Do you have to be genius(very smart) or hardworking to break into MBB and be agood consultant?

Hi there,

Every consultant would tell you that consulting is not rocket science - to be a great consultant you just need to be an intellectually curious person with an approachable character that people can work with for 14 hours per day every day.

I had interviewed applicants that ranked 1st and are super technical - however, they did not pass the "can I work with the person" test because either they were too technical (detailed oriented) and didn't have the ability to see the big picture or because there attitude is too academic (professors and consultants don't speak the same language)

Self-motivated, curious, and approachable hard workers make great consultants

I hope this helps

Khaled

Hi there,

I usually tell my case interview coaching candidates (a bit jokingly though) that McKinsey is actually one of the most easiest firms on this planet to get in.

Why do I say this? To make fun of my coaching candidates? No, for sure not - I say this because I want to let them know one of the key issues on consulting interview prep, and it probably holds true in many many other occasions:

It's not always the smartest, brightest, best people landing offers at McKinsey (McKinsey is probably a bit more specific and since most candidates want to go there I will stick to McKinsey below, but it's true for MBB in general).

It is actually those candidates who know how to prepare correctly.

Or in other words: mastering the McKinsey interview process is more a matter of diligent preparation, than being a genius (for sure you will need good business acumen and a logical way of thinking [a.k.a. being client friendly] - but this is far away from being a genius).

I specifically say that McKinsey is one of the most easiest firms to get in because there is hardly any other firm where you know in that much detail what exactly will happen in the recruiting process (as opposed to many other firms outside the consulting industry). There is no magic in solving case interviews and preparing for the McKinsey PEI (Personal Experience Interview) in a surefire way - it is mainly hard, highly disciplined work and lots, lots, lots of practice. (Or as someone else used to say: it is 10% inspiration and 90% transpiration, and not the other way round!)

Therefore, you have the opportunity to prepare for your McKinsey interviews accordingly - it is up to you to use it, but at least you have the opportunity. There really is more than enough prep material available to do all this, starting from basic knowledge like Victor Cheng's book "Case Interview Secrets" and free youtube videos or his LOMS program, case studies (here you can get tons of the for free: Case Interview Casebooks, or specifically geared towards McKinsey interviewer-led cases), surefire PEI prep material at https://pei.consulting-case-interviews.com and finding tons of case interview practice partners at PrepLounge.

Most definitely McKinsey is a highly regarded brand not only from the client's perspective, but also on the job market. Therefore lot's of strong candidates apply at McKinsey, and they can choose quite freely amoung a very large pool of strong candidates, which makes the whole recruiting process really competitive (in conjunction with the general recruiting mindset that they rather like to err on false negatives than false positives) - but given all the opportunities for in-depth interview prep, I can't except a lot of excuses for not getting at least extremely close to getting an offer from McKinsey (yes, as with everything in life, there is no 100% guarantee whatever you will do in your prep).

Hope this helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

Hi,

My point of view is that you need to have some minimum level of intelligence to secure the offer and do well in the job. This level is certainly far from genius-level but also certainly considerably above average intelligence.

As has already been pointed out, the level of intelligence is just one success factor of many. You need to have the dedication and focus to be able to work extremely long hours for many years on end, have an intellectual curiosity and flexibility that allows you to constantly work on different projects and problems, and you need to be a person that is able to work well with others in high-pressure situations.

-A

Definitely not. Most of the job you can do by just being above-average intelligence while also being organised and hard working. In fact, being a "genius" (very high IQ) is more often than not associated with having weaker people skills / being "weird" (low EQ) which is as if not more important in consulting.

The vast majority of consultants (including at MBB) are of slightly above average intelligence with good people skills, while also being very driven (mostly because you need to be willing to put up with long hours).

Hi,

Nope, you should not be a genius or extremely smart. Moreover, it's not the smartest / most talented who make it to the partner level.

However, there are several important things:

• You should have some relevant background in your resume. Depending on the role you are applying to it should be a good university, relevant career path, etc. However, I've seen a lot of exceptions
• You should definitely be smart. Smart means - solving the problems quickly, understanding math, etc
• You should be a good communicator - presenting your ideas, being concise and structures
• You should invest a lot of time and effort in preparation
• Still, you should be lucky to get there
• You should be coachable and ready to learn while in consulting
• You should be able to sustain very long working hours

It's not a rocket science, but it's not easy

Best

Hi,

I think most of us live in a bubble, and therefore some of the answers below are a bit misleading.

Yes, you do need to be smart. You definitely need very high intelligence compared to the regular population (I'm talking 80-90 percentile at least).

However, remember that we are in a bubble (both coaches and preploungers). By just being on PrepLounge and striving for MBB, you're already likely in the intelligent bubble, hence many answers from coaches stating you don't need to be super smart!

100% you need to be hardworking. You need to have grit and determination. Don't think for a second MBB will be easy! Additionally, you can 100% outwork a slightly lesser intelligence

Most importantly: I have yet to meet a PrepLounger where I thought "They can't get into MBB"

Hi there,

you don’t have to be a genius, but you have to be willing to work hard and persist if you fail initially. And that doesn’t make you an average person ;) The majority of the people don’t want to work hard and/or persist if they fail.

In general, if you:

• Network hard
• Work hard on fit and case prep
• Persist, work on your areas of improvement and apply again after few years if you are not successful

then I am pretty confident you can land the job in the end.

Then, there is always the luck factor - Malcolm Gladwell talked extensively about that in Outliers. But in the end, I believe if you work hard you can create your own luck, given your initial situation.

Best,

Francesco

Hi A,

For me good consultant has the following abilities and skills:

1. Ability to analyze complex project and complex tasks, break them down into good structure and deliver results.

2. Good and sound communication with client, with project manager, with a partner, and with a team as well.

3. Ability to manage complexity.

4 Follows the principle under sell and over deliver (that means lower the expectations and always exceed them).

Hope it helps you further,

Best,

André

Hello,

No, there are not only geniuses in MBB firms (I am definitely not a genius for example !!!). On the other hand, there are only people who have a good head and who have worked a lot on their preparation. It is quite possible to miss once or twice the MBB interviews and then be taken, as one does not become a genius in a few years, I sincerely think that the work always pays.

David

Hi there,

Sharing my view on this.

• No you don't need to be genius (having a super high IQ) to be a successful consultant. You just need to be smart enough (if you have been to a good school with good scores, that's enough) and can think logically
• You do need to have a good enough EQ as well. This is important because as a consultant you work in teams and work with client. You definitely need to be team and client friendly.
• Hardworking is a table stake; for if you are not, you would hate the job
• Attitude is very important, i.e. willing to learn, taking initiatives, not afraid of admitting a mistake and taking responsibility, not so big ego
• Last, luck plays a part to make someone the 1% as well...

Best,

Emily

(editiert)

Hi,

While you do come across people who might well be geniuses you definitely dont have to be one to get in. Hardworking - yes absolutely. For most of the people applying this is true, the interview process and selection criteria ensure that you have to work very hard to get in. But that is true of anything that is challenging and has a lot of competition, e.g., getting into a top college

Learning how to crack the interview is very doable, your focus needs to be on both the case and the PEI elements. With enough practice like with all things this also becomes easier.

The not so good news - the reality is despite all that some things are essential

1. You go to a target school for MBB

2. You have a high GPA to be competitive

3. You have spent your time in college pursuing interests outside of classes while maintaining your grades

4. You are willing and able to network with alumni and at events

All the best with your application process

Udayan