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How to learn from McKinsey final round PEI-based rejection?

and Bain BCG Final Round MBB rejection final round McKinsey McKinsey Final Round rejection
Bearbeitet am 5. Sept. 2021
7 Antworten
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Tabitha fragte am 23. Okt. 2019

Hi everyone! I was rejected by McKinsey after the final round. I respect the decision, but I am trying to figure out what I could improve to stand a chance with other companies and in general learn from the experience. I find this to be a bit difficult, because the rejection was based on PEI.

According to the interviewer my performance on the cases/quantitative problems was very good, but in one of the PEI questions (team conflict/convincing someone to change their view) I didn't show how I was able to be empathetic/put myself in other people shoes and influence their behavior in the long term. I regret not using another example that would show my empathy more explicitly. Maybe there were other reasons why the interviewers decided I wasn't a good fit, but the one I described was quoted as the reason behind their decision. If anyone may have any insight I would appreciate it a lot!

(editiert)

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Jamie bearbeitete eine Antwort am 24. Okt. 2019
Former Tier 2, now MBB in Dubai. Here to chill :)

Hi Tabitha,

I will give my input based on my experience giving final rounds at a tier 2 firm as well as my own experience moving to MBB.

First of all it's important to take official feedbacks with a grain of salt.

(1) For legal and marketing reasons firms are very careful regarding the feedback they provide. I've been part of final round discussions with partners were we discussed interviewee's attire, the fact they have spouses or not, age, ... for obvious reasons we won't say that we didnt hire someone because you wore the wrong sweater.

(2) Depending on the season/office/position you apply the demand for new hires will be different and that will impact the threshold for giving an offer. A common myth is to think MBB will always hire regardless of their needs. I've discuss with a MBB partner that putted very blunt "at this period in the year we have reach our target quota, anyone can still apply but they will only be hired if they are a superstart, otherwise waiting until January is better."

Now, this is not to say that you should disregard your feedback. You have mention a specific point that you could focus on.

If I was in your shoes I would do the following:

1) Status quo. What other firms are you currently in process, what firms could you potential still apply and what is the timeline to do so

2) Honest assessment. Get an unbiased opinion on where you currently stand today. This means, PEI, case, Q&A, ...you only know how much work do you need to do if you know where you stand

3) Develop a "work plan" for the remaining of your time taking into account the feedback you received

Happy to discuss this on a call if you would like

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Francesco
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 24. Okt. 2019
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Tabitha,

I agree with Jamie that there may be additional reasons besides the PEI performance.

For all the elements related to communication (body language, your way of interacting with the interviewer, tone of voice, general presence) it is quite unlikely the interviewer is going to give you direct feedback.

On the other hand, it could well be that the issue was purely in your PEI performance.

In terms of how to improve your impact story, it would be important to see what exactly you said in the interview.

One general mistake candidates do is not to provide details in their action part (in your case – how you influence the other people in practical terms to change their mind).

It seems this was the main issue in your case, thus I would try to be more specific and help the interviewer to visualize it.

There may be other elements though that could have influenced the interviewer. In order to improve, I would recommend to find an experienced candidate/current consultant/coach and get direct feedback from him/her for the PEI and fit part.

Best,
Francesco

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Anonym antwortete am 13. Mai 2020

Dear Tabitha,

I would recommend you to ask for more detail feedback, what is the specific reason for your rejection. This details will help you to strengthen your weak sides in the future. Other than that, simply keep on practicing cases and personal fitting parts in order to succeed in the future.

If you need any help, feel free to reach out.

Best,
André

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Clara
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 11. Mai 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

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Hope you find it useful!

Best,

Clara

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Marco-Alexander
Experte
Content Creator
bearbeitete eine Antwort am 5. Sept. 2021
Former BCG | Case author for efellows book | Experience in 6 consultancies (Stern Stewart, Capgemini, KPMG, VW Con., Hor

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Vlad
Experte
antwortete am 23. Okt. 2019
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

The only way is to have a dedicated fir interview session with a current consultant / Alumni / coach.

Best

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Gaurav
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 28. Feb. 2021
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about that! However, rejection is also an experience. Use the time given to significantly upgrade your profile and to maximize your chances next year!

- Relevant work experience. Have you applied somewhere else? Tier 2 consulting firms could be a great start and give you the needed experience that would be of great advantage in the future and make you a better fit for the desired company.

- Preparation. Solve different types of cases, prepare for the fit part carefully, improve your feeling of confidence.

- Networking. I would strongly recommend finding some contacts within the targeted firm to understand how it is from the inside, have a better idea of your position here in the future.

Maybe even think of the guidance of an experienced coach.

Do you need any further help?

​Good luck!

​GB

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