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May I know what is the notice period if one resigns in infy during the first 6 months of joining? I am a lateral resource and they hired me in June, but they have no projects related to my tech and want me to take weird roles.. seems they are hiring to increase employee count and cross training most. just looking for options..
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Do NOT take a level cut coming from a firm like OW, Kearney, S& at the PL/EM level or above. And NEVER take a pay cut.
1. Your risk adjusted chance of making it to equity partner is much much lower than if you stayed at your current firm. Don’t add an additional hurdle (of a re-earning a promotion you already had at your old firm). If they want you as much and see as much of a future for you as they say they’ll find a way to make it work.
2. You are already coming in with the deck stacked against you. You’re an unknown competing against people who already have a good reputation and have been promoted at least once at MBB. It’s harder to staff a good team because you don’t have the relationships and a lot of people will try to avoid working with new laterals. It’s harder to work with the best partners because they already have a strong following and don’t need to staff an unknown. You don’t know what you don’t know so you’ll get dinged or judged for doing things a way that may be objectively fine but isn’t how it’s done at M or B or B.
3. The most likely scenario is either you get out counseled before or at the next promotion point or you see that’s likely and find your own exit. The lower title counteracts some of the brand benefit from MBB. Also you have to explain why you took a step back in title in interviews which may raise questions
4. People who tell you otherwise either haven’t been laterals themselves or are the few laterals who have been successful. So not an accurate or unbiased sample.
Appreciate this perspective. Would like your thoughts on going from Big 4 SA (1 year at level) to Associate at McK.
If I want to stay in consulting forever and I’m confident that I can rebuild my strong network from scratch then maybe I’d do it for the better comp at the highest levels. But otherwise I don’t see what sort of career experiences MBB could offer me that I don’t get at K already.
Define homegrown - coming in as BA or equivalent after undergrad? Or Associste level still considered homegrown?
Do NOT come in with tenure credit.
1. It increases the risk of being out counseled by speeding up the “up or out” window for very little gain
2. Unless you’re incredibly lucky it’s going to take your first 2 cases in the new role before you figure out enough of the unwritten expectations and ways of working to start to be successful. Typically you do one case in a lower role just to get to know how the firm works you could easily be 9 months in before you have integrated. Lots of risk going up for a promotion a few months after that competing against folks who have a stronger network and more and better evaluations
Coach
Very situational and depends on career step etc.
Mentor
always tenure cut, not always demotion. If you are in your current level for more than 1 year, you can perhaps come in at the same level; if you are first year ish in your level, then you will likely get demotion
I would never take a title cut, too many things can go wrong … only would take a tenure cut
pre MBA, probably. post MBA role, maybe (but no). manager or above, heck no.
I'm doing this but was a hard decision. And in many ways, depending on how you slice it, not a rational decision.
One year out is super early, don't sweat it. Congratulations!
Made the lateral transition at EM. Working out fine as I was specific in what I wanted to do here (no generalist mindset) and came in with ~1 year at the level. If either of those were untrue I would absolutely take the title cut. Some of my peer lateral hires are not doing well due to learning curve or just because teams will balk at staffing a new hire EM (such a critical role at firm)
Considering going from SA at Big 4 to Asc at McKinsey. Thoughts?
No
Mentor
BCG2, Generally agree, but as someone have been doing DD work at Tier 2 and coming to PIPE with tenure credit, i found transition relatively smooth. So if OP is in a similar boat I don’t see why he/she shouldn’t jump (besides demotion)
How is BCG PIPE?
Worth joining BCG as SA when I’m ~9 months into my post MBA role at my T2?
Going through this exact thing rn. Semi-recent M promo and they want me to come in at consultant/associate level which is a pay cut for me. Honestly not sure what I will decide.
BCG1 - it works out for some people, especially at the A/C level. But a lot of it is luck in terms of how well you click with the team you land with. For PL and above I recommend against taking tenure credit or demotion because you don’t know it you’ll be lucky or not before you join or even early on after joining.
At a entry/junior level the valid points above are not that material for you.