Why do MBB firms hire MBAs?
It's a classic path to join MBB after completing MBA. This allows to radically transform one's career. But adjusting to a new profession is not easy. What value do MBAs bring to MBB consulting?
These days, it's trendy to trash an MBA degree.
There are lots of gurus saying that an MBA is useless and a waste of time and money.
But despite all the criticism, the MBA to MBB path continues to be a classic way to radically change one's career path.
That was my story.
For me, it was once in a lifetime opportunity to boost my mediocre career. I wanted to transition from IT to business, and an MBA served as the perfect bridge.
Then, it allowed me to have a shot at getting into McKinsey—a chance I wouldn't get otherwise.
As a result, I joined McKinsey at 34.
That was my big breakthrough.
But one thing I couldn't understand:
Why do MBB firms hire MBAs?
Experienced hires are more expensive. They are objectively slower than consultants who joined as undergrads.
It didn't seem like a good business decision.
But they seemed to know something I didn't know back then.
MBAs bring unique value.
Technical skills?
Of course not. But you can learn them fairly quickly, although it may not feel that way.
But leadership, maturity, and life experience take time to build—years, even decades.
You get 10-15 years of working experience, add your MBA education, pass a grueling recruitment process, and add consulting skills on top of that.
You become unstoppable!
It's like adding a turbocharger to a powerful engine.
But let's be honest.
This journey isn't for the faint of heart.
I call it a 'samurai path'—full of pain and struggle.
If you're an experienced MBB hire feeling out of place, remember this:
Your experience is your superpower.
But your ability to learn well will be the key to your success.
The consulting journey is complex and treacherous. Walking it alone is extremely difficult.
It’s helpful to have the support of someone experienced (me, wink wink) who has gone through this journey and helped many others.
That is why I developed a coaching program for MBB consultants to help you achieve high performance and become successful.
If you are an MBB consultant and sick of struggling with performance and development, I would like to speak with you.
Book a Free 1-1 Consultation to discuss whether I can help you through my coaching program. There is no commitment, and you can ask any burning questions in a risk-free environment.
Read this post to learn more about the Hero’s Journey coaching program.
You know, I focus on a very narrow segment:
- active MBB consultants (generalists);
- experienced hires; post-MBA or post-PhD; in their 30s;
- second-year consultants (>12 months tenure); transitioning to an EM role;
- in good standing (no negative rating);
You joined MBB Consulting to radically change your career. That is why you can't afford to fail and waste your time.
This narrow specialization allows me to provide highly precise and practical advice to transform and accelerate time to impact.
PS. MBAs bring unique value to MBB firms. Leadership, maturity, and experience take time to build. But demonstrating these unique abilities requires you to adjust to a new profession and learn basic consulting skills fast.