Mckinsey round 1 interview cancellation

Hi there, 

First of all, the ban is not for two years. It's usually about a year and it's not expressed so much as a fixed period of time but rather as a significant amount of time for you to prove that you've gained additional experience (to make it worth interviewing you). 

Then, you can cancel the interview without any sort of consequences. They don't keep tabs of these sorts of things. You can then reapply again in Switzerland and hope to pass the screening once again. 

If I were you though, I would just go ahead with it. You only stand to win from it. 

If you do get the offer, you can start working and then try to transfer as soon as possible. It would be tough to do it within the first year, but significantly easier in your second. So unless you have to move Switzerland really soon, then you could postpone the move by a few months and do it through a McKinsey transfer. 

In case the interview doesn't work out, then at least you get the whole interview experience and know what to expect when you would apply again in Switzerland in a year. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• First of all, cancelling the interview process and failing at it are two very different things with different consequences.
• It is generally not a problem to cancel an interview for personal reasons, and doing so will not result in a ban on applying for positions with the company in the future. Most companies understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise and will not hold it against you if you need to cancel an interview.
• If you are planning to move to Switzerland in less than a year and are concerned about the possibility of being banned from applying for positions with McKinsey in the future, you can consider contacting the company to explain your situation and request to cancel the interview. It is important to be polite and provide a valid reason for your request, as this will help ensure that the company does not view your cancellation negatively.
• Ultimately, the decision to cancel the interview or go ahead with it is up to you. If you do decide to cancel the interview, you will not be banned from applying for positions with the company in the future, but you will not have the opportunity to gain valuable experience and potentially secure a position with McKinsey. If you decide to attend the interview, you may have a chance to secure a position and transfer to McKinsey Switzerland later in (less than) a year.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hello,

The best solution here is to be very honest with the HR and speak to them about this. Ask them if the ban applies if you withdraw your application - I don't think it should.

Also, think about the possibility of being recruited for McKinsey KSA (since they are hiring aggressively) and after getting the offer, asking for some European projects (this is possible since McKinsey has a global talent pool). 

All the best!

Rushabh

Hi there,

Q: Does anyone know what happens if I contact McKinsey and tell them I want to cancel my interview for personal reasons? Do I get banned same as failing in an interview?

I don’t think you necessarily have to cancel the interview:

1. You could continue with the process, if successful join McKinsey and then organize an internal transfer (or, worst case, move to another company with the McKinsey brand already on your CV, which will help). For the internal transfer, you might not be able to do that in a year, so this would require some flexibility from your side.
2. If you don’t want to do so, I would ask if you could move the application process to Switzerland. Most likely they will have to assess your application from scratch and you might not be offered an interview, but this would be the same as if you would apply in the future (unless you expect to have something very impressive in your CV in the next 6 months), so you might well try.
3. If you don’t want to do that either (although not sure why you should not try at least #2), you can ask to withdraw from the process for personal reasons. I don't think you are going to have any ban due to that, but you can ask for confirmation to HR.

If you want to try #2 or #3, I would recommend to call them to explain the situation, that will make the whole communication easier.

Best,
Francesco

Hi there,

No, you will not get banned, which only ever happens if you fail an interview. However, this is different and McKinsey will not retaliate against your decision.

Having an invitation confirmed for KSA might actually be a door opener for interviewing in Switzerland, if that's of interest to you and you generally tick the important boxes e.g., visa, language, etc. You could even ask KSA HR to support you with this. 

Otherwise, ask to postpone the interview until you get back to KSA, if there timeframe is somewhat short (1 year should be OK).

Hope this helps!

Best,

Moritz

Tell them your circumstance have changed because you will need to move to Switzerland for personal reasons. They may be able to change the office where you are applying for.

I suspect your CV may need to be re-screened by the Swiss office, albeit the fact you got an interview will help.

Hi there,

I agree with Giacomo. You should let them know you're moving and ask if they'd consider moving the office. Let them know that if they can move, you'd still be interested in interviewing, but if they can't you would rescind the application. Word it in a way that it does not look pre-meditated and gaming the system.

Good luck!

If you are moving away anyway, it won’t make sense for you to interview with an office you won’t join. Even if you received an offer, it wouldn’t be interchangeable with a Swiss offer (at least not for a new joiner). 

Your best bet is to use the connection you have with the firm to get them to facilitate an interview with the Swiss team based on your circumstances.

Best of luck

Hi there,

You do not need to worry as you would not be banned in that case.

My suggestion is always to call HR and discuss with them openly and transparently, so you can keep your foot in the door for the future.

All the best!

Florian

Of course, play it on the safe side, check with them, but I don't see why that would get you in the ban list.

However, I would wait for the interview result. If you fail… you will be on the ban list. 

If you pass, tell them that you changed your life plans, and try to see with them the best time to apply to switzerland, if they are ok with reaching out to Swiss HR to inform them you passed the first round, etc.