Verabrede dich zum Casen über das Meeting-Board, nimm an Diskussionen in unserem Consulting Q&A teil und finde gleichgesinnte Interview-Partner:innen, um dich auszutauschen und gemeinsam zu üben!
Zurück zur Übersicht

McKinsey double final round rejection

Hey everyone 

I reached twice the final round with McKinsey for the Business Analyst position and got rejected. 

For some reasons, I am not interested in applying to other consulting firms - it is either mckinsey or no other firm if I want to pursue a career in consulting. 

The first time I got rejected because of lack of preparation and in the second time that was because of the initial framework (despite being very strong in the first round). 

I think that I cannot reapply to mckinsey as a BA that's why I might consider reapplying for more senior positions later on. 

Any advices? 

5
2,5k
18
Schreibe die erste Antwort!
Bisher hat niemand auf diese Frage reagiert.
Beste Antwort
Ian
Coach
am 22. Sept. 2021
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

I'm so sorry to hear about this!

Remember that, no matter how good/prepared you are, it's always a roll of the dice.

Double-check with HR that you cannot re-apply as a BA. That said, I imagine 2 years has passed by? In 1-2 more years your work experience should bring you up a level regardless. I agree that you should look to re-apply later once you've built up your experience.

One other thing: Consider other companies! For all you know, you might get into McK in 2 years and realize you hated it (sometimes the grass is greener). Look at other companies and at least open yourself up to the possibility - it can't hurt!

am 23. Sept. 2021
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your rejections. Assuming you cannot apply within the next 2 years (I would check with HR), I would consider the following:

  1. Consider a different consulting company. Most people stay in consulting 2-3 years then they move. The brand name of MBB is going to open mostly the same doors. Excluding upfront BCG and Bain seems a bit blind to me, unless you have very specific reasons (eg, you talked with several people in the companies and absolutely feel you don’t fit the culture or they are not present in your target office). Working in consulting is also going to make it easier to transition to McKinsey later on, even if you join a Tier 2
  2. Work for 2-3 years (ideally in a strategy job), do an MBA, apply to McKinsey for an Associate position. This is the standard path if option 1 doesn’t work

Best,

Francesco

Florian
Coach
am 23. Sept. 2021
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

Sorry to hear!

At this point I would definitely apply at BB or tier 2 firms for two reasons:

  1. You are prepared well for McKinsey and almost made it, which means you have high chances of getting into one of the other firms; also, don't let the preparation time go to waste
  2. Working for another BB or tier-2 increases your chances to get an invite again for McKinsey in the future
  3. Bonus idea: you might enjoy the work and culture at another firm and don't want to switch to McK anymore anyway

All the best for your journey!

Florian

am 23. Sept. 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi!

You can discuss with HR if you can re-apply in the future. 

If you don't want to consider other consultancies, I strongly recommend acquiring solid expertise in a specific sector or practice and then try again as an experienced hire.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Anto

Agrim
Coach
am 24. Sept. 2021
Top Awarded Coach | BCG Dubai Project Leader | Master Casing in only 3 Hours | 10y in Consulting | Free Intro Call

Your choices are clear:

  • Ask McK HR on what is your cool-off period. Work somewhere else during that period. Apply with even better preparation next time and then crack it.
  • OR Start with another consulting firm, build confidence and profile for 3-4 years - and then join McK with a stronger profile overall.

Unfortunately you are going for a go-big-or-go-home strategy. Considering that consulting interviews are anyways chance encounters to a certain extent - that is not ideal. You should consider other options as well - at least for keeping yourself relevant for McK in the long-term.

Bide your time, learn from your mistakes, prepare well, have patience, and succeed.

Ähnliche Fragen
Consulting
McKinsey PEI
am 2. Apr. 2025
Global
7
2,6k
Beste Antwort von
Gelöschter Nutzer
58
7 Antworten
2,6k Aufrufe
+4
Consulting
Preparing for McKinsey PEI
am 10. Juli 2024
Global
7
5,1k
Beste Antwort von
Nilay
Coach
Former McKinsey Sr Engagement Manager | Trained McKinsey interviewer (100+ interviews, 500+ coaching sessions)
116
7 Antworten
5,1k Aufrufe
+4
Consulting
McKinsey feedback call after rejection
am 19. Juni 2024
Global
7
3,1k
Beste Antwort von
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
68
7 Antworten
3,1k Aufrufe
+4