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Strategy& fish - i’m currently recruiting for org strategy. Ive talked to associates (in the healthcare practice) and theyve mentioned that it doesnt matter whether youre in corp strategy, org strategy, etc and that you’re pretty much pooled by industry when it comes to staffing.
Can someone confirm this? Also, what do you expect the restructuring to look like?
Top consulting firms right there!!
Just got rolled off, ouch.
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Wow you’re actually in a position where you can make your decision based on culture and fit. A few other factors I would consider: average attractiveness of people in each office, do you like the letter M or B more, are you willing to answer the question of what BCG stands for, which one will best support your exit to POTUS, preferred color/font scheme for decks. This is why I work at EY...
We fly first class on flights above 1.5 hours
McK 3 hours
Bcg.
I’m more interested in your strategy. You must be a superstar.
Look at culture fit first and foremost
Based on the McK and BCG people on Fishbowl, I would def go with BCG. Quirky, but funny as hell too.
Depends what kind of person you are. I’d take a close look at the staffing model (do you have to find your own cases or is there a central staffing team) and local office culture...because those matter. You might be great at networking and advocating for yourself or you might not be - and those components are impt when thinking through which firm will better allow you to flourish. A more nuanced way of assessing culture & fit.
Wished I joined bcg!
I would personally choose based on people. You will spend unreasonable amounts of time with your team, so choose the firm where you ‘click.’ I chose BCG and my office based on people, and stay largely because of the people, as well. Both McK and BCG have great projects, and terrible projects. Both firms have some level of cache and good exit opportunities. Finding a group of people that you like to work with is really a major component of success long-term, so I’d pick based on where you think that could be.
Also it's a yellow flag to me that 5/8 McKinsey guys would rather join BCG...
Deloitte
@bc1 McK culture is hit or miss. No middle. Extreme. Little nurturing. You go in, you BETTER hit bc if you miss, you get ab 2 to 3 studies to turn it around otherwise you are marked for issues and you are out.
If Chicago pick BCG because I need to add someone to my case ASAP. Otherwise, pick based on color - worked for me, worked for Wesley Snipes, should work for you...
Go to industry, that way when your team has consultants you can abuse them and use them as skapegoat punching bags
Yeah it comes down to people at the end of the day and local office culture is definitely first priority.
That being said, this is a fantastic opportunity to set yourself up to get those “hits” when you do join either Firm. Find people you get along with (ideally sr.) and get them to invest in your recruiting and they can pull you in when you start. Gives you an advantage when your first staffing comes along.
I have lots of friends at both firms and I 100% agree that it’s just a personal culture fit. I connected with a lot of the folks at McK more than at BCG. And I knew that McK would give me the flexibility to do more than the traditional consulting track over time. I’ve been really happy here and think I made the best decision for me. But I also think BCG is a great firm and that my friends there made the best decision for them. Try to take the long term view and don’t overthink it.
Like a few others have said - the two firms are really competitive when it comes to recruiting cross offers. So use this to your advantage to ask for meeting with partners from specific offices/practices etc. Or for whatever you think you need to make the decision. And take your time to decide - don’t feel like you have to rush to sign an offer. I knew I wanted to have kids while at the firm, so I asked to talk to a few folks who had kids while at the firm and to connect with HR more deeply on maternity benefits and part time/flex programs. That helped me feel confident in my decision and more knowledgeable when I got to the firm about what my options were
Would go with BCG 100%
Good for you!which ever you choose I am sure it will be a great experience
Thanks everyone. The comments here really helped. I never considered talking to alumni so that's something I'll look into for sure. Same goes for the staffing model changes in McKinsey.
I'm intuitively leaning towards BCG anyway, but I wasn't able to quantify why. As prestigious as McKinsey is, BCG is doing a great job of branding themselves more as is apparent by this thread.
Here’s a reason for joining McK instead of BCG - I was recently recruiting for tech biz ops role and it utterly shocked me at how many more McK alums there are at the top tech companies. So if you are looking to exit consulting eventually, I am pretty sure McK has a more extensive alum network then BCG - definitely in tech but I’d venture to say in other industries too given how long it’s been around.