McKinsey - Personal Experience Interview

Hey there, 

No, this is not a requirement at all that your stories be linked to what is on your resume. 

Furthermore, it is not a requirement that your stories be all work or business related etc. The most important thing is that your stories reflect that you possess the skills each dimension is looking for. So, for example for each dimension:

• Personal impact: Make sure you are showing that you possess the skills of being able to persuade someone that initially disagreed with you on something and that you were not in a position of power over to eventually agree with your position
• Courageous change: Make sure you are showing that you possess the ability to bounce back from some significant change event in pursuit of a some goal or objective, whilst showing resilience in the process
• Entrepreneurial drive: Make sure you are showing that you possess skills to make smart and strategic choices and decisions in pursuit of a goal you are trying to achieve (given that you have limited time or severe pressure / challenges in pursuit of this goal)
• Inclusive leadership: Make sure you are showing that you possess the skills and ability to take the lead in solving people issues relating to a diverse team, whilst showing understanding and sensitivity (i.e. empathy) for your team in the process 

There is obviously more details required for each, but this is just to give you a good overall view of how to think about crafting your stories!

The PEI is one of my specialties, so by all means please do feel free to reach out if you'd like to talk more on crafting your stories and scoring maximal marks in this assessment for your McKinsey interviews

All the best 

Hi there, 

Ideally, your stories come from professional contexts.

But they don't all have to. 

In fact, it's good to have a diversity of contexts in your stories so not all of them are from the same job/role. And sometimes, personal stories can be as strong or even stronger than professional ones. 

What's important to have in mind is that with these stories, they want to get a sense of how you are likely to react in future situations based on how you've reacted in the past to such situations. So the closer your stories are to consultant-like contexts, the better. 

You can find all of this, and lots more, as well as audio recordings of successful stories in the course I've put together:

• Video Course: Master the McKinsey PEI

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the (presumed) invitation from McKinsey!

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

• No, your PEI situations do not need to be taken directly from your resume. The most important thing is that they clearly demonstrate the relevant dimensions that your McKinsey interviewers are asking about.

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 interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Agree with Thabang’s comment!

It’s common to include non-work stories at undergrad and MBA level. 

At experienced hire level, they may expect to see more work-related stories given that candidates should have more years of experience.

hey!

No, your PEI stories don’t need to come directly from your resume—they can absolutely be from personal, academic, or extracurricular experiences too. What matters most is that they clearly show the traits McKinsey looks for, like leadership, personal impact, or resilience. Just make sure the story is structured and impactful.

Let me know if you want help refining your stories!

Best,
Alessa :)