Q&A: 2.5 years @ MBB post PhD

I did quite a few cases for interview pret. I’d say something like 15+. But I’d say that my development really peaked after 5-8.

I think that really depends on where your relative weaknesses are. When you start, you should really focus on learning quickly. That means asking for feedback early and often and taking the feedback to heart. I keep a log of all of my PD chats and try to track that I address all areas of improvement immediately and continuously.

You get evaluated on 3 broad buckets: analytics, client results and team. We get bi-annual reviews that aggregate all reviews we have received through the period. These reviews come from the lead manager and are signed off by the partner on the case.

You are promoted based on a mix of tenure (time in position) and performance.

Yah, that thought has crossed my mind a time or two, particularly when doing some pointless or mindless task on a case :-) In most of continental Europe, nearly all incoming Associates have a Master's degree, so at least I am not the only one who is hired at a lower level than I would have were I to have applied to a US office... In the US, it's not uncommon to see a PhD hire come in at the level just above entry level (think one year in) or MBA level. Honestly, if you really look at the speed of advancement in consulting, I don't think that it matters at what level you start. I spent roughly 12 months in the company before making it to the post-MBA level position here, but I have seen PhDs go considerably slower to the same position.
Talking to recruiters, they don't seem very interested in which level you make it to in consulting. They are primarily looking for you to have spent enough time to learn the consulting toolkit and gotten a promotion or two under your belt to show that you were performing well. But when making the 20th backup for some BS analysis entering at a lower level sure does seem pretty shitty :-)

I have worked from the London office on a couple of cases, but am based on continental Europe. Anecdotally, I would say that their hours are closer to 60. The hours typically go up as you progress but they are more flexible. A lot of this depends on the industry and capability you are working in. A longer corporate case (excl banking) will be better than a 2 week DD. I personally push for longer cases where I can increase my visibility and work-life balance. On the flip side, shorter cases give you more chances to excel (or fail) in different contexts. This may serve as a better platform for early promotion.

By MBB career, I will assume you mean spending a few years at MBB before moving to something else :-) I suppose it all boils down to what your career and life goals are. For me, it has opened up tons potential opportunities that I would never have otherwise had. Starting ~1 year in, I have had recruiters calling me for positions way above anything I would have had a shot at fresh out of my PhD. It has also let me look ‘under the hood’ of a number of companies across industries. This broad experience has really helped me refine where I would like to be 5 years from now.

Well, I have been on some pharma cases where it’s helped me understand the context better. But a STEM PhD is all about analytical rigor and problem solving. This aspect of my PhD studies has been super helpful.