McKinsey BA FT - Defer a year?
So I am graduating in May. I am an incoming Business Analyst at Mckinsey in a NA office. I filled out the start date survey a couple of months ago, with hopes of starting late fall such as November). they haven't gotten back to me or anyone on the start dates yet).However, I am extremely burned out. As it has for many people, the last 4 years have been really tough. I have had many health issues in the past two years where I have to spend countless hours recovering, and that has drained me. There has also been other tough issues (burned out from classetc). Basically, I want to ask McKinsey if I can defer my start date to sometime in next years class (i.e., starting somewhere between March 2024 - October 2024). My parents are fine with supporting me financially during this "gap" year/time frame. I want to use this time to better my health (both physical and mental) and rest/relax a little bit and pursue new hobbies/passions and work a part time job.My question is: does anyone know if people have done this at Mckinsey before and if they would be receptive to a request such as this? If I do ask them to defer my start date by 6 months to a year, how should I phrase the request to them? Is it too late to do this? Does anyone have any advice of what to do in this situation or what factors to consider when making this decision?Thanks for the help - I don't have any friends or contacts currently at MBB so any advice (both harsh or not) is appreciated.
Edit: they let me defer without any issues
Bump
I'd say the majority of undergrad new joiners in my MBB office are taking anywhere from 2 - 18 months to travel around the world before starting (some taking out loans to do so). I'm starting next month and did this myself. Travelled around Asia and would highly recommend taking a break before starting. You have your whole life ahead to work.
Thank you! How long did you take off? Is there anything I should say when I speak to HR about deferring my offer for a year? I'm not really sure how to phrase it to them without seeming I guess not dedicated or enthusiastic, but I can also get my doctor to write a note speaking to my health issues.
I took about 3 months off, but I graduated and worked for a few months before my MBB offer, so I'd already had a summer off as well. Most are taking about 6 months to a year, which I would say is ideal and in hindsight I wish I had done.
Have you been given a formal start date? If no, then I would maybe broach the topic with your recruiter and ask if it would be possible to defer your start date as you wish to travel, take time for yourself, etc.
The start dates offered to my cohort ranged from starting in 2 months to starting in 20 months so there was a huge range of options for us to choose from. They also rung a few months later asking if we were happy with the start date or if we wished to defer, so definitely not a problem.
Lastly, not sure if things are different in America, as I am based in Europe.
Thank you! I am based in America, but I don't think things are too different. They have not given a formal start date yet, I filled out the start date survey two months ago but they haven't replied yet. I will speak to my recruiter and see what can be done.
I just wanna say, if you get the opportunity to do so, please do it. As an incoming IB analyst, I relate to your experiences of burnout/family loss. I really wish I could take a deferred start. Not willing to take the risk with bank layoffs + even in a normal market I don't think my bank would let me. Very jealous, please enjoy it my friend, you deserve it
OP here, thank you so much! I will definitely speak to my recruiter and do it if they let me, I actually switched from IB internship to consulting and one of the reasons was more flexibility. I know you're burned out as well, but take it one day at a time and enjoy every second until the fall! And you can always lateral out if needed
Yes, give your recruiter context and they will let you defer your start date. Normally you can defer by up to 2 years.
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