Career Head to Head: McKinsey vs Shell

Shell is generally seen as the poster-boy of oil and gas and McKinsey the poster boy of management consulting. The two industries being two of the most lucrative places to have careers, we take a look at careers in both of them.

A. Ease of Entry

Both are extremely competitive and go for the smartest folks but McKinsey has one of the toughest recruitment processes in the world. 5-6 levels of interview with headache inducing case studies. Their PST also one of the toughest job tests

Verdict: Mck is tougher to get a job in.

B. Learning Opportunity

Great learning opportunities in both, usually on the job. They expose you to big projects from start of your career. However, while Shell, due to size, is slower and gradual in their training system, McK throws you into the middle of ocean from get go. So you learn more within a short time at McK than at Shell. But by the time you get to the middle of your career, you would have been so good in your field (and beyond) even in Shell.

Verdict: McKinsey has better opportunities especially at the beginning of your career.

C. Job Security

McK hardly lays off. Shell lays off from time to time in response to oil sector volatility. But the exit package is usually very sweet. You could easily walk away with N150m compensation if you lose your job there after 20 years of working. People voluntarily quit Mck everyday but people hardly quit Shell.

There is some peace of mind & comfort that come with it. Both hardly lay off for non-performance because it’s extremely difficult for their tough recruitment process to produce a non-performer.

Read the experience of one of our friends in McKinsey recruitment.

Verdict: McK more secured but you don’t need to cry if you lose your job in Shell.

D. Career Growth

Shell is bigger but McK is a little more structured. You know when you will be promoted, what next stage is etc. There is a clear line of sight. This doesn’t mean this doesn’t exist in Shell but McK does it better. However, Shell has a system of early identification of strong talents who are placed on special path and trained for future leadership. It means strong and fast promotion and exposure to big assignments. You rise fast if you are identified as strong performer at early stage.

Verdict: Tie

E. Exposure

Both expose you a lot. At some point in your Shell career, especially if you are identified as a strong performer, you are likely going to be seconded to a foreign country in Europe, Asia or America for few years. It may also be their HQ in The Hague, Netherlands. Doesn’t mean there is no Shell Nigeria staff who had not been posted for foreign assignment. However, such opportunities are common. There is also a lot of cross country collaborations, where you get to work with Shell staff in other countries.

However, McK even does better in exposure. Their personnel also travel a lot for international assignments usually short term. From Singapore today to Abu Dhabi next week to New York next month, McK gets you all over the world. It also exposes you to top government and corporate leaders. By fifth year in McK, you may see yourself in the same room with Ministers in their different countries or presenting to CEOs you see on TV.

Verdict: McK exposes you more, especially at the early stage. However, at the later stage, Shell equally does that.

F. Pay and Compensation

Okay, we know this is the only thing many people want to hear. Shell slightly edges McK in pay and compensation. Shell also has more generous exit packages.

Verdict: Shell slightly better

G. Perks

McKinsey can sponsor you to Harvard or any other Ivy league school after just few years with them, and all you need to do is return to them. You can even quit after few years of return. They really covet those Ivy league certificates and can spend as much as $200k (over N80m) to send you to Harvard etc. Your travel also comes with flying business class and staying in top hotels from Paris to Tokyo. Shell also has great perks, but McK does better of this

Verdict: McK takes this.

H. Work-Life Balance

Shell sells goods (oil and gas), McK provides services to clients (consulting, helping clients solve problems), so McK has external clients to satisfy, so it involves a lot if deadlines and running around. Shell relatively generally takes work easy and methodical. McK involves a lot of gra gra. So you can easily close 4pm at Shell and go play your squash. You may work till 1am most days in McK. McK is a fast-paced, tough work environment. You are always working all round – from airports to hotels, even while golfing. You hardly have time for family. Missing an email for 3 hours can affect your work.

Verdict: Shell takes this.

I. Brand & Future Opportunities

Shell career restricts you to oil and gas and energy policy issues or you may go into energy consulting after retirement. Management consulting that McKinsey does is broader. And you can even specialize in energy consulting while in Mck. Both are great brands. If you retire from Shell at 50, collect your fat pay, you can make phone calls and easily get directorship or GM jobs in other smaller oil companies who will rush you based on your Shell experience. This happens a lot. McKinsey on your CV is also even greater, especially at youthful stage. Facebook COO Sheryll Sandberg spent a year in McK. Tidjane Thiam, former CEO of Credit Suisse, is an ex-McKinsey.

At some point, about 70 of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies were ex-McK. With 10 years in McK, you can easily return to your country, package one consulting job, walk into tour country’s Minister of Finance’s office and get a good gig. They are also great entrepreneurs too.

In fact, McKinsey has been described as the CEO factory or CEO launchpad. It’s one of the biggest producers of CEO of top companies across the world.

Verdict: Both have very strong brands and networks, but we give this to McK.

J. Village Value

Okay, nobody knows McKinsey in your village. Everybody knows Shell. You could easily enter your village and leave. Knowledge that you work in Shell comes with a lot of noise and fame. That depends on your village though. If your village is Inisa or Ohafia or Afikpo, Shell. But if your village is Whitefish or Taos or Port Townsend, McKinsey will have more village value.

FINAL VERDICT

If you covet good money in short term, less stress, more time for family, good money at retirement, Shell; if you covet tough, stressful beginning with good money too, great exposure, vast network but long term eye on multidisciplinary executive roles or entrepreneurship, McKinsey.