If you were recruited by McKinsey for an experienced hire associate hire role, with no formal education or prior experience casing, and you only had a month until your R1 interview, how would you prepare?

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

Hi, 

If I had one month as an experienced hire with no prior casing, I’d focus on three things:

1. Business Foundations (Week 1): Learn core casing skills, which includes structuring, hypothesis-driven thinking, and consulting math and become acquainted with basic frameworks. Understand McKinsey’s interviewer-led format so you know what to expect (BCG and Bain are interviewee-led).

2. Practice intensively (Weeks 2–3): Prioritize live cases over theory. I'd aim for 2 cases per day, so that you can have ~28 cases with peers and coaches. Track your weaknesses and improve systematically. Simultaneously, you should prepare strong PEI stories (leadership, impact, resilience) using a clear framework like STAR, while also sounding conversational and natural.

3. Refinement (Week 4): Do full mock interviews combining PEI + case under time pressure. Focus on iteration, not perfection—showing structured thinking, composure, and clear communication matters.

With discipline, one month is tight but possible.

Hey there :)

With just a month, I’d focus on three things: first, get very comfortable with case structure by working through 1–2 high quality prep books and practicing daily. Second, do as many live cases as possible with peers or coaches to build speed and comfort with math and communication. Third, prepare your personal fit/PEI stories early so you’re not scrambling last minute. Even without prior casing background, four weeks of very focused, consistent practice can get you ready if you’re disciplined.

best,
Alessa :)