Blog

Why Work in Management Consulting

Are you considering a transition into consulting from your current job? Maybe your class peers are talking about consulting like it’s the next big thing. Either way, you might be wondering why consulting is considered such a good career by so many people. In this article, we talk about the four main reasons why working […]

Applications

  • How Selective are Bain, BCG and McKinsey Through the Application Process

    McKinsey reportedly receives more than a million applications per year and hires less than 1% of them. The Top 3 consulting firms are among the ten most selective employers in the world and it is notoriously difficult to receive a job offer. In reality, most of the selection is done at the resume stage where […]

  • What Degrees Are Best for a Career in Management Consulting

    The top consulting firms—McKinsey, BCG, and Bain—each have highly selective recruitment processes. Even receiving an invite to interview is challenging, with less than 10% of applicants being invited to the first round of interviews.  You may find yourself wondering whether you’ve studied the right subject or went to the right university in order to have […]

  • How Networking Might Help You Get a Job at McKinsey, Bain or BCG

    It’s true that networking can make a difference in the application screening stage of the recruitment process and can increase your chances of being invited to an interview. However, it’s worth noting that if you’re invited to interview, networking will not make a difference in whether or not you get an offer. The offer decision […]

  • How To Make the Move from a Second Tier Consulting Firm to Bain, BCG or McKinsey

    If you’re a consultant at a second tier firm who would love to join a top tier firm, then this is the article you need to read! It’s totally possible to move from working at a second tier consulting firm to McKinsey, BCG or Bain. But there are some challenges and advantages you should be […]

Careers

  • The Difference Between Generalist and Expert Roles at Top Management Consulting Firms

    Top consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain are increasingly hiring specialised consultants who have experience in a specific industry or function. This is most common in the spaces of Operations, Data Science, Marketing and Sales, Oil and Gas, Life Sciences, Capital Markets, and Turnarounds, which are all industries or functions where expert knowledge is […]

  • Consulting vs Start Ups

    Working in a startup is increasingly seen as a competitive alternative to working in strategy consulting at top firms like McKinsey, BCG and Bain. It’s easy to see why someone would be attracted to the dream of a billion dollar IPO and retiring before 30! But, how do the two jobs compare? If you’re considering […]

  • How to Prepare for Your First Day and Career at a Top Consulting Firm

    If you’re reading this because you’ve landed an offer at a top consulting firm then congratulations! To make sure you’re prepared for your first day, we highly recommend doing a few tactical things right now: Take a nice long vacation. Give yourself a rest and make sure you feel fully rested.Do all your life admin. […]

  • “Up or Out” Policy: What It’s Like to be Pushed Out Of McKinsey, BCG, or Bain

    Top consulting firms McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, pride themselves on being meritocratic workplaces where promotions are based on the demonstration of ability and potential.  The flip side of this is that some do not make the bar when review season rolls around. In these cases, the firms will terminate a small number of employees due […]

Consulting interviews

  • The Top 5 Reasons Why People Fail at Consulting Interviews

    As headhunters who have prepared 500+ candidates for interviews at Top 3 firms we’ve seen too many great candidates fail in interviews despite having everything they needed to succeed and a great background to show for it. To help you avoid the same fate, we’ve rounded up the top five reasons why high calibre candidates […]

  • Answering the “Why Consulting?” and “Why Bain, BCG or McKinsey?” Interview Questions

    Even though these questions are asked in most consulting interview rounds, this is still an area where many candidates make mistakes.  In this article, we highlight the common pitfalls to avoid and provide a strategy to help you put forward a distinct and convincing rationale for wanting to make a career move into consulting at […]

  • What’s Different Between a First Round and Final Round Interview at Bain, BCG or McKinsey

    Most McKinsey, BCG and Bain offices use two rounds of interviews before making a final hiring decision. If you’ve been invited to interview then you can count yourself as being in the top 10% of applicants. However, the work has just begun! Now here’s the good news: if you make it to a final round […]

  • The Questions You Should Ask Your Interviewer at McKinsey, Bain or BCG

    At the end of a consulting interview you normally have a few minutes to ask questions to your interviewer. The questions you ask are not formally assessed but they will contribute towards making the interviewer excited (or not!) about you. Remember that your interviewer is, in fact, believe it or not, a real human! Although […]

Firms

  • McKinsey’s Global Institute: Everything You Need to Know

    McKinsey’s Global Institute (MGI) was named the number one private-sector think tank in the world in the 2018 Global Go to Think Tank Index Report. But what really is MGI? In this article, we provide an overview of the think tank, and how it impacts consultants at McKinsey. What MGI is and why it exists […]

  • What Makes Bain Different: An Inside Look at the ‘Bainie’ Culture

    When researching potential consultancies you’re considering applying to, it’s important to understand and compare the different cultures each firm offers, so you can choose the company that feels like the right fit for you. In most cases, consulting firms will have a similar culture across the world with a few local nuances, so it’s worth […]

  • The Top-10 Strategy Consulting Firms Compared

    If you’re considering a career in strategy consulting, then it’s worth understanding the lay of the land in the industry and how each strategy consultancy differs. To help you in your research, we’ve rounded up the top 10 consulting firms, in no particular order (as selected by former McKinsey consultants). In this article, we share […]

  • What Working at McKinsey is Really Like

    If you’re considering a career at McKinsey and want to know more about what it’s like to work inside the strategy consulting giant, this article is for you! McKinsey colleagues are impressive and diverse It’s not so much that McKinsey consultants are smart (though they are), but that they are often from a prestigious pedigree. […]