McKinsey Digital Rejection

Question

Hi everyone,

I received a rejection for the Junior Associate - McKinsey Digital role after being invited to the game solve.

The rejection email read:

Thank you very much for your interest in discussing career opportunities within McKinsey and for completing the McKinsey Game Solve.

Unfortunately, after reviewing your application and your results of the digital assessment, we will not be able to invite you to the next step of the interview process at this time. This was not an easy decision to make, especially given the large number of applications and the diversity of candidate profiles.

Please note that we will not be able to provide individual feedback with regards to our decision. Should you want to reapply in the future for a similar position, we encourage you to wait 12 to 18 months to allow for additional experiences to be reflected on your resume.

______

Should I assume that the rejection was based on the results from the game, even though all 8 species survived, and the plant survived the required rounds for defence game with about 10 mins spare time?

Can still ask for feedback from HR even though it is indicated in the email that individual feedback cannot be given?

Can a friend in another office help check what the issue was in the case I don't receive any response from HR, should I ask?

Lastly, does a similar position also include the generalist track?

Thank you.

NB: The rejection came 2 months after taking the test.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I'm sorry to here!

Unfortunately, there's no way to truly know as it's a combination of factors.

Remember that there's a you component (overall background/experience, strength of resume, referral, and the game) that you can influence

And then there's a them factor that you can't influence (demand, number of other applicants, and something in life called chance/luck).

This is why it's so so important to apply to multiple firms. I applied to 30 when I recruited!

Please don't let this dissuade you! Get out there, network, and apply to other firms! McKinsey is not the only company out there.

Answer 2

Unfortunately it is not so clear cut in terms of why you were rejected. Can you confirm that you go to a target school, have a high GPA and have relevant extra curriculars/work ex? If that is the case and you were invited to apply by McKinsey as part of on campus recruiting it could be related to the game (although in my experience this is the least likely reason to be rejected).

More likely answer is that your resume/profile is not exactly what they are after. To get the best answer you will need to share more details about you.

You can always try to ask HR why you did not make it but it is highly unlikely you will get an answer, nor is it likely that your friend would do so. And yes the similar position does include the generalist track.

It is helpful in my opinion to wait out 2 years, grow in a different job and then re-apply. Many people have successfully followed that path to get into MBB after an initial rejection.

Best,

Udayan

Answer 3

Hi there,

your CV and your result comes together and it is compared against the other candidates. You may have done well on the test, but there may be also candidates that did similarly as you but have stronger CV, considering the allotment, you are then out. Not sure if this happens, just giving an example.

You wont unlikely get more feedback from HR - they are specifically telling they wont - buy feel free to reach asking.

For your next trial I would recommend to get coach checking your CV at least, making sure is strong.

Good luck,

Lucie

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Answer 4

Hello,

I am sorry to hear you got a rejection, this obviously isn't the email anyone wants to get. I don't think you can assume the rejection was based on the game only - it was most likely a combination of your resume/cover letter, the game results, and subjective factors/luck/fit. Feel free to ask for feedback from HR, though I'm not sure they will be able to give feedback at pre-interview stages simply due to the number of candidates they have.

Answer 5

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the outcome.

For most offices, the game is judged together with the CV and the rest of the application documents. Since it took them 2 months to give you a negative answer, it's likely they had a big cohort that they were reviewing and they decided to prioritise other candidates.

The 12-18 month waiting period would apply to all similar roles - i.e., consulting roles (even if it's digital or generalist). Only if you choose to apply to something totally different - like a Knowledge role, then you could consider re-applying sooner.

Best of luck on the next go!

Cristian

Answer 6

I have seen very smart people who did well but fail in similar companies while people who did not do well actually make it through. It depends on the mood of the person reviewing your profile, human bias and many factors that you cannot imagine. Since BCG liked you indicates you are a quality candidate and I would suggest continue what you are doing. Cheers.

Answer 7

Hello!

Unfortunately, no. You can try, but they won't answer you, since they don't have the capacity

The reason for the ban is that you need to add "relevant" experience to your CV, and you need at least 12-18 months for that.

A referral would for sure help, but after the required months.

Don´t give up!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 8

This means that you didn't pass the bar. Doesn't shed any light on the underlying reasons. You have to be the one assessing if it was the game, the resume, lack of a referral. Most likely it was a combination of the above.