Recruiting FT for another MBB after interning at one?
I'm working at BCG this summer and really like the firm but I want to recruit for McK FT because I'm interested in public sector work and they have an office in a city I want to live in that BCG doesn't. I honestly didn't anticipate getting an offer at BCG given my GPA being subpar (3.7) and not having done anything terribly impressive. I didn't recruit at all for McK for junior summer which I kind of regret just because I had an offer for BCG r. Anyways, I was wondering what the whole situation with trying to recruit for another MBB after working at one is like? Is it harder/easier? I think I have a clear "why" but if there's any general info about this would be curious to know. Also want to know if its common or a red flag?
It's not super common for people to recruit after working at one of the MBB, but when they ever do, it's to go from BCG/Bain to McKinsey. This isn't that unusual so I wouldn't worry about it. Working at BCG and maybe a little networking to be safe should likely get you the interview.
Have your reason for switching prepared (I'm sure you know you can't just say "McKinsey more prestigious") and make sure you have a FT offer from BCG.
Get into contact with the McKinsey recruiter for your school ASAP / before you start your internship. That way they can flag your interest as not a performance related issue over the summer (not sure if BCG has guaranteed FT offers yet). Interest in public sector work and office preference is a good enough reason to make the switch. Make sure that you show genuine interest by asking to connect with folks with experience in public sector. You will most likely get an interview due to interning at BCG but it isn't 100% guaranteed.
At my target, we had one McK -> Bain and one BCG -> McK - both largely driven by office choice/selection. Definitely not common at all. But seems like it's very straightforward.
Anecdotally, seems like the process was pretty straightforward for them. Friend who went BCG -> McK seems to have indicated that once they found out he had a cross-offer, they basically wanted to give him an offer (he got offers at both Bain and McK without much trouble).
It's a pretty big snag for any of these firms to steal someone from another firm (i.e. the talk on campus being around "Oh wow, this person chose McK over BCG" is great for the firm that's stealing) and if you got a return at an MBB, you're a pretty safe hire compared to a rando.
That isn't necessarily true. A few kids at my school tried to move from BCG to McKinsey/Bain this year, and none were successful.
MBB experience is an advantage if you try to move to a different MBB, but you still need to crush the interviews
Seen it done relatively often (due to the fact that my college cohort placed disproportionately well at MBB that year). Flag the interest early to 1) be ahead of the recruiting curve and 2) avoid it looking like it's a performance issue. Your arguments for public sector + location are very valid, just make sure you articulate it well. Usually, if you have MBB on your resume you will likely get an interview. In some cases, I've seen other firms be extremely accommodating with people who had offers/ experience elsewhere.
Do firms exchange notes? I'm curious if recruiting for another MBB would affect placement at your own MBB (they find out and don't give you a return/withdraw your offer etc)?
They do not exchange notes, but word travels relatively fast in the small world of MBB. Everybody is within 2-3 degrees of separation, so it is really hard to keep things secret.
I don't see them withdrawing your offer, and it affecting placement does not seem too realistic. Still wouldn't make it too public.
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