McKinsey Offer & Delay in Graduation

Question

Hi,

After rigirous preperation and thanks to the network of individuals on this platform I have been extended an offer to join McKinsey & Company as a business analyst right out of university (undergrad level not MBA).

The firm communicated that they would on-board us in segments over September to Decemeber.

My interview process lasted a good three months and concluded two months ago. During this time due to a number of reasons, I found my graduation would be delayed till the end of the fall semester, which means I would get my degree by December 2021 at the very latest.

This delay is not because I have a class left that I need to take but rather a final semester project that has been delayed in my case due to me switching programs in my first semester in university. In short, this project is a 'do in your own time' report which means I am entirely flexible in my timings and days.

I have offers from a couple of other top-teir companies who I have already communicated this to and they've decided to hire me nonetheless with a condition that I must provide my degree by December at the latest. However McKinsey is my dream job so naturally I am significantly more nervous about sharing this setback.

Given this reality, I understand it's important to communicate this to the firm however I would like some guidance on:

a. How to communicate this and to whom i.e. should I reach out to the partner who interviewed me and called to extend the offer or to HR.

b. The implications on my offer i.e. what is the possibility the offer will be invalidated or rescinded?

Thank you for reading this through and providing your feedback.

Answer 1

Hi there,

So glad to hear that you received an offer and that we were able to help! Don't worry...everything will be fine here. Think about it: All the other firms were fine with this, so why wouldn't McKinsey be? (answer: It's just your nerves).

a. Reach out to your PoC at McKinsey. Whoever emailed you the offer letter and has been setting up the interviews for you.

b. It will not be invalidated. Just explain the situation to them. They will put you in another cohort.

Answer 2

Hi. Congratulations on your offers. Having been through the same process recently with McKinsey I totally understand where you are coming from. I conveyed my graduation delay to my recruiter and she sorted it out with the HR team. My advice for you is to reach out to your recruiter and explain your situation :)

Answer 3

Congratulations! Reach out to the recruiter who has faciliated the offer where they will be able to assign you to the next available cohort. I don't see why they would pull the offer for something like this which is outside your control and is something they deal with on a regular basis (incl. visa issuance delays).

Answer 4

Hey there,

Congrats! Happy for you :-)

That sounds like a non-issue. Call the recruiter you were in touch with and explain the situation. A slight delay in your graduation date will not have an impact on the offer and likely also not on your starting date.

No need to worry!

Cheers,

Florian