Differentiating MBB

Not that this really helps you, but McK is definitely more prestigious than BCG or Bain.

McK will staff people from different offices on a single case team, Bain generally won't (roughly translates to some more travel at McK v. Bain)

These are broad strokes, but Bain seems to be a bit frattier while BCG has more of an academic, somewhat nerdy feel. McKinsey seems to focus really heavily on leadership and charisma. These impressions are based on people I know who got the jobs.

from my perspective as a grad of a target (of both IB and consulting), i'd say that the order of prestige would be: 1) mck 2) bain 3) bcg

it's an interesting that bcg has been "usurped," especially since the founders of bain were ex-bcg guys. granted, you can disagree with my conclusion, however.

I concur with everyone here.

McKinsey is more prestigious globally.

BCG is more academic, nerdy.

Bain emphasizes work-life balance, has strong links with private equity.

That being said, they're all excellent and prestigious firms. In my opinion, they're very much alike.

I forgot:

McK will staff people from different offices on a single case team, Bain generally won't (roughly translates to some more travel at McK v. Bain)

Another thing to note is that Bain tends to be more bottom-heavy than the others, meaning they hire more people out of undergrad. Plus side is a bit more social interaction and a generally "younger" firm, downside is more people to compete against for promotions.

The ratio of 1st/2nd year analysts to senior managers is lower at the other 2.

Hey guys, I do really appreciate the input. However, many responses were along the lines of 'McKinsey is more prestigious than Bain/BCG'. I was hoping for more of the 'culture' differences:

I'm looking for details on work/life, amount of choice on type of projects, mobility in terms of locations, how approachable people are (at the same level but also managers and partner levels) and other 'culture' type differences.

So... updated things I've heard: -McKinsey is more analytical than the B's (confirm/deny?) -Bain not very / not as diverse in terms of gender/race (confirm/deny?) -BCG is more academic (what does this mean... analytical/mathy? or they use more econ/business theory?) -Bain is more people-centric and cares more about work-life -Bain hires more analysts & is a younger organization -McKinsey puts more emphasis on leadership and maintaining the 'professional' image

Again, thanks for anything you can toss out here...

Bain & BCG do regional staffing. McKinsey is gloabl. This means BB will first try to staff you in your region (ie: midwest) and you will likely travel less. Obviously this isn't guaranteed and if there's nothing in your region but a project on the other side of the country you'll get staffed on it. However, I do know a bunch of BCGers in Chicago who have barely traveled because they have a lot of local work.

So... updated things I've heard: -McKinsey is more analytical than the B's (confirm/deny?) -DENY, not true at all. All are very analytical.

-Bain not very / not as diverse in terms of gender/race (confirm/deny?) -DENY, not as diverse as McK, but still very diverse. Bain does have more women partners and managers (as a%age) than the other 2 and had a woman CEO

-BCG is more academic (what does this mean... analytical/mathy? or they use more econ/business theory?) -Econ/Business theory

-Bain is more people-centric and cares more about work-life -Seems to be

-Bain hires more analysts & is a younger organization -Yes

-McKinsey puts more emphasis on leadership and maintaining the 'professional' image -Yes

As far as prestige is concerned, they're all very prestigious. McK is more "well known", but as I mentioned earlier it all depends on the exit you are looking for.

mmonkey is clearly at bain, and not biased at all...

They are all nerds, they all travel the same, hours are basically the same, exit opps are basically the same.

The perception that McK is more "professional", Bain is more "social" and BCG is more "academic" is all on the margin. Go through the process, get an offer, select the office, meet the people, and see who you like; if after all that, it's a dead heat then maybe you can think about these issues.

Anyone who thinks that Bain is somehow "better" for PE recruiting or that McKinsey is clearly more prestigious than the two is either drinking the kool-aid or is still in college. Having been an ex-consultant and having gone through the PE and HF recruiting (with a bit of VC) rounds, I can tell you unequivocally: NO ONE GIVES A SHIT BETWEEN THOSE THREE FIRMS. There may be exceptions like Bain -> Bain Cap but 90% of it doesn't matter. It's much more a case of how much interest the candidate has for X, how well they do in the interview, etc.

Having said that, Bain is known for having a better support structure for candidates wanting to do PE. However, if you go in knowing that's what you're interested in, it really doesn't matter.

I still remember a pre-superday mixer for a very prestigious HF, was filled with MBB types. The three guys who ended up getting offers, one was Bain, one was Oliver Wyman and the other was an ex-Deloitte guy who was in the AmEx corp strat group. No one gave a flying fuck about McKinsey vs. BCG or Harvard vs. Duke or 770 GMAT vs. 730 GMAT.

Why are you being so hostile DontMakeMeShortYou ?

"mmonkey wrote: So... updated things I've heard: -McKinsey is more analytical than the B's (confirm/deny?) -DENY, not true at all. All are very analytical.

You have very poor reading comprehension. No one said that any of the three were NOT analytical. They simply said that McK was more analytical than Bain... "

I agree with you here, I probably should have phrased this differently. I was just trying to say that you can't really confirm that a firm is more analytical that the others.

"mmonkey wrote: -Bain not very / not as diverse in terms of gender/race (confirm/deny?) -DENY, not as diverse as McK, but still very diverse. Bain does have more women partners and managers (as a%age) than the other 2 and had a woman CEO

Again, same thing... you "DENIED" the statement then went on to confirm it. I'll be sure not to put any credence to your posts in the future..."

I disagree here. I was denying "Bain not very diverse in terms of gender/race" and not "Bain not as diverse in terms of gender/race". I was only referring to the "very" part of the statement, but I will admit that could have been phrased better.

There is absolutely no reason to be so hostile

Agreed--you've handled it very maturely... sorry, shouldn't have attacked you.

very happy to see everyone's getting along :P i'm also very interested in the differences between the firms. you always hear how McK are the big dog-eat-dog pro cutthroats, bcg the scientists and bain the laid back college kids. how much is this stereotypical tagging accurate? i mean, i've read the posts here and they were very helpful. i just want to clear this up: bottom line: what kind of difference would i feel working for this firm or the other? does it depend a lot on the office as well?

random hackneyed words of wisdom

Here are some rather true differences (at least on the west coast) that haven't been brought up:

1. BCG is more German. (The CEO is German, they have a huge German presence, Germans are everywhere.)
2. There's far more Baincest than BCGcest or Firmcest. (People were hooking up at the offeree weekend, no joke)
3. McKinsey has its own language - "engagement" or "project" instead of "case."
4. As of a year or two ago, Bain had the least luxurious travel policy. (The economic crisis may have wiped out F/J class travel completely, though).
5. Bain has far more analyst-level clubs/activities (i.e. soccer team, community service).
6. McKinsey + BCG have offices (usually shared), while Bain has cubicles (at the analyst level).
7. At Bain the third year is far more of an expectation than at BCG or McKinsey.

Less well-supported stereotypes:
1. McKinsey has the most "super rockstar" charismatic, amazing, partners... but also the most arrogant d-bags.
2. Bain has the most attractive girls (and recruiters).
3. BCG has the best office snacks, McKinsey has the best office coffee, and Bain has the best office games.
4. BCG + Bain have a bit of a inferiority complex. McKinsey has a bit of a superiority complex.