and rotation opportunities... Mck was much slower progression, less comp, ties me into MBA + 2 years after (total 6), very claer that this office doesn't offer transfers easily at all
Ian
Coach
on Feb 28, 2024
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Well, you picked a good dsay for it given the McKinsey China news coming out!

You made your decision. They are both in the same tier for a reason!

No mistake made and no regret needed :)

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