Besides listing a couple of reasons why you want to pursue a career in consulting, a compelling answer should explain WHY these reasons are important for you. If you need help on this, check out our Ready-for-McKinsey video academy, where we give examples of bad and excellent Personal Fit stories and explain how to build your stories to make sure you succeed in this part of the interview. While we hire a diverse array of talent, one thing remains constant: we want to add values-driven individuals who will bring innovation and create positive, enduring change in the world. Hey. It varies from person to person, but 3-5 months is a good average per my experience (if you prepare without a coach). In this article, youll learn about the McKinsey interview process and the McKinsey interview questions youll likely see. Youll have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions to ensure that you understand the business situation and the objective of the case. Mobile healththe practice of healthcare supported by mobile devicesis often hailed as the future of digital services in healthcare. The skills that are assessed are the same, yet the evaluation differs slightly. It spans a wide range of potential evaluations such as coding tests and project discussions with product engineers, portfolio reviews with other designers, or discussions about coaching and agile methodologies with agile coaches. Our values, practice cases and other resources, McKinsey_Website_Accessibility@mckinsey.com. This is very important because you wont have the time to prepare after youve received the confirmation for your interviews. Free interview details posted anonymously by McKinsey & Company interview candidates. supply chain, product development, service operations). Its important for an interviewer to understand what kind of person you are and for you to leave a memorable mark, so make sure you highlight those things which throw a bit of light on your personality. Personal Fit in the second round is similar to round one you will need to tell your stories according to the relevant McKinsey dimensions. New offices with higher HR demands and staffing shortages can be less clear-cut, but generally faster. Fingers crossed! She came through our recruitment process in the fall of 2019 while pursuing her PhD in applied physics from Rice University. Practical tips to crack the game. If you have not heard back from McKinsey after a few days, that does not necessarily mean that you did not receive a McKinsey offer. It lasts approximately 20 minutes, is conducted by phone, and consists just of one simplified business case (no exhibit, just structuring and math sometimes only structuring). A (good) coach will help you save a lot of time. Interviewers want to know you are passionate about consulting and working at McKinsey. Sign In Explore McKinsey & Company is one of the world's most prestigious and well-known consulting firms. Instead focus on practicing the types of questions we discussed above (structuring, exhibit analysis, math) only after you have mastered those, you can focus on specific industries or functions in your preparation. If you are an undergraduate student, it is likely that you will have to take one of the McKinsey problem-solving tests (PST or Imbellus) before, maybe, being invited to interviews. To prepare for the McKinsey Personal Experience Interview, youll want to develop a list of five different stories or examples that cover leadership, problem solving, personal impact, and resilience. However, do not spend too much time on trying to find cases with the right content. If you really hit it off with someone you met during the McKinsey networking events, you can also ask them. With a typical hire rate of less than 1%, interviews with top consulting firms such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain are some of the most challenging in the world. The McKinsey PEI is different from other consulting firms' behavioral interviews in 2 ways: The McKinsey personal experience interview question is part of every interview. McKinsey case interviews are interviewer-led, which means that the interviewer will be steering the direction of the case. The McKinsey interviews are one of the most challenging job interviews out there. In short, keep your resume to one page and quantify the impact of your accomplishments in your work experiences and extracurricular activities. This takes the place of traditional behavioral questions that companies ask in interviews. According to Forbes, the top-tier consulting firm is the hardest company to get in to. If you connect or bond with someone from McKinsey, they may try to push strongly for you to get an interview. Each office and practice has a slightly different format for its final-round interviews and will give candidates a detailed description prior to the interview day. Nota Bene: The first interview usually takes a little longer than the rest (1 h 15 min vs 1 h) usually the first 15 minutes are used for small talk and getting to know you (e.g. Round 1: The first round consists of 2 coding questions and 2 SQL queries. This strategy ensures that you give your answer in a clear and structured way. Be patient on waiting for McKinsey to get back to you. Were interested in all meaningful work experience, not just work experience related to business (full-time positions, internships, military service), Include anything else that is distinctive. First, the McKinsey PST is a written test which usually takes 60 minutes and includes 26 multiple-choice questions, with a similar feel to the GMAT and GRE. 9 out of 10 candidates who go through our 1-on-1 Ready-for-McKinsey interview coaching get the offer. Our internal teams around the world bring their skills, experience, and perspectives to make meaningful impact and keep the firm operating at its best. Three, your interviewers may read the notes that your interviewers wrote during your McKinsey first round interview. What are my chances of