Mckinsey Application - How Important is an advanced degree?

Hey there,

I live in the Middle East and have a lot of friends in consulting, McKinsey included. There are plenty of candidates who join as Associates without an MBA. So as long as you have enough work experience and can demonstrate good performance during interveiws you should be good. If your interveiw performance was subpar for what they are looking for in Associates, they might offer you a Junior Associate position. This isn't the end of the world, and in 6 to 12 months if you do well you'd be pushed to an Associate.

I had a friend who worked at one of the other MBBs for a year and half with only an undergrad degree and they were invited to interview for an Associate/Jr. Associate position at Mck. So an MBA is not the only way.

Hope this helps :) Good Luck!

There are many people who join as associates without an advanced degree but with relevant work experience. That being said things are always changing and the hiring environment also influences the outcome. For example, in a year where there is a lot of demand for MBAs from top 8 schools but not enough supply then they would care less about having that as a core requirement. 

I would suggest going through the application process (ideally with a referral) if you meet the hiring criteria. As others have said, if they like you as a candidate they may just offer you a JA role as a compromise if they are very strict on an advanced degree criteria.

Best,

Udayan

Hi there,

It's definitely possible to join without relying on your other extensive professional experience.

However, in the current recruiting environment, every advantage you can find helps to get past the screening.

Conduct a quick LinkedIn check: Filter for new hires in the region over the last few months and see who has an advanced degree.

For the interviews, check out these articles:

• McKinsey Case Interview
• Personal Experience Interview

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

as you mentioned, it is an “either/or” criterion and you meet one of them. So I wouldn't shy away from applying just because you don't meet both. Ideally use you remaining time for networking to try to secure an internal referral - that will boost your chances to get invited to the first interview round. With you work experience under your belt, you should be able to find some consultants/partners from your relevant areas of expertise who'd be willing to have a chat with you. That way you can also already gauge what the interest in your profile might be from the company's standpoint.

Best of luck

No disadvantage, but of course the quality of your work experience matters.

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, you have nothing to worry about as this is an “OR” and “preferred” requirement.
• Moreover, while you have worked in consulting for 7 years, the type of consulting you have done will obviously play a role in how relevant this is to McKinsey.
• Lastly, I would highly advise you to just apply and wait for the outcome. If they like your profile but feel you don't meet the requirements, they will tell you that and offer you to continue the application in a lower role.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey pre-interview assessment and interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen