Hi everyone,
I’d really appreciate your perspective on my situation.
I left my role in marketing last October (+3 years of experience) to prepare applications for an MSc in Strategy (GMAT, essays, etc.) with the goal of pivoting into strategy consulting. Unexpectedly, I was invited to interview at McKinsey for a Junior Associate role in the Marketing & Sales practice.
I spent about a month preparing cases and went through the interviews in January. The feedback I received was very positive regarding personal fit and overall structuring, but I was rejected before the second round mainly due to numerical accuracy during the cases. They encouraged me to reapply next year and included me in the “Keep in Touch” program.
Since then, I’ve been reflecting on the best path forward and would really value advice from people who have gone through similar situations.
A few questions I have:
- How meaningful is the McKinsey “Keep in Touch” program in practice, and what would be the best way to maintain the relationship with the firm over the next year?
- Given a background in strategic marketing, is an MBA really necessary to break into generalist strategy consulting, or would it make sense to keep applying as an experienced hire?
- What consulting firms (besides MBB) tend to value profiles coming from marketing strategy and could be realistic targets?
- I currently have around a 4-month gap since leaving my previous role while preparing for graduate applications and consulting interviews. How is this typically perceived by consulting firms, and how would you recommend positioning it?
- I’m also considering targeting corporate strategy / strategy & operations roles in the meantime. Would this be a strong stepping stone into consulting later on, and what types of companies or roles should I focus on?
- Finally, I’m considering doing volunteer work during the next months while exploring opportunities. Is this generally viewed positively by consulting firms if positioned correctly?
Thanks in advance for any insights.