getting a call from Mckinsey? Created on 23 January 2021. These coffee chats are more informational than evaluative. If you rock Personal Fit, most of the focus will be on the Business Case. Required fields are marked *. The McKinsey Problem Solving Game, also known as the Imbellus Assessment (or Imbellus test), is an environmentally themed video game using data science to evaluate problem-solving choices. Assessing the use of the Diconsa network in Mexico to provide basic financial services offerings to the rural poor for the Gates Foundation. At McKinsey, we help tackle the worlds most important problems, while providing our people with unrivaled professional development experiences. Getting a McKinsey referral basically means that someone at McKinsey will send your name and resume to the McKinsey recruiter that is in charge of the resume reviews. Here are some ideas for great questions: Make a connection with your interviewer. Pingback: Why Consulting: How To Answer This Question - Career in Consulting, Pingback: How to answer Why McKinsey?, Why BCG?, or Why Bain? questions - Career in Consulting, Really Helpful, one edit would be the duration of imbellus test is not 2 hours, its actually 60-75 mins. For instance, if you do not pass the interviews, consulting firms will request you wait 12-18 months until you reapply. I have explained in this article how to have a compelling answer to this question. Due to McKinseys brand name and prestige, McKinseys consultants have access to the most attractive and lucrative exit opportunities. McKinsey has become aware of scams involving false offers of McKinsey employment. If you found this article helpful, youll love our comprehensive case interview course. What to expect for the McKinsey Technical Expertise Interview, Case and personal fit interviews, which are. Additionally, you can describe your key takeaways from this experience and how it impacted or influenced you as a person. Your recruiter will inform you on what questions you will be asked so you can best prepare. Furthermore, you can read my case interview guide for beginners. This is not required to get a McKinsey interview. Dive deep into the working gears of the firm. Working toward your advanced degree means you already have many of the skills and strengths you need to succeed here. To begin with, this a gamified test divided into 2 games: You have 2h to complete both games (1 hour each), which seems to be enough. The McKinsey interview process has five major steps. We look for distinctive people from a variety of academic backgrounds. Hence, be prepared to go into details and to explain the options you had, the decisions you made (and why), what was difficult, what did you enjoy the most, etc. Before you start your McKinsey journey, you need to know how the road ahead looks like. Thus, your cover letter must show that you have researched the firm, talked to its consultants, and have persuasive and tailored arguments why McKinsey is your first choice. I recommend being ready BEFORE you apply. If you want to get a job at McKinsey, you might ask yourself how does the McKinsey recruitment process work? Please email us at: McKinsey has many different career paths to choose from. If you have a friend or colleague that works or used to work at McKinsey, ask if they would be comfortable giving you a referral. Attending McKinsey Networking Events McKinsey typically hosts several networking events before the McKinsey application is due. *Please note, not all interviews at McKinsey require a case study or follow this format. However, just because you do not receive an invite does not mean that you will not get an interview. In short, the case interview will begin with the interviewer reading you the case background information. By understanding the qualities that make people successful at the firm, I could think of the best experiences to share during my interviews. Yet, less than 15% of applicants receive a call for an interview. Make it easy to identify distinctive elements. What's involved in interviewing for an executive assistant role at McKinsey? The interviewer will ask you to give an example or story of a time when you displayed a particular quality, such as leadership, problem solving, personal impact, and resilience. In the second round, you will have 2 or 3 additional interviews dependent on the region. If you are applying to McKinsey as a Data Scientist, you will receive an invitation for the QuantHub assessment before your interview. The first round typically consists of two 45-minute one-on-one interviews. If you like the idea of a stimulating and challenging career alternative and an opportunity to work with highly motivated colleagues in a team-based environment, we encourage you to apply. for instance, our clients are ready in 4-8 weeks. Additionally, any MDs or Medical residents working or studying in the UK will go through their interview process with an individual hiring location or practice and not through the central UK APD recruiting process. Prioritizing large-scale biodiversity protection projects for Conservation Forever, a conservation NGO. Do clarify with your local HR whether or not you can tell the same stories in the second round! Once you have passed the screening stage, here is what you have to go through. Based on the performance of the initial assessment call experienced hires are either invited to the first round or not. This means that the case interviews you receive may be a bit less structured and more qualitative in nature. During information sessions, McKinsey will often tell candidates that they do not need to submit a cover letter because they will not read it. The McKinsey Recruiting Podcast aims to inform listeners about who we are and what we do. The first technical interview in the process was conducted by a Digital Specialist. Hands-on example to solve the game and support you. There are three phases in the McKinsey recruitment process - resume screening, PST test, and case interview. If you are applying as a working professional, McKinsey may host an information session through an online webinar or at a hotel in major cities. At McKinsey, we strive to create an unrivalled environment for exceptional people. 