My applications for suitable positions at McKinsey and BCG got rejected. As someone with extensive oil and gas experience and masters from Stanford GSB, what are my options now?

Question

Hi,

I am a petroleum engineer with with 12+ years of oil and gas engineering and operations experience. Post my masters in management from Stanford GSB in 2022, I joined an early stage healthcare recruitment startup. Lately I decided to get into energy / general consulting. Although on the higher side of age (40) and experience (15), I think I have a strong resume (Tier 1 undergrad from IIT in India and tier 1 MBA from Stanford). Applied via referral to "Engagement Manager - Global Energy and Materials" at McKinsey India and "Project Leader - Upstream Energy Practice" at BCG KL - both of which I was qualified for on paper. Got declined at CV stage for McKinsey and post a candid "Exploratory Chat" at BCG, both in late 2024. Want to understand my options now and also right strategy to approach other firms (Strategy&,Deloitte, Accenture, A&M etc). Also, should I give up on MBB?

Answer 1

Hey there,

I think the reason you for the is because it is very difficult to get Engagement Manager / Project Lead roles as an experienced hire without any prior consulting (particularly management consulting) experience. And this experience is really critical to be able to lead consulting engagements which is very particular and different. I think with your profile, you should have been able to get Associate at McKinsey or Consultant at BCG. I wouldn't give up on MBB, but that depends on if you don't mind dropping down to that level.

Otherwise, yes - T2 firms are still great options. Target those that specialise in the Oil and Gas & Energy and Minerals space. (But keep in mind, some of the T2, if not most, will also be difficult to get into at management level without prior consulting experience)

Lastly, It would help having a referral to help your chances through the recruiting process

I'm happy to chat more on this if you'd like. I experienced something similar when I joined McKinsey. I had 12 years experience, also relatively older than peers, and was heading departments in previous big financial institutions and expected to be a manager at the very least - but because i didn't have consulting experienced, I joined in as an Associate

All the best

Answer 2

Thabang’s answer below goes in line with what I think. It wouldn’t be bad to downgrade considering you would be able to learn how to be a consultant before working with them and how to be managed before managing - it is a different dynamic than that from the industry.

You also mentioned you didn't passed the CV screening for McKinsey. Have you checked with a consultant if the CV was in the correct format in terms of how you present your experience and achievements? That plays a huge role, I encourage you to verify if you haven’t.

Good luck!

Mari

Answer 3

First of all, your experience holds significant value that MBB firms would appreciate. However, as others have noted, lateral hiring into an Engagement Manager (EM) or Project Leader (PL) role at MBB can be challenging without equivalent consulting experience.

That said, there are two potential paths you can consider:

Start at a post-MBA level position: For instance, an Associate role at McKinsey or a Consultant role at BCG. This provides an opportunity to gain foundational consulting experience while leveraging your expertise.
Pursue an expert track at MBB: At BCG, for example, this could mean roles such as Expert Project Leader or Associate Director. In these positions, you would focus on projects closely aligned with your background, often serving as a subject matter expert. Instead of managing cases day-to-day, your contributions would center on offering deep expertise and providing targeted insights to case teams.