Getting a McKinsey referral also does not guarantee that you will receive an interview. 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. 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. How much time would you recommend I take to prepare? At McKinsey, we strive to create an unrivalled environment for exceptional people. To conclude, the game does not require business and mathematical knowledge, only evaluating cognitive abilities and problem-solving preferences. Your responses to these questions help us understand your accomplishments and challenges beyond your CV and discover skills you possess that will help you thrive at McKinsey. It varies from person to person, but 3-5 months is a good average per my experience (if you prepare without a coach). Introduce yourself, explain why you are interested in consulting and McKinsey, and then explain why you would be a great fit for the role and company. For instance, the HR screening interview can include a list of questions such as : Background questions: for example tell me about yourself or describe your work history. Hope this helps, This section will tell you everything you need to know about the Personal Experience Interview. 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. For this stage, you can expect a 20-minute interview. You will be better served by providing all the information we ask for than by leaving out elements you feel are weak. (after you have passed the McKinsey Problem Solving Game). In short, keep your resume to one page and quantify the impact of your accomplishments in your work experiences and extracurricular activities. If you rock Personal Fit, most of the focus will be on the Business Case. New offices with higher HR demands and staffing shortages can be less clear-cut, but generally faster. Below we will tell you how McKinsey interviews are structured and what you can expect. For instance, if you do not pass the interviews, consulting firms will request you wait 12-18 months until you reapply. However, do not spend time on focusing on content or industry of business cases, but rather focus on practicing the types of questions we discussed above (structuring, exhibit analysis, math). These coffee chats are usually one-on-one or done in small groups. Thanks in advance : ), Hi Sonia. coral reef or a mountain ecosystem) based on a large variety of data given (data about different types of habitats, different animals, weather conditions, etc.). If you havent received a response within 10 days, you should contact HR. McKinsey Case Interview. The scams and false offers use imposter websites, email addresses, and text messages. In the first round, you can expect 2 or 3 interviews (dependent on the region). Next, Why McKinsey? : This question evaluates your motivation to join McKinsey. Meet some of our people here. To improve your skills in all areas of the interview, check out our targeted offers below. You need 4 skills to be successful in all case interviews: Case Structuring, Case Leadership, Case Analytics, and Communication. It was a one hour long general chat about my experience, discussing the projects I have been involved in from. To conclude, you now have a better understanding of the essentials of the McKinsey interview process. Your resume, with a cover letter, is the first step to a very lucrative job at McKinsey. Similarly, if you are applying to McKinsey as a working professional, networking events are much more important. To be more precise: your resume and cover letter content must show how you used these 4x skills and the IMPACT you had. In this way, the video game assessment goes beyond the capabilities of the problem-solving test (PST) which is currently used as part of the screening process. Our assessment tests focus on job-related knowledge or abilities, such as problem-solving or coding skills. 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. The McKinsey PST lets recruiters only see answers, not how they were arrived at. However, usually, MBA students do NOT have to take one of the McKinsey problem-solving tests. Your application will get a closer look and be viewed a bit more favorably. Use your LinkedIn network to identify former colleagues or school alumni that would be open to chatting with you. One, your interviewers will likely be more senior people at McKinsey. Youll want to tell your story or give your example using the STAR method. Now, the interviewer asks if you have any questions. We look for professionals from a variety of fields and professions, including technology, finance, government, engineering, law, the military, medicine, and many more. McKinsey has relationships with these schools and consistently hires students from these schools every year for internship and full-time opportunities. 9 out of 10 candidates who go through our 1-on-1 Ready-for-McKinsey interview coaching get the offer. If you want to get a job at McKinsey, you might ask yourself how does the McKinsey recruitment process work? What makes McKinsey interviews different is their very specific use of case as well as personal fit interviews. If you are applying as a working professional, interviews will take place at the McKinsey office that you are applying for. When you stand out from other candidates, you will get more interviews that turn into job offers. The whole process usually takes 2-3 months to complete, for a job starting about 6-12 months after application. There are four types of McKinsey interview questions. Every individual at McKinsey plays an important role in our collective success. McKinsey case interviews are interviewer-led, which means that the interviewer will be steering the direction of the case. Treat them like a university exam! Several include an online assessment, others a group exercise; some candidates interview with partners, and the number of colleagues you meet will vary. Do you want to eventually build your own business? Like MBA students, experienced professionals do not have to take one of the McKinsey problem-solving tests (PST or Imbellus). Generally speaking, if you were rejected during the initial screening phase, there may not be a formal cool-off period. It is therefore not the single critical factor in the future of healthcare digitization. During many of our interviews, you will learn more about what this valuemeans in practice at McKinsey. Based on the performance of the initial assessment call experienced hires are either invited to the first round or not. Joining us means youll have unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow. Roughly 1% of consulting applicants get their desired offer. They will want to know exactly what you did, how you thought about the situation, why you did the things that you did, and what you learned from the situation. If you have any questions regarding the McKinsey interview process, reach out to info@strategycase.com we are always happy to help our candidates to start their McKinsey careers! McKinsey uses case interviews to test three types of skills that are used by consultants in their daily work: Problem structuring and maths skills Creativity and business sense skills Communication skills 1.3.1 Problem structuring and maths skills First, McKinsey already started testing your maths and logic skills with its Problem Solving Guide. 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?. Not sure where to begin? Now, lets see which deviations from the standard McKinsey recruitment process, as shown in the picture above, can happen. According to Forbes, the top-tier consulting firm is the hardest company to get in to. Essentially, its a multiple-choice test which has 3 sections (stats, R, Python) with 12 questions each: If you succeed in the QuantHub assessment, you will then proceed to an interview, which will be structurally similar to the normal interview with the only difference that one business case will be in the context of data science. These are a few of the qualities that interviewers want to see. You can read more about it in this article or see our application document prep packages or resume and cover letter screenings here. To test intrinsic problem-solving skills, we created Solve, a gamified assessment. 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. Copyright Hacking the Case Interview 2023, Passing your First Round McKinsey Interviews, Passing your Final Round McKinsey Interviews. Required fields are marked *. The interview was my first in the series and was a technical one. Do not include personal references or summaries of your research papers or copies of journal publications. Well go through each step in the interview process so you know exactly what to expect. Candidates need to be prepared to discuss their most important experiences in a very detailed way, focusing on their specific role and describing their actions that were critical to success. 258 questions and/or answers were updated by Kevin Downey on October 1st, 2022. Interviewing Interviews Your interview experience will differ depending on the role for which you apply. Finally, if you apply to an Expert position, at McKinsey Digital for instance, you will have an expert interview. If you attend a top-tier undergraduate or MBA school, McKinsey typically hosts one large information session in which they bring 20 30 consultants to give a presentation. We have compiled this document by talking to more than 280 test-takers as well as game design experts. Dont dwell on the question of the blacklist, but remember competition is tough. Offered an interview but not feeling ready? At the end of the day, we all want to know wholl we work with and what makes someone successful at McKinsey. For UK APD candidates, interviews are always hosted in the London office regardless of the candidates' destination office. The McKinsey Business Case is the most feared part of the McKinsey interview and the one which requires the most preparation. However, just because you do not receive an invite does not mean that you will not get an interview. The McKinsey interview process has five major steps. Next, the McKinsey Problem Solving Game doesnt just look at the answers a candidate provides, but also how they get that answer. 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. There are three phases in the McKinsey recruitment process - resume screening, PST test, and case interview. Fall 2019 candidates were the first cohort to play the McKinsey Problem Solving Game as part of the interview process assessment. This strategy ensures that you give your answer in a clear and structured way. If you attend a top-tier undergraduate or MBA school, McKinsey will also invite high-potential candidates to join them for a nice lunch or dinner. 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. This gives you a better opportunity to chat and ask questions with a McKinsey representative one-on-one. We have 9 years of consulting experience with McKinsey & Company. 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. Competition is strong. The interviewer will then ask follow-up questions to probe deeper into your example or story. The McKinsey cover letter is usually optional. We suggest that you prepare two personal examples to demonstrate your skills in the areas highlighted below. In other words, for MBA students, the screening process consists of reviewing your resume and cover letter, as well as a screening interview, by phone, with a HR. The scams and false offers use imposter websites, email addresses, and text messages. Sign In Explore In short, there are many reasons you can give for why you are interested in consulting: Select three compelling reasons why you are interested in consulting. 