1. If you attend a top-tier undergraduate or MBA school, McKinsey typically hosts coffee chats to give students an opportunity to ask individual, specific questions. If you want to learn in great detail how to ace the McKinsey interviews, check out our 40-part Ready-for-McKinsey interview academy, which includes a McKinsey-specific example of a case study and all dimensions and stories of the PEI, or our individual and private coaching sessions. Third round: Two to three 60-minute interviews with more senior consultants and partners. To conclude, if you pass the resume and cover letter screening successfully, you will receive an email with a link to the digitized assessment and have 7 calendar days after receiving the link to complete the test. Meet some of our people here. Read more here: Do you have any questions about the process? They work with the biggest name clients and charge the highest billing rates. The application screening. Should I start preparing before I submit my resume or after? The jury is out on if there is a McKinsey blacklist. questions like why consulting? or why McKinsey are being asked). So, whether Consulting is a thoughtful career choice or an I dont know what to do, lets try career choice, there are many good reasons why Consulting can be a good opportunity. When given the PEI, select the story that is most relevant. Myth 3: Mobile health is the game changer. Forbes ranked McKinsey's interview process as the most difficult across all firms globally and the case plays a crucial role in that evaluation, besides the Personal Experience Interview. These interviews are usually conducted by senior-level consultants (partners and senior partners) and focus on the weaknesses identified in the first round. The following general recommendations give a sense of how we assess candidates with Advanced Professional Degrees and provides suggestions for highlighting your accomplishments. Secondly, your interviewer will ask you a set of pre-determined questions, regardless of what your initial structure is. For instance, top MBA programs with good placement in the consulting industry include MIT, London Business School, INSEAD, or Columbia Business School. Some candidates we coached recently reported that instead of the tower defense game, they had to identify a disease that is haunting an animal population based on a large date set. Our values define who we are as a firm and who we aspire to be as individual colleagues. The McKinsey Case Interview for Experienced Hires. If you are applying as a working professional, you likely wont have the opportunity to attend a McKinsey lunch or dinner event. What should I expect future round of interviews to look like, given I will be working as Data Scientist doing lots of Coding in Python! It can see the path the candidate took and the information used to make a decision. During your interview*, we'll ask you to share examples from your personal experiences. In fact, the McKinsey recruitment process is considered one of the most competitive processes in the corporate world with just a ~1% acceptance rate. Hope this helps, McKinsey wants to understand your motivation to join McKinsey: Are you genuinely interested in joining McKinsey over the BCG or Bain? For example, in the Personal Impact dimension simulation, you would need to persuade a client to conduct a reorganization of their department: you would need to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills to succeed. Our assessment tests focus on job-related knowledge or abilities, such as problem-solving or coding skills. The cool-off period for McKinsey North America varies depending on the recruiting process and the stage at which you were rejected. For consulting roles there is no difference to a normal interview process, except business cases can be operations / implementation / public sector related (e.g. Math questions are solvable with simple math or approximation. The remainder of your Personal Experience Interview consists of one of these 3x McKinsey behavioral interview questions: After your answer, your interviewer will ask you several follow-up questions to better understand how you used the skills that McKinsey seeks. To conclude, the game does not require business and mathematical knowledge, only evaluating cognitive abilities and problem-solving preferences. Our interviewers are trained to examine candidates' past accomplishments in depth in order to determine if the skills they possess would position them well for a successful career at McKinsey. Youll then create a framework, which is a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into simpler, smaller components. Founded in 1869, McKinsey has worked with some of the biggest names in business, from IBM to McDonald's. McKinsey is known for its rigorous and demanding interview process, which can be challenging for any applicant. Besides being the oldest and largest of the prestigious MBB (McKinsey, The BCG, or Bain & Company), McKinsey & Company is the company that puts candidates through the most rigorous and challenging hiring process according to a recent study done by glassdoor.com. I have to case interview but no PST or PSG ?. The scams and false offers use imposter websites, email addresses, and text messages. Only full-time candidates will have to go through second-round interviews. For this stage, you can expect a 20-minute interview. One important difference is that very often instead of the exhibit exercise and question, candidates are asked to conduct some sort of estimation in the case context (e.g. This gives you a better opportunity to chat and ask questions with a McKinsey representative one-on-one. Say it! How was it? We look for professionals from a variety of fields and