How to prepare for upcoming McK and BCG interviews? Germany / Full-Time Entry Role

To start from the bottom, yes, hiring has been reduced significantly. Though not only in Germany, throughout the industry. It's a rather quiet time now. 

In terms of your interview prep, what you did sounds good, but it also sounds like what 80% of people do. 

Without knowing where you are (i.e., seeing you in a mock interview), it's impossible to tell what you should focus on next because I have no idea of your current baseline. 

The least I would do, though, as a next step, is to run a couple of practice cases with senior consultants (if you have the contacts) or with an expert. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

You can go to a tennis court and hit a tennis ball + play with friends, but that doesn't necessarily mean you are ready.

Or, you might be ready.

We don't know.

You've taken the “steps” required. But, quality matters too.

If you're asking whether you've done anything wrong - nope, you're good!

If you're asking if you're ready and need to do more? Probably. But none of us can tell you that unless we actually do a mock interview with you!

I do think you'll appreciate this article though (on what canddiates usually do wrong):

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation

And the do's and dont's:
 

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

And further reading here:

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

Hi there,

Very tricky to evaluate from the outside-in.

Having done X does not tell us anything but being proficient in Y would be the correct way to approach this assessment.

I have seen candidates do 100 practice cases and then perform horribly same as I have seen some without case practice who are naturally inclined problem solvers and get an intrinsically high score in the first mock interview already.

If you want an honest perspective, the only way to get that is through a coach with interview experience who knows what is evaluated and how.

For McKinsey, please do not forget the PEI prep as well which is very different from what you have listed.

• McKinsey Case Interview
• Personal Experience Interview

All the best,

Florian

You mentioned the process. But it is not about the process, but rather how strong your answers are; how capable you are of solving cases, etc.

So to answer your question, you are covering all of the interview dimensions. If you are well prepared, impossible to say.

P.S. Yes, recruiting reduced dramatically.

The process you have described can be enough for some candidates to pass interviews and far from enough for others. Everyone has different needs and times for interview preparation.

Get a coach with real interview experience. He/she can quickly tell you how far or close you are from getting an offer and help you with your weaker areas.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hi there,

Q: Have I missed anything - is there anything else I should prepare? What do candidates usually get wrong?  

There are a few things that are not clear from your list that you might want to consider if not done already: 

1. Prepare for non-leadership PEI question for McKinsey (there are 4 dimensions tested and inclusive leadership is just one of them)
2. Have a tracking sheet for mistakes and understand which ones you are repeating, if any
3. Secure referrals after networking
4. Prepare a solid CV/Cover
5. Receive feedback from reliable sources that the performance in fit/case is good (not all peers might have a proper understanding of the benchmark for a good performance)

In terms of what exactly you should do to improve, it is difficult to assess without more information/ a mock. 

Good luck!

Francesco