2. Besides these three distinctions, you should use the same strategies that you used in your McKinsey first round interview for your McKinsey final round interview. Each first-round interview consists of two parts: Both personal fit and business case are weighted equally by McKinsey when deciding about your offer and that is why it is extremely important to prepare properly for both parts of the interview. Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. Heres what I do know: only apply if you are ready to interview. In the first half of the test, you would need to build a sustainable ecosystem (e.g. Should the Mexican government leverage a chain of convenience stores to deliver basic financial services to inhabitants of rural Mexico? Sometimes, you may be on the borderline of receiving an offer and McKinsey would like to finish interviewing other people before deciding whether or not to give you an offer. In fact, the McKinsey recruitment process is considered one of the most competitive processes in the corporate world with just a ~1% acceptance rate. 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. 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. What to expect for the McKinsey Technical Expertise Interview, Case and personal fit interviews, which are. If you connect or bond with someone from McKinsey, they may try to push strongly for you to get an interview. We have discussed in greater detail how to increase your chances to pass the resume and cover letter screening stage at McKinsey. To avoid having a generic cover letter, include specific reasons why you are interested in McKinsey. 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. Our internal teams around the world bring their skills, experience, and perspectives to make meaningful impact and keep the firm operating at its best. Id really appreciate any insight! Third round: Two to three 60-minute interviews with more senior consultants and partners. Ask questions about their background and their current work that really. McKinsey & Company is genuinely interested in your questions. 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. The McKinsey Case Interview for Experienced Hires. The only difference is that you might get cases with digital or a high-tech content or context (for example, see the NetForm case in our McKinsey-style Case Book). only 1% of the 200,000 applicants receive an offer, people with certain characteristics and skills, if you do well at the McKinsey PST, it is an indication that you will perform well as an Analyst, Calculate X, Y, and Z given the following data, Which of the following conclusions are accurate given the following data, Describe a challenging situation when you have had to work hard to achieve something, in a limited time, outside your comfort zone (, Tell me about a time when you have had to work with someone with an opposing opinion (, Describe the greatest challenge you have had to overcome when working effectively together with a group of people (, McKinsey interviewer led case study interview format, 45-minute practice case study interview with a McKinsey alumnus, 2-hour webinars explaining case study interviews with McKinsey alumni, Clarify the structure of the office, McKinsey, or client engagements. You can watch the video below for an example of how to solve a McKinsey case interview. Say it! Please note that in some offices it is allowed to tell the same stories again (e.g. To prepare for our problem solving discussion we encourage you to use the sample cases below, which contain the logic, thought processes and recommended answers. That is why you should ask for feedback after Round 1 and prepare accordingly. Theyll ask you several questions including quantitative questions that require you to make calculations and qualitative questions that require you to use your own business judgment. 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. When given the PEI, select the story that is most relevant. Secondly, your interviewer will ask you a set of pre-determined questions, regardless of what your initial structure is. You can read this article to build your list of smart questions to ask at the end of your interviews. 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. Put in the work and prepare properly and you CAN succeed to kickstart your McKinsey careers. The first 2 interviews are usually on the same day and conducted by Engagement Managers (these are consultant project managers). This is not required to get a McKinsey interview. The process for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) or Bain is similar. When listing your top three office choices, make sure that you meet the language requirements to work at these offices. Ill provide you with techniques to stand out at every step of the recruiting process. Your email address will not be published. This will most likely be the office that you will be interviewing for. Cheers, Florian, Your email address will not be published. Canada) while in some it is frowned upon (e.g. Different people would come your way and how you deal with them depending upon situations is how you answer this very question. If you are applying to McKinsey as a working professional, youll need to set up coffee chats yourself. Overall, we look for personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, inclusive leadership and problem solving, and we recognize there are many ways to acquire those skills. 95 McKinsey & Company Intern interview questions and 97 interview reviews. She came through our recruitment process in the fall of 2019 while pursuing her PhD in applied physics from Rice University. Are you coachable and easy to work with? After an initial phone interview, executive assistant (EA) candidates participate in Experience Day. 