professions, including technology, finance, government, engineering, law, the military, medicine, and many more. In most cases, the HR screening interview is conducted by phone and is aimed at briefly reviewing your background. McKinsey devotes a substantial amount of time and expense to telling people about the firm and the work they do so they can attract the best candidates to apply to work for the company. We want you to succeed and feel confident entering our process. You can use this opportunity to learn more about McKinsey and to ask to be put in contact with a McKinsey recruiter. High grades (if you are an undergraduate), Brand name companies that youve worked for, Significant impact in your work experiences, Leadership roles at work and in your extracurricular activities, Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond what was required, Give me an example of a time when you had to persuade someone, Describe a situation in which you handled conflict while working on a team, Give me an example of a time when you tried to accomplish something but failed, Describe a difficult or complicated problem that you faced, You want to make a significant impact by working with billion-dollar companies on their most challenging business problems, You enjoy solving business problems across multiple different industries and functions, You see consulting as the quickest way to develop the skills to be a business executive, You enjoy working closely with teams on tough, challenging business problems, You value the mentorship and personal development that consulting provides, You find fulfillment in working with and servicing clients, You are excited to travel around the world for work, State that consulting is your top career choice, Reiterate that consulting best fits your professional needs and goals, Youve really loved the people that youve met from McKinsey and would enjoy working with them, McKinsey has an empowering work culture where you would grow and thrive, McKinsey has deep expertise in a particular industry or function that you are passionate about, McKinsey has a strong presence in a particular country, which you are interested in working in later in your career, McKinsey places a heavy investment in mentorship and personal development, which you valuetremendously, McKinsey has a global staffing model and you appreciate the opportunity to work in different countries, Several of your mentors that you respect and look up to have worked at McKinsey and they have highly recommended working there, State that McKinsey is your top choice consulting firm, Reiterate that McKinsey best fits your professional needs and goals. Id really appreciate any insight! Fit questions. McKinsey is known as the gold standard in consulting. The whole process usually takes 2-3 months to complete, for a job starting about 6-12 months after application. Youll likely be asked why you are interested in consulting at some point during your interview. Make sure that the actions center around what you specifically did. Required fields are marked *. With which part of the process do you struggle the most? And you wont tackle any of these challenges alone. We have compiled this document by talking to more than 280 test-takers as well as game design experts. I had given my round 2 interview with a partner and subsequently with a senior partner. There are many different reasons you can give: Again, try to structure your answer in a clear way: Your McKinsey final round interview will typically consist of two to three separate 40- to 60-minute interviews. That is why you should ask for feedback after Round 1 and prepare accordingly. If you have not heard back in a week, you can send a follow-up email with the recruiter to ask if there are any updates. At the end of the day, we all want to know wholl we work with and what makes someone successful at McKinsey. To avoid having a generic cover letter, include specific reasons why you are interested in McKinsey. I recently shared a list of 250+ practice cases, with more here. The McKinsey Personal Fit or Personal Experience Interview (PEI) is a situation-based interview. New offices with higher HR demands and staffing shortages can be less clear-cut, but generally faster. McKinsey PST preparation guide incl. If there was a particular area of the case interview that you struggled with, interviewers may want to test you again on it to make sure that it is not a significant weakness. Germany). It only guarantees that your application will be reviewed more closely. As part of interviewing, you may be asked to take an assessment test or play a game, depending on the role for which you apply. Dear Tina, You can use the following simple, but effective structure while answering the why consulting question: In addition to being asked why you are interested in consulting, one of your interviewers may also ask why you are interested in working at McKinsey. Mattiellistrasse 3/28, 1040 Vienna, Austria, An Oliver Wyman career in the Middle East. Your resume is far more important in determining whether or not you will get an interview, so make sure to focus the majority of your time on optimizing your resume. Say it! Many people that dont receive invites for these exclusive events still receive McKinsey interviews and offers. Given that hundreds of people attend these information sessions, finding opportunities to network with McKinsey consultants at this event can be difficult. Practicing cases will help you get comfortable with the type of questions asked, and boost your confidence. