I landed a McKinsey offer after applying to 200+ jobs, even though I had no MBA and came from a traditional data science background. I only realized I needed to prepare for a case interview after passing two screening rounds, just two weeks before my first official round.
My situation back then:
- No one around me knew how to do case interviews
- No case partners readily available
- No prior casing experience
- Non-MBA, data scientist background
The results:
- Passed McKinsey interviews with feedback like “one of the strongest candidates I’ve interviewed”
- Received an offer after five rounds (screenings + case + technical + official rounds)
My recommended approach (if you’re short on time):
- (2 days) Build understanding: Cover the basics of case interviews—books/materials like Victor Cheng are great starters.
- (3–4 days) Get comfortable doing cases: At least one per day, starting with simpler ones to learn the rhythm.
- (1 day) Calibrate with a coach: After ~1 week of self-prep, work with a coach to identify strengths/weaknesses and design a focused prep plan.
- (3 weeks) Practice consistently: Continue daily cases. Meet with your coach once a week to stay calibrated and sharpen weak areas (e.g., math, frameworks, structuring). Unless the candidate wants a lot of hands-on coaching, I personally don't recommend the coaching frequency to be more than once a week due to the natural pace of improvement. But I will be available for ad-hoc questions throughout the journey
I know the process can feel overwhelming, especially without a strong support system. I’d be happy to offer a free intro session to learn more about your unique situation and share how I can help you prepare with confidence.
Best,
Han