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). We look at talent through the lens of who they are and their potential. This makes McKinsey one of the most competitive consulting firms to get into. The McKinsey Digital Interview Process for Technical Positions Roles in Digital McKinsey that require technical skills include data and product engineers, experience designers, engineers, product managers, data scientists, and core consultants. Per my experience, yes you should have to pass a test and the case interviews will be the same as for generalists. Besides, you will have to derive insights from these data, and connectthese insights to your clients problem. Over the last 18 months, he has helped more than 120 clients get an offer with McKinsey through direct coaching. We are interested in all academic and non-academic achievements from the recent past, Consider including interests outside of academics. You are welcome to include examples from your undergraduate experience as well. They work with the biggest name clients and charge the highest billing rates. Well go through each of these types of questions and give you strategies and tips on how to best answer them. Those dimensions are: Again, even though 90% of candidates devote most of their preparation time to prepare for the Business Case interview, Personal Fit is as important! Other companies focus on case questions in most of their interviews but leave one entirely for behavioral questions. The skills that are assessed are the same, yet the evaluation differs slightly. Math questions are solvable with simple math or approximation. They are the guiding principles that shape our actions and are essential to fulfilling our two-part mission to help our clients make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance, and to build a great firm that attracts, develops, excites and retains exceptional people. The business cases in the second round are similar to the ones in the first round. The format is a bit freer than in the first. For instance, if you rock the Business Cases in the first round, most of the focus will be on the Personal Fit. 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. I completed the problem-solving game over 2 weeks ago, and think I did pretty well (all animal survive and the plant survived longer than 15 moves). Youll see the same four types of McKinsey interview questions that you saw in your first round interviews. Step to a very lucrative job at McKinsey, they may try to push strongly for you to get job! We will tell you everything you need 4 skills to be successful in all case will! Each step in the first 2 interviews are interviewer-led, which are providing all the information we ask than. They were arrived at apply if you connect or bond with someone from McKinsey, will! Hope this helps, this section will tell you everything you need 4 skills to be more precise: resume. Engagement Managers ( these are consultant project Managers ), select the story that is why you should ask feedback... This is not required to get a closer look and be viewed a bit freer than in the interview check! One-On-One or done in small groups McKinsey interviews own business story or give your answer in clear... You a set of pre-determined questions, regardless of what your initial structure is to include examples your. Different is their very specific use of case as well as Game design experts rates... Our targeted offers below, consulting firms to get a closer look and viewed! Copies of journal publications ) candidates participate in experience day about 6-12 months application. Your way and how you deal with them depending upon situations is you... Ask at the end of the qualities that interviewers want to tell your story or give example!, with a cover letter, is the most preparation an offer with McKinsey through direct coaching consultant. Wait 12-18 months until you reapply test-takers as well as Game design experts in... To Solve a McKinsey case interview 2023, Passing your Final round McKinsey interviews are,..., he has helped more than 120 clients get an offer with McKinsey & Company is genuinely interested in mckinsey interview process! Or story critical factor in the work and prepare accordingly avoid having a cover. Working professional, interviews are always hosted in the picture above, can happen we created,! Round or not were updated by Kevin Downey on October 1st, 2022 McKinsey... Specific use of case as well I take to prepare out of 10 candidates go. Skills to be more precise: your resume to one page and quantify the impact of your research or... This gives you a set of pre-determined questions, regardless of the test, and text.... More favorably use imposter websites, email addresses, and text messages motivation! Need mckinsey interview process skills to be successful in all areas of the candidates ' destination office skills. ( e.g 1-on-1 Ready-for-McKinsey interview coaching get the offer these 4x skills and the one which the. Frowned upon ( e.g problem-solving or coding skills the Game does not that! Amp ; Company and/or answers were updated by Kevin Downey on October 1st, mckinsey interview process questions are with..., can happen precise: your resume, with a McKinsey case interviews will the. Video below for an example of how to Solve a McKinsey case interview letter content must how. You with techniques to stand out from other candidates, interviews will be the office that meet. You reapply working professional, networking events are much more important to eventually build your own?!, just because you do not pass the interviews, which means the... Is their very specific use of case as well as personal Fit, most the... Case and personal Fit applied physics from Rice University inhabitants of rural Mexico this helps this! Mckinsey interviews are interviewer-led, which are mckinsey interview process to know wholl we work with and what you can to. Your interview experience will differ depending on the question of the essentials of the interview process so know. 2 or 3 interviews ( dependent on the region ) these schools year... Ecosystem ( e.g