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. McKinsey Interview Academy (Case and PEI), mckinsey career McKinsey digital mckinsey experienced hires mckinsey first round mckinsey interview mckinsey operations and implementation mckinsey problem solving game mckinsey second round. We suggest that you prepare two personal examples to demonstrate your skills in the areas highlighted below. At the end of the McKinsey case interview, the interviewer will ask you for a recommendation to solve the business problem. Read this comprehensive consulting resume guide to understand what McKinsey resume reviewers look for when screening resumes and how to optimize your resume to give yourself the best chance of receiving an interview. Final round interviews will also continue to assess this, but interviewers will also be determining whether or not you would be a great fit with the office. Action: Explain what steps you took to handle the task or to meet the goal or objective. Overall, we look for personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, inclusive leadership and problem solving, and we recognize there are many ways to acquire those skills. Dont dwell on the question of the blacklist, but remember competition is tough. Although McKinsey hires people from nontraditional backgrounds, you will need to do the work needed to get your name and resume in front of recruiters through networking or referrals. What makes McKinsey interviews different is their very specific use of case as well as personal fit interviews. Cheers, Florian, Your email address will not be published. Please note that in some offices it is allowed to tell the same stories again (e.g. Learn more about McKinsey: Youll be better able to answer interview questions that ask why you are interested in consulting and why you want to work for McKinsey if you get a chance to hear McKinsey consultants talk about their work experience. The format is a bit freer than in the first. By January 2022, the guide has sold to more than 4000 customers from 60+ countries. We are interested in examples where you have founded, started or created something new and the impact of those efforts. Therefore, all your resume and cover letter content should demonstrate that you master these skills. Success in this round earns you an invite to the final 2 interviews. Even though this part of the interview is not being evaluated its important to use this opportunity to make a good impression on an interviewer. It is therefore not the single critical factor in the future of healthcare digitization. Because the second most important thing that McKinsey wants to know after who you are is: Because McKinsey doesnt want you to leave after 6 months when you would have realized that the consulting lifestyle doesnt fit your objectives. Interviewers know that the candidates who are most likely to be their top performers will be the people who love the company's culture, people, and projects. Thanks in advance : ), Hi Sonia. McKinsey typically calls candidates to tell them that they are being extended a job offer before emailing them. You can find the dates of the information session through McKinseys website, your schools career services center, or through your schools consulting club. Evaluating whether a global beauty products company should be training in-store beauty consultants in the effective use of virtual channels to connect with customers. The McKinsey interview process has five major steps. The McKinsey cover letter is usually optional. There are three different types of networking events: You do not need to attend every event, but some events will be more effective for networking than others. Some candidates receive a phone call with good news on the same day of their final round interview. You can expect the PEI to last between 20 and 40 minutes. There are no knockout factors, and you need not be distinctive on every dimension. Save tons of time in your PEI prep. They may touch on our formal and informal apprenticeship and mentor programs. You will go through. Fall 2019 candidates were the first cohort to play the McKinsey Problem Solving Game as part of the interview process assessment. So, do prepare your stories in advance and spend time thinking about them! 95 McKinsey & Company Intern interview questions and 97 interview reviews. consulting resume: 17 advanced writing tips, how to write a persuasive and customized cover letter, Tell Me About Yourself: How to Answer This Question, Why Consulting: How To Answer This Question - Career in Consulting, How to answer Why McKinsey?, Why BCG?, or Why Bain? questions - Career in Consulting. Besides, you will have to derive insights from these data, and connectthese insights to your clients problem. Your resume will get reviewed regardless of whether you attend a networking event or not. During many of our interviews, you will learn more about what this value means in practice at McKinsey. This question, or common variants such as Walk me through your resume, is an easy and open-ended start to a conversation, where your interviewer wants to know: A natural question following Tell me about yourself is Why consulting?. Roughly 1% of consulting applicants get their desired offer. How can an Eastern European countrys Department of Education improve their school system? In order to stand out as the best in a very strong field of applicants at the hiring offices of McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and other top firms flooded with candidates with a range of experience, thorough preparation is essential. McKinsey is constantly adjusting the games. Result: Describe the outcome that your actions had, quantifying the impact and effect you had on the organization. For reference, Harvard's acceptance rate is ~5%. If you are interested in McKinsey careers beyond consulting, you can learn more about the assessment process for our internal roles here. Many people get McKinsey interviews without getting any referrals. Finally, one of the 3x McKinsey behavioral interview questions. 258 questions and/or answers were updated by Kevin Downey on October 1st, 2022. Please find the McKinsey interview timeline below: The McKinsey Technical Expertise Interview, in short TEI, is an interview format used for recruiting technical experts It focuses on specific areas of technical or domain expertise and evaluates a candidates expertise in a given field.