Feedback from actual MBB consultant was very positive, can I trust him on this?

Hi!

Unfortunately these sessions scheduled by MBB firms are usually of very limited use for assessing whether you are “offer-ready”. 

Firstly, the primary task of these consultants is to make sure that a candidate knows what to expect and doesn't sit in the interview, not even knowing what a “case” is. This would be a waste of resources for the firm. 

Secondly (and more importantly), these calls are usually done by very junior consultants who are not trained interviewers and who are just extrapolating “what worked for them” to you. This is a BIG problem and leads to structural misguidance which many applicants unfortunately receive. In fact, for very well prepared candidates these “coaching calls" by the firms oftentimes feel a bit disturbing. E.g., many of my mentees came back to me and said that they felt that they were far more advanced in case solving and problem structuring than the MBB consultant that they talked to. And usually I just tell them to ignore whatever feedback they received and stick to what they have learned. This then very predictably leads to success in the actual interviews.

Cheers, Sidi

Hi there,

I have to agree with Sidi. Strongly!

In all the interview workshops I attended for McKinsey (both from the outside as an aspiring candidate, and on the inside as an in-house consultant supporting Recruiting), I found the instructional modules (both for the PST and the simulated cases) to be abbreviated, simplified, and not a reliable approximation of what a candidate might actually face. I have repeatedly echoed to my own coaching cohort the same counsel that Sidi gave: it's great you attended an instructional session and got several pats on the back, but don't let those pats lull you into complacence or a false sense of achievement.

Further, as others have said, do take your coaches at their word. However, I would addd that you be your own best critic (and skeptic), because why?

Coaches may hedge on providing overly critical feedback for a number of valid, and not-so-valid, reasons:

I - they don't want to demotivate or demoralise a borderline candidate who, with the right psyching, could go on to improve. Why be the a$$hole who talks Cinderella out of going to the ball if, with a few cosmetic tricks and a banging fairy godmother, she has it in her to snag the prince?

II - like many of us (and I encountered this quite a bit during my time at McKinsey), people shy away from shoving bad news at you…especially when they're face-to-face. It takes guts and integrity to deliver brutally honest feedback consistentl and constructively and not everyone has this.

III - it can be good business to deliver encouraging feedback to turn a one-time client into a recurring one. I am not at all saying this is the case in your scenario…or with our excellent colleagues on PrepLounge some of whom I know personally…but, by being your own best critic and an eternal sceptic (without devolving into the irredeemable cynic), you will perfect the art of putting feedback into context and separating the wheat from the chaff.

All the best to you, mate.

Hi there,

When I was a McKinsey case coach I always used to frame everything as encouragement (here are the 3 things you did amazing at, here are 3 things you could improve) vs. when I would give friends practice cases where I would be v frank and open. 

So whilst I would still take the positive feedback at face value, I would also not rest on your laurels and keep practicing/casing. 

It may also be worth getting a former consultant to give you their opinion on how you case (either from your network or from this platform) as they would have 0 bias. 

Happy to jump on a quick call to discuss further if useful 

Hello,

Take them at their word! They don't have a direct interest in your recruiting process, but they also have no interest in withholding valuable feedback from you. This isn't necessarily to say that your casing is foolproof, but it seems like you performed quite will in this practice case. Take their comment about the 1 minor thing on board, and keep practicing. Best of luck for your interview!

Hi,

You should assume he is being honest with you, that is for sure. I have been in his position myself and also in the interviewer position.

The things you need to have in mind though are:

- He might not have a big sample to compare your performance with. Probably this consultant had not an extensive exposure to other people solving this case as the actual interviewer would do. This makes a significant difference.

- He might not be looking for the same things the actual interviewer will be looking for as he may not know the exact criteria by which candidates are evaluated

- He may just not be so good at giving feedbacks (or identifying development points)

So, do not be so skeptical about the feedback, but take it as a sign you are in the right direction!

Do not hesitate in reaching out if you want to discuss more and have a good prep! =)

Hi there, 

Yes, do take it with a pinch of salt. 

I would say that the consultant who gives you the practice test has no incentive to be super straightforward. That doesn't mean they will be dishonest, but they might not go into a lot of detail as to what is the gap that you need to close and how. Get a coach for that. 

Best,

Cristian

These interviews are there to give you a “feel” of what an interview looks like, and possible a high-level assessment of your performance. 

But these are not coaching sessions. They will not provide you with high quality feedback (they don't have the training, the skill nor the time to do it). Moreover, they also want recruiting to be a positive experience - meaning that they will not necessarily be completely honest with you…

So you should take it as just another datapoint.

The fact that it was positive is a good sign overall. Other than that your assessment is right that they are not the end interviewer in fact they may not even be interview trained and are only there to give overall guidance and not necessarily specific feedback.

The quality of the feedback provided in these sessions really varies and depends a lot on how invested the person giving the feedback is in you. 

So to answer your overall question - it is a good sign however it usually does not paint a complete picture and you will be much better off asking a coach or someone who got an offer from McKinsey for a more detailed and accurate picture.

Best,
Udayan

Hi there,

I would echo the answers of the others.

This isn't an attempt at up-selling, but if you really want to be sure and maximize your odds, the most objective/unbaised, and direct feedback you can get is going to be from a coach (especially if you prime them beforehand and say “please be harsh and call out everything”)

Hey there,

To keep it short:

As a directional feedback, you can take it. 

However, those interview coaches do not have the actual interviewer training and do not know more about the recruiting and interview process than any other consultant in the firm.

As a result, their input and advice benefit specifically low performers who have not prepared (well). If you are actively preparing for case interviews, their feedback is, unfortunately, of very limited use.

If you want to learn more about the McKinsey interviews, have a look at the articles I wrote for PrepLounge:

How to approach the McKinsey Case Interview

How to master the McKinsey Personal Experience Interview

Cheers,

Florian