How does McKinsey’s program for annual leave work? Do they have specific days allocated, or is it flexible? I’ve already planned a 7-day trip in March and I’m not sure what to do. Should I bring this up with them or consider cancelling?

Hi there, 

This is somewhat dependent on which office of McKinsey you are employed with. 

For example, in the Nordics, McKinsey is quite strict on consultants taking 4/6 weeks of vacation in July/August (since most clients do the same).
However, in some other offices, they have no restrictions like this.

In general, McKinsey is quite flexible with annual leave (more than most corporates), because they most early consultants are thankfully quite interchangeable. That said, your office may have very high demand leading up to or during March, which might trigger them to try to talk you out of the vacation.

My recommendation:

I would definitely bring this up - they won't get mad or be offended. It's likely you'll just get a YES! Worst case scenario, they'll try to talk you out of it, and then you can either try to push back politely, or agree and cancel.

Personally, I would typically just push back. Vacation is important to maintain your energy levels and your mental health, and sometimes it's very needed. I've never gotten in trouble myself for pushing quite hard on going on vacations during the times of my own choosing, although I've had to "fight" for it a few times.

Hope this helps!

Thor

Hi there,

You should let your PD know of those dates, and when you're looking for a study, you should let leadership know of those dates and make sure that they're OK with it. If you're transparent with the dates and you can get on a study, then it shouldn't be a problem.

If keeping the 7-day trip risks you being on a beach for an extended period of time (e.g. you talked to a few studies and they can't staff you because of those dates) and potentially have a negative impact on your performance (especially if you're just starting and utilization has been growingly important in MBB), then I suggest you consider cancelling.

Don't cancel before discussing with them. Usually they can staff you around those dates (starting before your vacation and starting afterwards) or put you in a longer project, where being out for 7 days (usually, starting 7 days after everyone else) won't be an issue. 

Hi there,

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

• First of all, I would strongly advise you to first focus on securing the McKinsey offer before pondering your vacation.
• Moreover, in general, if they make you an offer, it is unlikely to be an issue if you planned this vacation in advance, depending on the local vacation policies.

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 for your upcoming McKinsey interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen