Does essay writing help with consulting interview communication?

Hi Caleb,

That's a thoughtful question!

Consulting interviews could indeed feel like story-telling or essays, but not quite in the conventional sense I would say. Let me explain why.

I'll share my perspective based - firstly on my own experience from back when I was a candidate (preparing for my McKinsey interviews) and then based on what I have seen as a McKinsey recruiter (watching what great candidates consistently do well!). Some thoughts below:
     
(A) "Top-down / answer-first" always wins!: Yes interviews might feel like an essay, but not quite in the conventional style of story-telling. Because here your stories would go "top-down / answer-first". This can feel uncomfortable at first, but that's a skill you will perfect in consulting. If I were to look back at my 7 years at McKinsey, this is probably the foremost skill that makes you sought-after at the Firm. McKinsey colleagues highly value their time, so there's nothing more appealing than a young consultant who goes "answer-first", before diving into the details.

(B) "Start with an executive version of your story": It is always a great idea to start with a 45-second version of your story first, before going into the details of the story itself. You will magically see that the audience now has an overall understanding of the scope, scale, context and idea about what is to follow. And that creates trust in the listener. Once you've got their attention, of course the good-old STAR is a nice framework to describe the details of your story. But remember - you've already caught their attention and won lots of brownie points with an "executive summary" version upfront!

(C) "Brevity - less is more!": Brevity is great, especially when you can still share an impactful and powerful story. This is where preparation helps! Think through your story deeply. Think about the questions that your listeners might ask. Think about your responses to those questions. Think of their counter-questions. And their counter-counter questions. Now jot all of this down and weave into a powerful overall narrative, but just with the right amount of details only. The rest of the layers of your story should unfold as your interviewer probes you further. Remember, the goal here is not to memorize and deliver. However, when you have thought through deeply about your story, it helps you to stay calm, be succinct, sharp and to the point!

(D) "Be prepared to be challenged": Remember that your McKinsey personal interviewers will likely interject your story and cut you off. Many times. And that is normal. It is important to stay in that moment, reflect on their question, pause and respond with a well-thought through answer (you have to resist the temptation to say the first thing that pops up in your mind!). A well-thought through structured answer wins everyday, over a spontaneous laundry list!

(E) "Take a pause!": You might be comfortable asking for a quick timeout at various points of your case interview. By all means, do not hesitate to do the same for your personal experience interview as well! Pausing is a great way for you to quickly reflect, gather your thoughts and come back with a structured well thought-through answer!

Hope that gives you food for thought and actionable steps, as you prepare for your consulting interviews :) Wishing you the best!

Hi Caleb
Great question!

I like where your head is at with this question  - essays and consulting storytelling have the overlap of structure for sure - but I would lean that consulting storytelling much more succinct and typically starting with the problem and answer directly following only then going into more details vs the traditional essay structure of intro, body 1, body 2, body 3 and conclusion.

Essentially that "conclusion" piece needs to be presented at the beginning in the form of an executive summary.

For interview specifics the main elements you will want to consider are:
-Structure (including categorizing your thoughts, speaking top down etc.)
-Confidence (clear verbal skills, eye contact)
-Open to coaching (if interviewer tries steering you - you take the hint professionally and go there)
-Making educated assumptions based on data rather than asking further questions

In summary :) they are the same that structure is KEY but the way that structure is presented is different.

Happy to discuss further if helpful!

That's an incredibly perceptive observation, and you've hit on one of the core differences between a good candidate and a great candidate. The skills absolutely transfer, but not in the way most people assume.

The structure, conciseness, and logical flow you practice in high-level analytical writing (like prepping policy briefs or academic essays) is fundamentally the Pyramid Principle. You are training your mind to identify the main conclusion, support it with key arguments, and substantiate those arguments with evidence. This translates perfectly to the interview setting, making your "Why consulting?" narrative sound like a well-researched argument, not just a list of random achievements. This intellectual discipline is a huge advantage and gives you the blueprint for structuring every answer.

However, the major strategic challenge is speed. Writing allows for revision, deleting weak points, and polishing language—you get to hide the messiness of the early drafts. The consulting interview demands that you generate that polished structure live and verbally under pressure. You don't get the luxury of a second draft. The best next step is not writing more essays, but transitioning that structured thinking into an immediate oral habit.

Focus on practicing the verbal signposting: explicitly stating your structure ("I have three key reasons for that," or "My approach involves analyzing the market first, then the operational levers"), sticking to that structure ruthlessly, and using concise language that signals when you are transitioning to the next point. If you already have the structure down from your writing practice, all you need to do is speed up the presentation layer.

Hope it helps!

Hi Caleb,

Yes, there’s a strong overlap. Essay writing builds the same core skills interviewers look for in consulting interviews: structuring thoughts logically, making clear arguments, and communicating concisely. Those habits translate directly into clearer case structuring, more coherent explanations, and better synthesis when speaking.

That said, interviews add time pressure and verbal delivery, so essay skills help most when combined with practice thinking and structuring out loud. Many candidates find that strong writing makes it easier to be MECE and top-down in interviews, even if they still need to practice verbal fluency.

Best,
Evelina

hey Caleb :)

I would say no, not directly. Essay writing trains polished and linear thinking, but consulting interviews are about thinking out loud in real time, being flexible, reacting to new information and structuring on the fly under pressure. The overlap is smaller than it seems, and many great writers struggle in cases while strong case performers are not necessarily strong essay writers. Practicing live structuring, synthesis and verbal clarity is much more effective than writing essays. Happy to dive deeper if you want.

best,
Alessa :)