Moving from BCG to GE/PE
Hi there, fellow CO monkeys,
kicking off my first FT job w/ BCG soon but interested in joining a growth equity shop like TCV, Insight, GGV, Summit or Battery (ideally tech/software focus) further down the road. My plan would be to join the PIPE (Principal Investors & PE) practice area, potentially apply pre-MBA or do one and then apply right after.
Would love to get your thoughts on a number of things:
- is it actually necessary/beneficial to join the PIPE team?
- what's the minimum amount of time I should spend at BCG? Would only 11-13 months be ok, hence not sticking around till promotion?
- pre-MBA vs post-MBA recruiting?
- General perception of BCG in GE/PE field - is it much worse than Bain or McK? Obv. IB would open even more doors, but that's not an option
- Which funds are BCG-friendly?
In terms of geography, I'll most likely stay in Europe for my time w/ BCG, hoping to move to London for PE after.
As always, I appreciate your input!
Yes - exposure to sponsors, see different investing styles, good to talk about during interviews, etc.
Suggest you read about how on and off cycle recruiting works
Gotta be pre
Any MBB is good BCG weaker than McK Bain but by such a marginal amount you won't have any issue getting a good PE job
If they're consultant friendly, they're probably BCG friendly, save for a few like Francisco that I think just takes Mckinsey digital people, or Golden Gate, that takes a lot of Bain. I mean, just shoot straight with the HH and they'll send your resume to wherever with a BCG background, once you get an interview it doesn't matter
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/listtop-consultant-friendly-pe-f…;
Have also a heard a few firms like Francisco only take BAs's from McKinsey if they're in the Digital Practice, crazy how every PE firm is clawing to get into tech now lmao
F
If you want to do PE but aren't interested in PIPE that seems like a red flag to me. Wouldn't you be dying to do PIPE?
Leaving MBB before the first promotion cycle is seen as a red flag. Nearly everyone, at minimum, stays for two years.
What is your opinion on staying at MBB for 2 years vs. 3 years before exiting to PE. Can you provide any insight to the pros/cons and differences in recruiting right away for PE vs. after a year with the firm?
In terms of 2 years vs. 3 years, staying an extra year would give you a year at MBB in a higher role (BA->A/A->C/AC->SAC) which would be good for experience and likely MBA applications. However, you'd probably start out in PE at the same level regardless of if you put in 2 vs. 3 years. Anecdotally, it looks like people at Bain and McKinsey stay a bit longer because of their "Senior Business Analyst" and "Senior Associate Consultant" roles, which happen during the third year, whereas BCG appears to be phasing out Senior Associate and is giving the Consultant (post-MBA) promotion to people at the 2-2.5 year mark. Also, staying a 3rd year would open doors for potential secondments, externships, and office transfers, if those are of interest to you.
EDIT: leaving before the 2-year mark is not a red flag, just not super common
No it's not a red flag. Most people have buyside offers lined up well in advance of their 2-year mark at firms, and the new job won't care if you left before or after your promotion as long as you performed well while you were there.
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