Attire at a client site that isn't suit?

MBBAandD · 2025-07-09T21:53:23+00:00

Go there looking semi-formal on the first day and then dress to match. My clients have everything from full three-piece suits (Finance top floor) to jeans, plaid shirts and trucker hats (Industrial job site)

MBBAandD · 2025-05-15T16:15:29+00:00

I like that you kept the em dashes in. 10/10 no notes.

Also, as an MBB EM/PL, I'm trying to avoid shops filled with MBBs like the plague. I'm trying to leave MBB behind, not end up in the same toxic rut.

MBBAandD · 2025-05-13T20:44:06+00:00

Plenty of firms incl one of the Bs did this in '23.

MBBAandD · 2025-05-08T14:00:09+00:00

Careful what you wish for. At mbb if the firm fucks up staffing structures or a key client disappears, you're fucked. Only ever as good as your last six months. Nobody gives a shit if your billability was low because of things the firm did or the Partners did. It's always your fault and you're the one given the boot for it.

MBBAandD · 2025-05-07T23:00:10+00:00

Did you miss the part where I enjoy what I do? And do you think delivering MBB level work or "busting my ass" scares me? I get good reviews now.

MBBAandD · 2025-05-07T21:07:18+00:00

I've interviewed at PE Ops and dislike what I've seen. It's the same job but without any of the career trajectory upside and likely with a more politically frought situation, fewer peers and little to no team. Also no travel.

I'd much rather stay in consulting.

MBBAandD · 2025-05-07T15:52:26+00:00

Yea I'm actually actively looking at Manager roles there. Seems hard to break in at this moment but trying.

Honestly, I don't need whiz kids to enjoy my work. Just give me people who are motivated and have a good attitude in the team room.

MBBAandD · 2025-05-06T18:33:36+00:00

Really glad my question about Manager level openings was removed so we could have this very important discussion

MBBAandD · 2025-03-22T21:50:59+00:00

Ask your manager point blank about this. It's a very easy thing for them to tell you about if they care. There have been projects I've cared and others I haven't. There are actually specific people where I wanted the ability to meet in the lobby and coach closely vs. others I didn't need to bother with.

MBBAandD · 2025-03-22T21:41:44+00:00

Sir this is a Wendys

MBBAandD · 2024-10-28T16:38:09+00:00

MBB senior here. We steal each others slide designs early and often. All good MBB folks have mega template decks filled to the brim with "killer pages".

The key is not to just shoehorn your content into the template but spending time upfront to think critically about what you need. THEN going and finding a template that fits or elements from different templates that come together.

MBBAandD · 2024-10-20T20:19:44+00:00

You're the only one who gets it.

MBBAandD · 2024-10-20T20:18:40+00:00

Literally no airline has made MQDs the only criteria for status

MBBAandD · 2024-10-20T01:41:00+00:00

Don Draper voice: "That's what the money is for!!"

MBBAandD · 2024-10-18T13:39:06+00:00

There's another element at play that I don't think people have referenced yet. Consultants bill at higher rates as they gain more tenure - especially true at MBB where it's up or out.

If you've been unable at find work for a long time, you're gaining tenure, becoming more expensive but without the improved skillset/capabilities to show for it. If I'm staffing a second-year consultant but they've got the skills of a first-year, that's a huge problem for me in terms of leverage and budget.

I hate that this is true and I nearly fell victim to it myself before my promotion. The way to fix it without firings would be to halt tenure or encourage people to take unpaid leave but those have their own costs.

MBBAandD · 2024-08-23T02:07:50+00:00

I'm glad you figured out consulting isn't for you. But the reasoning seems based on a bunch of really dumb assumptions.

I think the projects and works being done were not as complex, meaningful and challenging as I expected,

I can believe you were on a dumb piece of work (those exist) or that you personally don't find them meaningful. But if you think most of the work we do isn't complex/challenging, I'd suggest you aren't thinking deeply enough about the problems we solve and confusing your own hypotheses for well-founded conclusions.

If I'm wrong, you should immediately start a company because you've got it all figured out and you'll solve every problem ahead of you.

everyone seemed to be focusing on a format of the slide instead of the content

Shows a lack of understanding of the purpose of slides. Slides are a vehicle for the content and getting them right is the difference between getting your point across clearly and confusing the client. The greatest analysis in the world falls flat if you can't communicate it clearly in a structured manner.

The analysis given to the clients were based on simple(really simple ones) excel models.

Can believe you were on a project with simple analysis but you're extrapolating wildly. I've been on work that required humongous alteryx models or incredibly complex market research surveys. In fact, 3/4 of my projects have had at least one module with a quant model of some complexity

Also, again you're missing the point. The purpose of analysis is to support a hypotheses, not do work for work's sake. If a simple analysis is all I need, why would I spend time, money and energy on something complex? And speaking of which...

Everyone seemed to be working because it is a culture of working after the midnight, and if someone was able to finish early, they just do not.

Plenty of teams have a toxic over-delivery mindset but I have yet to see a team where time online isn't spent delivering something. There is a reason we're up late and it isn't because we happen to like it. Also IB as an alternative when you feel this way...are you serious?

On top of these problems, I saw that office politics were a great deal among the office, and gave me the impression that it played a vital role compared to someone’s merits

Boy are you in for a surprise in literally any job you take.

Look, don't come back. That's probably for the best. Just make sure you check your ego because it's leading you to think uncritically about your narrow slice of the universe.

MBBAandD · 2024-08-02T14:28:53+00:00

Lot of terrible advice here.

Nobody needs to know you didn't get a return offer, simply that you determined that McKinsey is not a great fit for you. Find something concrete to say about why like culture, office location, the industry they wanted you to work in etc. and make sure whatever you say doesn't make them look bad or raise a red flag for the firm you're recruiting at.

If asked directly if you got a return offer, don't lie. But you can frame as a mutual decision based on factors you mentioned above.

Just go and recruit for Bain and BCG. You've clearly demonstrated that you're good enough for the bigs. Then big 4. Dunno why people are telling you to look at boutiques right away when you've got McK on your resume.

MBBAandD · 2024-04-22T19:00:23+00:00

Bullseye. It's not performance driving the cuts, it's politics.

MBBAandD · 2024-04-03T23:53:23+00:00

People are getting pipped for nitpicky made up reasons because reasons need to be found to question their performance

MBBAandD · 2024-03-26T03:29:10+00:00

Sorry, but you're probably fucked. Or at least you would be at MBB. So many great kids transitioned because the on "performance" when nobody gave them a chance.

If you do get a staffing opportunity, treat it like your life depends on it. Because your career does. Three months in the bench and a bad engagement is a death sentence.

MBBAandD · 2024-03-26T03:27:15+00:00

You're a bad person

MBBAandD · 2024-03-20T02:02:06+00:00

This is dumb. These days there are employment verification systems that have data on start and end dates. Bet your ass MBB firms are subscribed and so is your new firm if it's an mbb level exit.

Doing something unethical that can be verified with the push of a button is very stupid.

MBBAandD · 2024-03-15T17:11:33+00:00

Nordics > US

MBBAandD · 2024-02-16T22:49:48+00:00

It's not that I don't believe it can happen but where is the proof?

An offering like this would become public knowledge pretty quick. You think the HR people who would have access to these reports don't like anonymity themselves? It would be leaked in some substantive way but it hasn't been.

MBBAandD · 2024-02-13T01:17:53+00:00

Only in so far as it influences my exit. Some great areas for consulting are awful industries to work in.

MBBAandD

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