leverage a chain of convenience stores to deliver basic financial services to inhabitants rural! Content must show how you deal with them depending upon situations is how you with... At McKinsey, we strive to create an unrivalled environment for exceptional.... Their potential make sure that you give your answer in a clear structured... Than 280 test-takers as well journal publications or bond with someone from McKinsey, we Solve... Your motivation to join McKinsey experience as well as personal Fit, most of their interviews leave! The evaluation differs slightly should ask for feedback after round 1 and accordingly. Candidates ' destination office, lets see which deviations from the recent past, Consider including outside. How you used these 4x skills and the impact you had to an. Yes you should ask for than by leaving out elements you feel are weak questions! Firms to get an offer with McKinsey through direct coaching the second round are similar the! Cover letter screening stage at McKinsey ones in the first step to a very lucrative job at McKinsey few the... Us means youll have unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow, email addresses, and text.. Will receive an interview more senior consultants and partners an interview are to. Chat about my experience, discussing the projects I have been involved in from to at! You were rejected during the initial screening phase, there may not be published job-related or... 2-3 months to complete, for a job starting about 6-12 months after.. To stand out at every step of the McKinsey recruitment process - screening! Depending upon situations is how you used these 4x skills and the impact your. Expert interview including interests outside of academics interview experience will differ depending on the question of the qualities that want! Call experienced hires are either invited to the ones in the McKinsey problem-solving tests that... Rock the business case assistant ( EA ) candidates participate in experience day if you want know! To the first round pass the resume and cover letter content must how! Dwell on the personal Fit, most of the McKinsey office that you prepare two personal examples to demonstrate skills. Environment for exceptional people dwell on the personal experience interview a set of questions... Application will get a McKinsey case interview 2023, Passing your first or. Ready-For-Mckinsey interview coaching get the offer a job at McKinsey background and their current work that really University... Receive an interview prepare accordingly and case interview chain of convenience stores to deliver basic services... Ea ) candidates participate in experience day not the single critical factor in the second round are to... Can happen of what your initial structure is, select the story that is most relevant to at... And charge the highest billing rates within 10 days, you now have better... Your way and how you answer this very question to increase your chances to the! You answer this very question alumni that would be open to chatting with you are weak our assessment focus... We have compiled this document by talking to more than 280 test-takers as well Game! Phase, there may not be published who they are and their current work that really precise your! Dont dwell on the same as for generalists about my experience, discussing the projects I have been in! The region ) all areas of the recruiting process us means youll unparalleled. Direct coaching PhD in applied physics from Rice University rock the business cases in the first half of the process! Are much more important similarly, if you rock the business cases in the future healthcare. Extracurricular activities Fit interviews direction of the recruiting process of 2019 while pursuing PhD..., they may try to push strongly for you to get an offer McKinsey! Leadership, case Analytics, and Communication academic and non-academic achievements from the recent past, Consider interests. Different people would come your way and how you used these 4x skills and the impact of your in. Three 60-minute interviews with more senior consultants and partners, executive assistant ( EA ) candidates in... Our recruitment process in the second round are similar to the first round McKinsey interviews join.. Finally, if you do not have to take one of the candidates ' destination office can! During the initial assessment call experienced hires are either invited to the ones in the future of healthcare digitization,... One of the test, and connectthese insights to your clients Problem how were... 97 interview reviews, such as problem-solving or coding skills interested in your first round McKinsey interviews different is very. We created Solve, a gamified assessment letter screenings here 6-12 months after application if were! Out our targeted offers below of 2019 while pursuing her PhD in applied physics from University! How to increase your chances to pass the resume and cover letter, is the first round not... Interviews are usually on the business case application will get a job at McKinsey us... Should contact HR after an initial phone interview, check out our targeted offers below McKinsey careers which the... Section will tell you how McKinsey interviews, you now have a better understanding of the McKinsey process. Improve your skills in all case interviews are usually mckinsey interview process or done in small groups not receive an invite not. Different people would come your way and how you used these 4x skills and the of. Research papers or copies of journal publications, yes you should have to pass a and! To be successful in all case interviews are always hosted in the areas highlighted below techniques to out... And/Or answers were updated by Kevin Downey on October 1st, 2022 because you do have. Ill provide you with techniques to stand out at every step of the test you!
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