Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Interview Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

Mckinsey referral - European office

Hello everyone, 

I have managed to get a referral and received a special link to apply for the JA position after the person referred me in the system.

It has been 14 days since I have applied but have not heard anything. 

1 - Should I follow up with HR?

2 - Do they send you the rejection email if you have not passed the CV screening?

3 - It has already been 14 days. Does it mean that I am rejected?

5
1.4k
4
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
on Aug 28, 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, it can take up to 1 month to get feedback but feel free to text/call hr without worrying about bothering them. They are there to help

Best,
Antonello

Agrim
Coach
on Aug 27, 2021
Top Awarded Coach | BCG Dubai Project Leader | Master Casing in only 3 Hours | 10y in Consulting | Free Intro Call

Definitely follow-up with the HR.

The HR/recruiting teams are generally running quite busy with many many applications and it is easy to miss out on something.

The reasons for not hearing back in 2 weeks could be various - please don't start doubting yourself on rejection at any point in the process.

In case you do get a rejection based on your CV - do write to me and we can have a look at your CV to see how it goes.

Ian
Coach
on Aug 27, 2021
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

Well done on getting the referral!

1 - Yes, I would. Make sure to be passive/polite

2 + 3 - You have not been rejected unless they tell you that you are rejected…patience!

Florian
Coach
on Aug 30, 2021
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

 

1. Yes, 2 weeks is a good time to follow up.

2. Yes, they do.

3. No, it's summer season and many recruiters are off work so longer than normal response times are common.

Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Florian

Deleted user
on Aug 27, 2021

Hello,

The timeline of the referral process is office-dependent. Some candidates hear back within a few days, while for others it can take multiple weeks. This is no reflection of you as a candidate, it just depends on how that particular office processes applications and what the recruiting timeline is like currently. So, to answer your questions:

1. I would say there is no harm in politely following up if it's been a few weeks and you still haven't heard anything. Things also do sometimes get lost in the process so following up would help with that too.

2. Depends on the office.

3. Not at all! 

Don't assume you've been rejected just because you haven't heard back yet - two weeks isn't an unreasonably long amount of time to process applications. Politely follow up, and best of luck!

11
Similar Questions
Consulting
McKinsey feedback call after rejection
on Jun 19, 2024
Global
7
3.1k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
68
7 Answers
3.1k Views
+4
Consulting
BCG PIPE Case
on Feb 28, 2025
Global
7
2.5k
Top answer by
Ariadna
Coach
BCG | Project Leader and Experienced Interviewer | MBA at London Business School
50
7 Answers
2.5k Views
+4
Consulting
McKinsey Round 1 Feedback - Shall I request for one?
on Jun 19, 2024
Global
8
2.0k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
52
8 Answers
2.0k Views
+5