Interview prep in 10 days - it is possible!!

Question

I've recently gotten an offer to join McKinsey as a business analyst. I received the interview invite 10 days before the first interview and had never done any consulting case prep before (Case or PEI). I was also working full-time during this time.

I posted a post here titled "Guidance for prep for McKinsey interview in 1 week" on October 17th and received a lot of disheartening comments from coaches. Most said it would not be possible and some were downright rude about it. Many of those same coaches then messaged me saying it could be done with their help... I wanted to make this post to tell anyone in a similar situation that you can do it!!

Now I will note that this is not optimal and the earlier you start the better. This does not mean that all hope is lost. I didn't end up getting a coach and managed to do 10 practice live cases before the first interview. Happy to share my process with anyone in a similar situation!

Answer 1

Amazing well done!!! What was your strategy for this? I am in similar position but with less time.

Answer 2

Congrats on your offer.

On your previous experience, sorry you felt it was negative. I think many coaches are responding based on the average. If we just take a look at the statistics, an overwhelming majority of people dont get the offer.

To be fair, I do think there is a lot of hardselling here on the forums, so it's great that you are encouraging people to take things with a pinch of salt. My belief, and also a PSA - you don't need a coach, you need to demonstrate the skills required in the interview. If you can get there by yourself (e.g. like you, or myself who didnt have a coach), you don't need a coach. But the numbers show that most people who try by themselves don't get there. End of the day its an individual choice, as long as we are cognizant of the trade-offs, that's what matters.

Answer 3

Congratulations!!! I love that you shared this story here to encourage folks in similar situations to get after it and make it happen.

Answer 4

Congrats! Well deserved :-)

Answer 5

Congratulations on getting the offer! Trust me, it’s not something everyone can achieve on such short notice—you should be proud.

Best,

Alberto

Answer 6

We all love a good success story! Congratulations there!

This is a special result and something you should be extremely proud of yourself for achieving! Wow

:-)