Category: Networking in Consulting

McKinsey EDAD Program guide cover showing Middle Eastern professionals with Dubai skyline and icons for eligibility, benefits, and application tips

McKinsey EDAD Program 2026: Eligibility, the Guaranteed Interview, and How to Get In

Updated June 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant If you are an Arabic-speaking student weighing the McKinsey EDAD program, you have probably seen two flatly contradictory claims: that EDAD guarantees a McKinsey interview, and that it guarantees nothing. Getting this wrong costs you, because it changes how hard you should fight to…
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Article cover showing a Big 4 to MBB career transition, with rising stepping stones leading from a Big 4 platform toward a glowing strategy gateway, while a crossed-out “Not a Strategist” discount label symbolizes overcoming the lateral recruiting penalty.

Big 4 to MBB: How to Switch and Beat the “Not a Strategist” Discount

By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 Yes, you can move from the Big 4 to MBB. I have coached Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG consultants into McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, and the firms hire laterally from the Big 4 every year. The transition is real and well-trodden. But the thing…
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