How to get ready for the PEI & FEI Mckinsey Orphoz Interview?

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the (presumed) invitation from McKinsey Orphoz!

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

• If you don't know how to approach your interview preparation thoroughly, I would highly advise you to work with an experienced coach like me who knows the ins and outs of the McKinsey Orphoz preparation process. As the most experienced coach in terms of consulting, interviewing and coaching experience, I'd be more than happy to help you.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

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

Best,

Hagen

Hey there,

You can prep for the fit/PEI part of the interview by focusing on the following:

1. Personal story: Craft a 1-2 minute version of your background story (from growing up, to choosing education options, to any professional experience). Keep the initial story concise and make sure you have a clear view on 'why' you made the choices you made. Be ready to go into details for any of the elements in your story based on follow up questions from the interviewer
2. Motivation questions: Prepare answers regarding your motivation for the job, e.g., why McKinsey Orphoz, why that office / geography, why implementation consulting
3. Behavioral questions: Prepare a few stories from your background that show your leadership / entrepreneurship / personal impact / etc. Have a concise version of 1-2 min ready (you can use the STAR method to keep it simple) and be ready to go into details as needed

All the best!

Maria   

Hi there,

Please check out this in-depth article that I wrote for PrepLounge on the PEI: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mckinsey-pei. It has been updated 2 days ago and goes deep into everything you need to know, e.g.:

1. how to pick the right stories
2. how to develop them/what to include
3. how to communicate and practice them

As for the Orphoz Interview, please google Orphoz Interview Process and the first article that pops up was also written by me (can't link directly).

All the best with the interview process and please reach out if you need help!

Cheers,

Florian

For preparing for the PEI and FEI interviews at McKinsey, you should reflect on your most impactful personal experiences and structure them clearly—using a framework like STAR can help you articulate the Situation, Task, Action, and Result—so that you highlight your leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork skills in a way that aligns with McKinsey’s values; practicing these narratives in mock interviews to build confidence and ensuring you can discuss both successes and challenges with genuine self-awareness is key to demonstrating your readiness and commitment throughout the process. Best, Alessa

Hey there, 

Simply put - this is about preparing personal stories across the PEI dimensions (Personal Impact, Entrepreneurial Drive, Inclusive Leadership, Courageous Change, and most recently Values & Purpose) and FEI (depends on the specific practice)

You want to demonstrate in those stories that you possess the requisite skills, aptitude, empathy, leadership ability, judgement etc that they are looking for

McKinsey Orphoz PEI / FEI are my specialty! Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss exactly how to implement this in your practice

All the best

Great advice! Prepping a solid personal story and having structured responses for motivation and behavioral questions can make a huge difference in these interviews. The STAR method is a lifesaver when it comes to keeping things concise but impactful. Being able to adapt your answers based on follow-up questions shows confidence and depth, which is exactly what they’re looking for.

To effectively prepare, I recommend the following simple and fault-proof approach:

1. Understand the Landscape: First, Familiarize yourself with the common PEI & FEI question themes. I can share a 'master list' of PEI questions if you need - feel free to messge me.
2. Develop Initial Stories: Select a 1-2 questions and begin drafting stories rooted in your own experiences - without any writing guidance.
3. Expert Feedback: Get your answer reviewed by a coach - thoroughly, in-detail, line-by-line. Often most candidates experience a significant shift in their mindset on how to write PEI stories - after going through a coaching session.
4. Expand story-bank: Write all other stories with a renewed mindset (your main challenge will be to identify life instances to support the questions/stories)
5. Review: Parse all the new stories through a coach to gather feedback and refinement suggestions (if needed)
6. Practice: Once stories are settles, practice those stories day-in/day-out (alone, with peers, with coach). Practice will be the most important difference between a good PEI vs a great one.

That is all there is to it. A very objectively laid out and effort-based process that is guaranteed to work if followed properly and diligently.