Junior Associate - Mckinsey

Question

Hello everyone,

Last year I had applied for the BA position at Mck but got rejected at the CV screening stage.

This time I have more than 2 years of experience and I have spoken to HR and she told me to apply for the JA position. I have a referral from the Engagement Manager. She asked me for the top 3 office preferences (seems like she is going to refer me from the portal). Does it really count as a referral or should I network and go for partner referral?

I have passed the CV screening stage for Bain and BCG this time. I have done only minor changes in terms of extracurricular activities in my CV. While networking with senior people at Mck some of them liked my profile and some of them did not.

EM at Mck liked my profile and she is from the same university as I am.

I am super confused as to what should I do?

Answer 1

Hey there,

EM referral works just fine.

When re-applying, you need to show improvements in some of the areas:

Work
Academia
Extracurriculars
Experience abroad

Make sure to highlight the changes and reframe them compared to your last application to show your development in these areas and you should be fine.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 2

If you are not in a rush to apply - I would strongly recommend to first take some time with coach to:

Improve your CV to bring out the best in your profile in an even better way
Work on improving your presentation skills and personality skills that will help you leave a better impression on the McK guys

Answer 3

Hi there,

It sounds like you have a referral from the EM.

Now, before you apply, it's worth having a session with a coach to 1) Assess/improve your Resume + Cover Letter to make sure it's optimal and 2) Assess your casing to make sure you're ready in case they look to interview you quickly

Good luck!

Answer 4

Hi there,

In general the higher the referral, the better. If you have an option to get a partner referral, then go for it, otherwise you can apply with the EM referral.

It seems your CV is good (you passed the screening with BCG and Bain) but may need some reviews (you said some people at McK didn’t like your profile). It could make sense to get some additional feedback on the improvement parts before formally applying from a current or former consultant.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 5

It's not an official referral per se but you have essentially landed on the same outcome where you have a recruiter who is personally aware of your profile. I would just take her guidance and apply.

Answer 6

Hi, EM referral is more than enough :)

Best,
Antonello

Answer 7

I would also advise to just go ahead and apply - though networking with partners would certainly also be helpful more generally.