Hello!
I am a little bit confused regarding the different roles that exist in the big consulting firms. It seems like roles such as "Principal" or "Associate" mean different things across different companies. It also seems that the names change over time? Any kind of structured overview would be highly appreciated.
Hi!
Yes you are right - there are certain roles which have the same name but differ slightly. However, the general career progression on the "classical" consulting track is almost identical across the three MBB firms. Here is a structured description of the levels:
Level I
McKinsey – "Business Analyst" (BA) [or "(Junior) Fellow" in some markets like Germany)
BCG – “Associate”
Bain – “Associate Consultant” (AC)
Description: First two years out of undergraduate degree.
Level II
McKinsey – “Associate” (ASC)
BCG – “Consultant”
Bain – “Consultant”
Description: first post graduate school role (but with roughly 10–30% as direct promotes from Level I across firms).
Level II b
McKinsey – “Junior Engagement Manager” (JEM)
BCG – “Senior Consultant” / ”Acting PL”
Bain – “Case Team Leader” (CTL)
Description: third year after grad school and bridge to Project Manager role. Not a “formal” promotion at the firms, but definitely a precursor for promotion/designation.
Level III
McKinsey – “Engagement Manager” (EM)
BCG – “Project Leader” (PL)
Bain – “Manager”
Description: 3–7 years after grad school and responsible for day-to-day oversight of teams and main contact for client project leader. This is a formal promotion and a significant career turning point at either firm. Reaching Level III sort of proves full mastery of the general consulting toolkit in MBB quality, including team management and operational client management.
Level IV
McKinsey – “Associate Partner” (AP) (formerly called "Associate Principal")
BCG – “Principal”
Bain – “Principal/Senior Manager”
Description: after 2–4 years as a Project Manager (Level III), signals greater focus on relationship management and commercial skills. Time is split across several teams to give content and context guidance. Partner case is built.
Level V
McKinsey – “Partner”
BCG – “Partner”
Bain – “Partner”
Description: on average 6–8 years after grad school. Highly engineered, formal promotion process involving a committee decision with broad spectrum of Partners from multiple global offices with stringent interviews and performance documentation process.
Level VI
McKinsey – “Senior Partner” (formerly called "Director")
BCG – “Senior Partner”
Bain – “Senior Partner”
Description: effectively, Partners with tenure. Exact mechanics are a little vague, but generally Partners with 4+ years experience in the role with a consistent track record of client impact, commercial success, and meaningful IP development.
Cheers, Sidi
___________________
Dr. Sidi S. Koné
Former Senior Engagement Manager & Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant at BCG | Co-Founder of The MBB Offer Machine™
Hi,
Sidi's answer is very comprehensive.
Just one minor point on the recent change BCG made to level 4 and level 5. The principal level in BCG used to be 4 years, but now that 4-year has been broken down to 2 tiers. The first 2 years still under the title of "principal", the 3rd and 4th year though, would be under the title of "partner". And level 5, the original "partner" is now "managing director and partner" in order to be differentiated from the 3rd/4th year principal (now "partner").
Best,
Emily
Hi all,
Let me very specific regarding BCG roles (and correct at the same time:)). Things moved recently and roles depend on career track as well.
Generalist track
- Associate
- Senior Associate
- Consultant
- Project Leader
- Principal
- Partner (equivalent to former Principal between 3-4 years tenure) - /!\ non equity partner
- Managing Director & Partner
- Managing Director & Senior Partner
Expert track
No associate / senior associate roles in this track
Consultant
Project Leader
Associate Director (equivalent to former principal role for both generalist & career tracks)
Partner & Associate Director (equivalent to former Associal Director role)
Partner & Director (equivalent to former Director role)
Note : experience for each could slightly depend on office but roughly within Generalist track 4-5 years to reach PL role, 2 more years to reach Principal, 2 more years to reach Partner, 2 more years to reach Managing Director & Partner, 7-9 additional years to be Managing Director & Senior Partner.
I let ex (& recent) McK or Bain provide such information :)
Hope it will helps,
David
Understanding the roles and seniority at top consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG (Boston Consulting Group), and Bain can be quite challenging due to differences in terminology and slight variations in career paths. Here's a structured overview to help clarify these roles:
1. McKinsey & Company
(i) Business Analyst / Junior Associate:
Entry-level position for undergraduates.
Responsibilities: Data analysis, research, supporting senior team members.
(ii) Associate:
Typically a role for MBA graduates or those with equivalent experience.
Responsibilities: Conducting analyses, client interaction, project management.
(iii) Engagement Manager:
Mid-level role, often post-MBA or after several years as an Associate.
Responsibilities: Leading project teams, managing client relationships, ensuring project delivery.
(iv) Associate Principal / Junior Partner:
Transition role towards partnership.
Responsibilities: Leading larger engagements, developing client relationships, contributing to firm strategy.
Principal / Partner:
(v) Senior leadership role.
Responsibilities: Full responsibility for client accounts, business development, thought leadership.
(vi) Senior Partner / Director:
Top leadership position.
Responsibilities: Firm-wide leadership, major client relationships, strategic direction of the firm.
2.Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
(i) Associate:
Entry-level for undergraduates.
Responsibilities: Data collection, analysis, supporting consulting team.
(ii) Consultant:
Typically for MBA graduates or those with equivalent experience.
Responsibilities: Conducting analyses, client presentations, managing small projects.
