Starting at McKinsey soon – How to best prepare and hit the ground running?

Hello,

I have worked and mentored many people that started out in MBBs. Here is what I recommend:
 

• Get the McKinsey messaging right: read their reports and see how they do the messaging, how they present information, how they draw conclusions. These are usually reviewed by the top McK partners and set a fair expectation on how deliverables should look and feel (even if you will do ppt)
• Prepare for your first discussions: in your first days you might get more access to senior people in the organization. They will want to know things such as what projects you want to work on, what do you want to develop. Having a clear view will help you get staffed on the engagements that you really want to work on. Think about what are the top 3-5 key messages that you want these people to remember about you in staffing calls/ extracurricular activities/promotions etc
• PPT and Excel: find an existing consultant that can teach you these tools for the purpose of the job. Knowing these tools will make a difference in what tasks you will receive in an engagement. For ex, if you are already very good in excel and are on top of the numbers it's the easiest way to make sure you get into the C-suite meetings. Why? Because they need the person in charge of the numbers in case there are questions.

I you want to discuss more, don't hesitate to chat me. In my opinion, investing in a career coach that will help you get early promotions, help you strategize to get the best projects and that shares their network will probably give you a 50x in return over 10 years 

Congrats and welcome to the ride! Here’s what I wish I had known before starting at McKinsey:

1. Build muscle on core consulting skills:

• Problem structuring: Practice breaking down messy questions into clear, MECE issues (which you probably have in the case study prep)
• Excel & PowerPoint: Know the shortcuts, formatting, and how to be fast but clean (you don't necessarily "need" to know this before starting, as most people learn during the work)

2. Shift your mindset:

• Always think about the bigger picture, what problem am I trying to solve, and which steps do I need to get there.
• Learn to take feedback without ego, you’ll get tons of it, fast.
• Stay curious and low-ego: asking good questions is a superpower.

3. Prepare for the intensity:

• Consulting moves fast. Get your sleep, diet, and calendar habits in place now.
• Know how you decompress—protect your energy.

4. Lastly – enjoy this time.
Relax a bit, travel if you can, and come in energized, you’ll learn more in the first 6 months than you expect.

Hey, great question. Most people will just learn on the job from their EMs and team members.

If you really want to get ahead, there are a few key things to focus on:

- Modelling and quantitative skills (key formulae, market modelling, common types of analysis, model hygiene)

- Visual communication skills (ppt - data visualization and clarity of insights)

- Client communications (i.e., top-down, synthesised comms for presentations to client stakeholders)

- Navigating the Firm (how to succeed in McKinsey’s unique org, staffing, and evaluation culture)

Let me know if you want to talk through these in more depth.

Congrats! Very happy for you. I still remember the feeling.

I also coach new joiners, so I've put together a few resources already in the following articles:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Hope you'll find them useful.

Best,
Cristian

Hey there!

Congrats, that’s a huge step! I often coach people right before they start at McKinsey, and the biggest theme is: don’t over-engineer it, but do focus on getting the basics right early. The most useful prep is sharpening problem-solving structure (think: issue trees, synthesis), getting really fast at slide writing (Pyramid Principle is gold), and brushing up on Excel shortcuts and basic business math. Also, start thinking in 80/20 terms and train yourself to ask sharp, top-down questions—mindset is a big deal.

And honestly, just resting well before onboarding can be the smartest move too. You’ll ramp up fast on the job, but these habits give you a head start.

Best,
Alessa :)

Hi!

Check this question and its answers.

Good luck in your upcoming journey!!

Mari

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the upcoming consulting career start with McKinsey!

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

• First of all, while it is great to see how eager you are to prepare for your consulting career start, I would strongly advise you not to worry about it.
• All major consulting firms provide you with excellent onboarding and training that will prepare you for everything you need to know.
• Lastly, if you still want to prepare on your own, I would advise you to focus on learning common MS Excel functions as well as MS Excel and PowerPoint shortcuts.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming consulting career start, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen