Experienced hire

Question

Hello everyone, I’ve seen a lot of great questions and answers about experienced hires with McKinsey on this forum, and they’ve all been fantastic. One in particular stood out to me that I’d really like more insight on. I’m currently an Executive Director working in the public sector space, and I recently secured a meeting this Friday with a partner in my home city’s McKinsey office. This partner also works directly in the public sector space, so this feels like a great step forward.My question is: How should I approach this meeting? I’ve seen a range of advice from simply listening and networking to listening , networking and possibly asking for a referral at the end if the conversation goes well. Which strategy is best? Also as for the public sector practice does anyone know what they look for in expirence hires in this space?

I understand that each office is different, so any insight specifically related to U.S.-based offices would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

I am an experienced hire myself at McKinsey so totally get where you are coming from.

I just double checked the policy. One thing you might want to clear out is if it is conflicted to refer you to McKinsey as you are a senior at a client.

Also we are not incentivized to refer a client because it is considered McKinsey's own network rather than the employee's network.

However, I was referred by a junior from a McKinsey's client. So it still can work. What you prob need to do is to understand if it is conflicted and also show your interest in working at McKinsey. I think there is nothing to hide about your interest working there.

Good luck and reach out if you need other help.

Answer 2

Hey, that sounds like a great first step.

I think the best approach is to ask the questions you are genuinely interested in. That being said, it could be good to ask about:

the kind of work the Partner does, since that'll be a good indicator of what your future role would look like
what they are most excited about in the public sector practice, as a way to build rapport
how the Partner views your profile, i.e., within McK's public sector practice, where could you fit in?

I would caution against asking directly for a referral. Perhaps better to hint at it a bit obliquely. Partners are incentivised to bring in experienced hire talent, so if they're excited about you and you hint at it, they'll likely suggest a referral.

In terms of what they look for in an experienced hire, it's broadly the same across all practices:

leadership experience in other organizations
deep sectoral or functional expertise
strong network (which you will leverage to convert into projects)
proven problem-solving and delivery acumen

Let me know if helpful to talk.

Answer 3

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I would strongly advise you to reflect on your true intention behind scheduling the meeting with this specific partner. Doing so will help you determine the best course of action.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming McKinsey pre-interview assessment and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 4

I like the positive, appreciative, excited vibe! Even just bringing this into the conversation goes a long way.

Therefore, the advice on what to do should be closely tied to what you want to achieve from the meeting. What is that in your case?

For sure, since you're also rather senior in your role, you should approach the discussion with openness, but on an equal footing. Try to get a sense of what sort of opportunities there could be with you in the firm, and try to understand more about what the day-to-day work looks like (and feels like for that respective Partner).

I would also recommend that you try to have several of these discussions with other Partners as well.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

If i were you, I'd go in to the meeting with ~2-3 key questions that I really want to find out that you can't get information on in the internet.

Then, I'd let the Partner also lead/guide agenda.. they may have something they want to discuss and maybe that takes up all the time.

I wouldn't bring up referrals at this stage but if it is explicitly clear this meeting is about potential openings then I think its fine to ask about the team structure and whether they are looking to build.

Eventually to succeed on the job you may want to read my article on How to succeed as an Experienced Hire

Answer 6

hi!

Sounds like a great opportunity! For your meeting, approach it as a genuine conversation, not a pitch—be curious, ask about the partner’s work in the public sector, and share your own experience naturally when it fits. If the chemistry is good and the discussion flows well, it’s completely fine to express your interest in joining and ask if they’d be open to supporting your application.

For U.S. public sector roles, McKinsey looks for deep domain expertise, leadership in complex stakeholder environments, and the ability to translate strategy into impact—your background as an Executive Director is very relevant. They value strategic thinking, client impact, and adaptability above all.

Happy to help you prep more specifically ahead of Friday if helpful!

Best,
Alessa :)