(iii) Project Leader:
Mid-level, often post-MBA or after several years as a Consultant.
Responsibilities: Leading project teams, managing client relationships, ensuring project outcomes.
(iv) Principal:
Transition role towards partnership.
Responsibilities: Leading multiple projects, significant client interaction, contributing to business development.
(v) Partner / Managing Director & Partner (MDP):
Senior leadership role.
Responsibilities: Owning client relationships, driving firm strategy, business development, thought leadership.
(vi) Senior Partner / Senior Managing Director & Partner:
Top leadership position.
Responsibilities: Strategic direction, major client relationships, firm-wide leadership.
3. Bain & Company
(i) Associate Consultant:
Entry-level for undergraduates.
Responsibilities: Research, analysis, supporting consulting team.
(ii) Consultant:
Typically for MBA graduates or those with equivalent experience.
Responsibilities: Leading workstreams, conducting analyses, client interaction.
(iii) Manager / Case Team Leader:
Mid-level role, often post-MBA or after several years as a Consultant.
Responsibilities: Leading project teams, managing client relationships, project delivery.
(iv) Principal:
Transition role towards partnership.
Responsibilities: Leading multiple engagements, business development, senior client interactions.
(v) Partner:
Senior leadership role.
Responsibilities: Managing client accounts, strategic firm initiatives, business development.
Senior Partner / Worldwide Partner:
(vi) Top leadership position.
Responsibilities: Firm-wide leadership, strategic direction, major client relationships.
Key Points to Remember:
(i) Entry-Level Roles: For undergraduates (Business Analyst, Associate, Associate Consultant).
(ii) Post-MBA/Advanced Roles: After obtaining an MBA or equivalent experience (Associate, Consultant).
(iii)Mid-Level Management: Managing projects and small teams (Engagement Manager, Project Leader, Manager).
(iv) Transition to Leadership: Preparing for partnership (Associate Principal, Principal).
(v) Senior Leadership: Full client ownership and firm strategy (Partner, Senior Partner).
(vi) Variations and Trends:
Titles and roles might slightly vary by region and over time.
There are often informal titles or variations within each level depending on the specific firm's structure and evolving business needs.
Career progression typically follows a structured path, but exceptional performance can accelerate advancement.
Understanding these roles helps in grasping the career trajectory within these firms and the expectations at each level.
In the world of top consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, career progression is structured and titles can vary between firms. At the entry level, you'll find Business Analysts (BA) or Junior Fellows at McKinsey, Associates at BCG, and Associate Consultants (AC) at Bain. As you move on to post-graduate roles, the titles shift to Associate (ASC) at McKinsey, Consultant at BCG, and Consultant at Bain. The mid-level phase includes roles like Junior Engagement Manager (JEM) at McKinsey, Senior Consultant or Acting Project Leader (PL) at BCG, and Case Team Leader (CTL) at Bain. Moving up the ladder, you'll reach Engagement Manager (EM) at McKinsey, Project Leader (PL) at BCG, and Manager at Bain. The next level, typically focusing more on relationships and business development, includes Associate Partners (AP) at McKinsey (formerly Associate Principals), Principals at BCG, and Principals or Senior Managers at Bain. Finally, the top tier is Partner level, where you become a Partner at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain. For those with extensive experience, there's the Senior Partner level, represented by Senior Partner at McKinsey (formerly Director), Senior Partner at BCG, and Senior Partner at Bain. Each level signifies a significant career stage, demanding different skills and contributions within the firm's ecosystem.
Sidi's answer is correct and Emily's correction on BCG's latest leveling changes also correct.
Hey anonymous,
Let me just add to this conversation that McKinsey also has expert roles, that are equivalent to the generalist roles (e.g. Specialist = Associate, Expert = EM, …).
In addition there are expert roles that also offer development into a Partner role (if they are client facing) - often via an Expert Associate Partner Track (to become Expert Partner or Partner - equivalent).
Best
Simon
Hi there,
Adding to the Sidi's answer (which is already quite comprehensive): even within one firm Level 1 positions vary depending on the office. For example, in some countries at BCG there's another position of Junior Associate (the starting one after your undergrad) and then Senior Associate (before promotion to Consultant). So, here's a full list of possible BCG positions:
- Junior Associate – post-undergrad position, only exists in some offices especially in Europe (usually 6-12 months)
- Associate – standard starting position in most offices (usually up to 2 years depending on the office and whether or not other Level 1 positions exist there)
- Senior Associate/ Junior Consultant – exists in some offices, the name varies by the office (usually 1 year)
- Consultant – post-MBA position (usually 2 years)
- Project Leader – first Manager position (usually 2 years)
- Principal – responsibilities vary and can be closer to those of a Project Leader or a Partner depending on your seniority, industry, client and even overall office dynamics (now broken down into Principal and Partner as per Emily’s note, 4 years together)
- Partner and Managing Director – that's the usual "Partner" role with a big chuck of sales responsibilities
- Senior Partner – highly tenured Partners (to put into perspective, in smaller offices there’s usually only one or two Senior Partners)
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Vasily
Dear A,
Sidi's answer is very broad and correct, Emili's addition also.
Best,
André
A lot has been said, i'd just like to add the point that while generally speaking, the main career levels are quite standardized for these firms across the globe, there will be regional nuances to take into account. Here a few examples..
This should hopefully clarify further.
