McKinsey PEI - two stories in one interview?

Hi there, 

This doesn't happen that often. 

You just have to make sure that you tailor the pitch of the story and then the actual story to respond directly to the questions asked by the interviewer. 

Interviewers only ask for a different example if they feel like you are forcing a certain story that obviously does not answer the question. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

This is highly unlikely IF

• you have a strong initial summary and headline that conveys the core of the story
• you tell a story that hits exactly what McKinsey interviewers are looking for
• you focus on your actions and behaviors, rather than the context or problem-solving

Interviewers would only ask for a second story if they did not like the first one and wanted to give you a second chance.

Also, due to the nature of how the PEI is evaluated and defined it totally makes sense that two stories about one dimension are similar.

I wrote an article exactly on that topic: https://www.preplounge.com/mckinsey-pei

Have a look! :-)

All the best,

Florian

So you'll only do one PEI question in each interview. However, you always want to frame your story by giving a brief description upfront and asking the interviewer if it sounds like the right sort of story. Sometimes candidates misunderstand the question and it's a waste of time if you start telling a story which doesn't actually address the question. 

Sometimes an interviewer will then say no, that's not quite right - and you need a new story. To prevent you from panicking I always recommend that you have at least two stories for every dimension (leadership, personal impact, entrepreneurial drive and courageous change) ready to go - so that you can easily flip if necessary. 

Also, while you can use the same story between rounds, you can't use the same story within rounds (you don't want the interviewers talking afterwards and realising that you told the same story twice) - so try to make them distinct. 

Good luck! 

Here's the “hard” answer: be ready for anything

While the reality is that it's not likely, why wouldn't you prepare yourself for the possibility? Make sure you go into these interviews agile and adaptable for whatever gets thrown your way.

Don't believe that anything could happen? Don't just take my word for it :)

Hi there,

Q: Is there a general estimation how likely it is whether I need to present two stories for the same dimension to the same interviewer (in first round)? 

This is rare but can happen.

Normally they will ask for one dimension in each interview. I had recently a candidate who got the same dimension twice. She explained she already got that dimension and the interviewer asked for a different one.

In any case, you should still have backup stories (so that overall you have 2 stories per dimension) for a couple of reasons:

1. The interviewers may still ask for the same dimension in the same round (it is not common but may happen). Presenting two different stories would be better in case they discuss them.
2. The interviewer may not like your initial part of the story and ask to switch to a different one. You can then switch to the other you prepared.
3. Some stories may fit better a particular question (eg tell me about a time when you had challenges as a leader vs tell me about a time when you had to manage a conflict in a team).

You can find a few extra tips on PEI and case interviews at McKinsey below:

▶ 4 PEI Dimensions You Should Know

▶ 4 Ways McKinsey Interviews are Different

▶ McKinsey Final Round Tips

Good luck!

Francesco

It is unlikely, and usually only happens when your story was quite off from what was asked. If you provide a good story this won't happen.