MBB office doesn't matter for exits
Wanted to share an observation from my few years in consulting after exiting and watching many of my peers leave.
Yes, smaller regional offices (Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis, etc.) are easier to get an offer than the big ones (NY, SF, Chicago, etc.). It will not impact exits (PE, tech, F500, etc.) at all at the end of the day though, so just choose wherever you'd like to live.
Based on the insights from Wall Street Oasis, it's clear that while the location of an MBB office might influence the initial recruitment process, it generally does not significantly impact exit opportunities. Here are a few points to consider:
Office Location and Recruitment: Smaller regional offices like Atlanta, Detroit, and St. Louis may have a slightly easier recruitment process compared to larger hubs like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. This could be due to less competition and lower application volumes in these smaller markets.
Impact on Exit Opportunities: Despite the differences in recruitment, the exit opportunities across different MBB offices tend to be consistent. Whether you're in a smaller regional office or a major city, the prestige and training provided by MBB firms equip you with skills and a network that are highly valued across industries like private equity, tech, and Fortune 500 companies.
Choosing an Office: Ultimately, the decision on which office to choose should align with personal preferences regarding where to live and work-life balance considerations. The impact on future career moves into industries such as PE, tech, or large corporations remains relatively unaffected by this choice.
This perspective aligns with general discussions and experiences shared by many professionals in the consulting field, indicating that the skills and networks developed at MBB firms are highly transferable and valued universally, irrespective of the office location.
Sources: Wharton, Harvard, and Columbia, Impact of recession on MBB's, Checking in 6 years later [IB to MBB transition], Some Thoughts on Managing Multiple Offers (Consulting / MBB), Some Thoughts on Managing Multiple Offers (Consulting / MBB)
Are you sure that it's easier to get into the small regional offices? Genuinely curious, I hear a lot about this and get this question a lot. I feel like the smaller offices have less competition but also less spots, and that it might mostly even it out. Also suggests that the interviewers in smaller offices have lower standards, which I'm not sure I buy either.
Definitely harder to get into the busier offices at Bain (just more competition). Top candidates would make it either way. Bad candidates would be turned down either way. But for people on the fence, a smaller office should be a tad easier to get into (even more so if it's a new office looking to grow).
My "regional" office's acceptance rate was 0.6% for the internship and 0.9% for full-time
It's a highly selective process and you should spend 100% less time splitting hairs over trying to game the system and 100% more time actually preparing for interviews.
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