MBB interview

It happens - its more a matter of scheduling and availability etc. and not a reflection of anything else.

All the best,
Udayan

Hi there,

I would say that it's not typical, but not unheard of either. 

In terms of any material difference, I don't see it. Senior interviewers and junior interviewers might conduct themselves differently, but the outcomes in terms of hire/no hire recommendation are pretty consistent. I saw this at McKinsey, where I was part of the recruiting team and experienced this first-hand.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

this is perfectly normal, I did interview both 1st and 2nd round as associate partner. 

Best of luck,

Yours Frederic 

Hi there,

Thanks for the question. You are right - normally Partner interviews are the final round/decision round interviews.

The titling can be confusing, Associate Partner is actually not an equity partner - it is the role/position before equity partner, in essence a ‘senior Principal’. Here are the titles for MBB at the Partner role and the role before that

• McKinsey: Associate Partner → Partner (equity partner)
• Bain: Associate Partner → Partner (equity partner)
• BCG: Partner → Managing Director & Partner (equity partner)

Hope this helps to clarify.

Hi there,

It is a common practice for Associate partners to conduct the first round interviews and then the Partners would conduct the final second round interview.

Best,

Lilit

Hi there,

Neither normal nor abnormal - it just is!

Don't read into it at all. It's who they have/want to interview and i has nothing at all to do with you. Nothing changes - as always, go in being flexible/agile/adaptable and not expecting any one thing!

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case
 

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/dos-and-donts-in-a-case-interview
 

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/candidate-led-cases-what-to-expect-and-example-cases

Hi there!

This can happen sometimes. Don't read too much into it. 

It's often because of availability issues - meaning all the Associates were staffed and super busy and a Partner was kind enough to offer. 

The evaluation process remains the same. There are a couple of things though to look out for when having senior interviewers. Here they are:

1. Expect less structure. Senior interviewers already have the confidence that you are a decent candidate, your skills having been already vetted by their younger colleagues. They are rather more interested in your as a person and your way of thinking. So they might present you with an unusual case, or one that is created on the spot or no case altogether. Expect anything.
2. Focus on excellent communication. Senior interviewers care a lot about how clearly you communicate and how you manage to forge a connection with the interviewer. It's important to be top-down and concise as much as possible with your answers, while allowing the conversation to flow in a natural way.
3. Put yourself in their shoes. The one question senior interviewers are asking themselves throughout the interview is what will happen when they'll put you in front of a client they've groomed for years? Make sure that even based on this first impression you seem somebody who can be trusted and who can work with any client regardless of how difficult they might be.

Best of luck!
Cristian

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Hi there,

For me it was the same as Frederic. I've done 1st and 2nd round interviews as Associate Partner at McKinsey. This usually happens to accelerate the recruiting process based on interviewer's availability.

The process and what you can expect is exactly the same as any other 1st round interview done by an Associate or Engagement Manager.

Good luck!

Alberto

Hi there,

Q: Was wondering if it is normal that an Associate partner is interviewing me on my first round at an MBB - as I thought partner interviews were happening during round 2. 

Having principals/partners in round one is rare but might happen sometimes in consulting interviews. Most likely it is simply due to the availability of the team.

Good luck!

Francesco