Disclosing health issues in interview

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about the past health issues. 

If it's within the context of a PEI story and is meant to reflect the dimensions that the PEI is testing, then it makes sense. 

Otherwise, it might come across as gratuitous. 

Btw, for the PEI, you might find this useful:

• Video Course: Master the McKinsey PEI

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

I’m sorry to hear about your experiences with cancer. This is obviously something that has a severe impact on someone’s life and it often changes one’s overall perspective.

It is part of your past and therefore part of who you are today. I think you can talk about it if an interviewer presses you about your biggest challenge in life or some permutation of that question. I would otherwise not bring it up proactively because your health history isn’t really anyone’s business. Plus some people might react awkwardly when confronted with such serious topics. Now this is not your fault, but just something to be aware of.

Best of luck 

Hi there,

I am sorry to hear about the health issue. In terms of your question:

Q: Is it good, bad, or irrelevant to mention that you are a cancer survivor in your MBB interview?

If the experience allows you to answer properly the fit question asked, then you could use it. If you have a better story or the experience doesn’t answer properly the fit question, I would not mention it.

Good luck!

Francesco

It always depends on how you frame it. If you are volunteering that information, I guess you would be doing that in the context of storytelling and selling something about you (which is not the cancer itself, but either how it changed your perspective, or what your attitude during that period tells about you).

Hi,

I have the utmost respect for people who have survived cancer, and I cannot imagine what it must be like, but for me, I personally would only include it insofar as it helps to add an angle to potentially the motivation / personal motivation types of questions.

Otherwise, I would still suggest to prepare professional type questions to answer the themes that firms will ask for - which are really trying to understand how you operate in a professional context. 

Hi there,

Certainly sounds like a powerful experience to share. If done right (challenge, initiative, change, etc.) then it could absolutely be a strong story to use.