Hi there,

1) Has anyone here received an offer from McKinsey?

My candidates who applied within the first deadline in the US said they got invitations this week, so I believe it is still a bit early for that batch.

2) What tips do you have for us going through the process?

Here are a few tips.

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The final round has the same structure as the first (fit + case+ your questions); however in a final round, partners may:

1. Spend more time on fit/PEI and your alignment with the company.
2. Pay more attention to your communication (eg how you react to challenging questions).
3. Not use a "standard" case. In some countries for example you may have market sizing questions, which are uncommon at McKinsey. Having said that, in most offices cases remain standard in finals as well.

To prepare, you can work on the following:

1. Review in detail your PEI stories. Be sure to check them with experienced candidates or consultants and to have at least one backup for each dimension.
2. Get feedback on your communication (reaction under pressure, how to gain time when you do not have a structure ready, connect with the interviewer, etc). This is something you can do almost exclusively during mocks.
3. Prepare cases as you did for the first round. If you got feedback on a specific area, focus more on that part.

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Extra reading:

▶ PEI Dimensions

▶ Case Prep Tips

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Bonus point: partners often give cases related to the industries they cover. If you know their sectors, it is a good idea to review those industries / read their research papers on that / do cases related to that sector.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

In general there's nothing “different” to do for the 2nd round. People over-complicate this by imagining interviews as “levels” in a game.

I have had/seen 1st round interviews that were harder than 2nd.

Ultimately, for all rounds: Be flexible/adaptable and prepared for anything to come your way. Don't anticipate/predict or you'll narrow your thinking.

Yes, you're going to interview with someone more senior. However, all of the same skills are required. Frameworking, case leadership, strategic/structured thinking, clear communication etc.

Work to improve any weakness areas, potentially hire a coach, and just stay flexible!

Some case reading: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Some fit reading: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Hi there,

A lot of people here received McKinsey offers and worked for McKinsey - if that’s what you mean. 

Our experiences with 2nd round probably vary a lot - as opposed to 1st round, which is generally more consistent.

Here’s the deal:

By the book: If a Partner were to go by the book, he/she will do a normal PEI & case interview that feels exactly like 1st round. The focus will be on your ”weak” areas identified in 1st round that were hopefully communicated to you in the interview feedback.

Freestyle: If a Partner were to not go by the book, which they often do, all bets are off. So prepare to be surprised!

• You may or may not get a classic McKinsey interviewer-led case (sometimes they’re just classic cases or brain teasers)
• You may or may not get a case at all
• You may or may not do formal fit questions
• You may or may not feel that you're actually in an interview because the Partner just seems to be wanting to have a chat with you about any topic from financial services to what you like to do on the weekends

It's completely unpredictable and the best you can do is to just roll with it and be conversational - show that you can pair a bit of humor with competence, which is a killer combination!

Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!

Hello,

I'm not sure whether your question title implies that you have successfully gone through the first round, or you are just asking for general advice. I think Ian's advice that there's not really a substantive difference between first and second round interviews is spot on, and much of the prep should be the same. My top advice would be:

1. Keep practicing. Both the case and fit portions are very important in the interview, and the more mock interview prep you can do, the better. Practice with friends or family, or with a coach if you want to get some expert feedback.

2. Make sure you are calm and well-rested on the day. Rest is crucial. Over-casing and over-stressing are both very real phenomena that even the very best candidates struggle with, so make sure to prioritize your mental and physical health throughout the preparation process, and especially as you get close to the interview.

3. On the day, be ready to be flexible and embrace anything that comes your way. Most interviews tend to follow a fairly generic format, but it's important to prepare to be flexible so as not to be thrown by questions that seem new or confusing. Do your best, ask for clarifications if needed. Above all, be polite and professional, and try to build a positive rapport with the interviewer so that they come away with a good personal impression of you.

Hope this helps, and feel free to clarify if there are any specific parts of the process that you would like advice on!

Hi there, 

Wow - that's a huge question. 

But, in short, if you reached round two already you should focus on two things:

1. Work on the feedback received after the first round. They will pay special attention to that. 
2. Aim to be extra concise for the final round and to focus on forging a connection with the interviewer. In the second round you're likely going to be interviewing with Partners, so what they care about is that you are straight to the point and the sort of person they could put in front of a client and not worry about in just a couple of weeks from now on. 

Best,

Cristian

Hello!

Loved this post! But it´s so hard to answer you so generally (and I have the feeling that you want to hear from other candidates vs. coaches). 

What you are finding most challenging, atm?

Cheers, 

Clara