Preparing for McKinsey intro call (from a referral)?

McKinsey McKinsey consulting analyst Mckinsey interview McKinsey intro call McKinsey Referral
Neue Antwort am 4. Feb. 2021
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Anonym A fragte am 3. Feb. 2021

I was fortunate enough to have been connected by a mentor to the recruiting officer of our country. The recruiter invited me to a 30 min meeting through Zoom (an intro call) and to apply as a Consulting Analyst. I was wondering what type of interview this would be (case, Why McKinsey, tell me about yourself + elevator pitch)? How I should prepare? How does this affect my application or screening process (did I skip some steps)? After this interview, how can I prepare for the remaining steps?

Thank you very much!

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Clara
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Content Creator
antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Congrats on the referral!

You will have a 30mins call with recruiting, not consultants, this is a fundamental difference with the interviews of the 1st round.

This is going to be similar to FIT, but not the full scope FIT interviews cover. You should focus on the 2 first families of questions: intro & CV and motivational questions.

If you want to deep dive, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!

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Ian
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antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

This very much sounds like just that, an intro call. They're looking to see where you would fit best.

Remember, any and every interaction with a target company (or, really, in the professional world) should be treated as an evaluative interaction.

The recruiter is not "officially" screening you, but obviously if you don't sound like a good candidate, they'll ignore your application when they do submit. If you blow them away, you'll be at the top of the pile.

Absolutely be ready with a (short) version of resume walkthrough/elevator pitch, why consulting, and why McKinsey. Be prepared to talk about any of your current/past work and academic experiences.

Make sure you come across as personable, intelligent, respectful, eager, coachable, etc.

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Anonym antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021

Hi A,

congrats on taking that first step of the recruiting process! I have not yet heard of 1-to-1 Intro calls with candidates before an actual application. However, I would advise to prepare a couple of simple personal fit related questions

  • Why do you want to go into Consulting
  • Why would you want to work for McKinsey?
  • Tell me about yourself / Walk me through your CV

Additionally, it totally makes sense to reach out to HR in case you're not sure about what the interview will be about / what is expected from you. They will be happy to help and reaching out to them will not affect your application negatively.

Hope this helps. Cheers

Jonas

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Florian
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antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021
Highest-rated McKinsey coach (ratings, offers, sessions) | 500+ offers | Author of The 1% & Consulting Career Secrets

Hey there,

This sounds like an intro call and general chat. I am not sure you would be tested on any skills before actually applying properly (as I understand from your question, you have not officially applied yet).

In general, my advice whenever something is unclear in the recruiting process, write or call HR to clarify exactly what is expected of you at this stage. They will be happy to tell you more details about the purpose and content of the call.

Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Florian

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Anonym A am 3. Feb. 2021

What are the questions usually asked in an intro call? Yes, I have not yet officially applied

Florian am 3. Feb. 2021

Expect 1. the classic resume run-through 2. Why consulting 3. Why McKinsey 4. How did you get in touch with McKinsey / any touchpoints with our consultants. The recruiter will likely also give you an intro about opportunities.

Antonello
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, I confirm it is usually a motivational interview to fix the 1st round. Regarding the preparation for the 1st round I recommend focusing on:

  • Personal Experience Interview: fit and CV questions to assess your personal impact, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit. You should prepare impactful stories about your experiences that cover these 3 main pillars.
  • Case Interview: typical business case to evaluate your structure in approaching problems, problem-solving skills, and business sense. This is the most time-demanding aspect to work on. I recommend reading Cosentino's Case in point to fix the theory. Then, what will be really important is practicing mock cases with other candidates here on Preplounge.

I have supported hundreds of candidates in achieving offers in McK during the last few years, feel free to text me to understand my approach

Hope it helps,
Antonello

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Ken
Experte
antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

I agree with Jonas and Florian where its always best to clarify on what to expect. You mentioned Consulting Analyst - are you actually referring to the Consulting Analyst role (twhich is the pre-BA role in some countries) or the more typical Business Analyst role as the two are slightly different.

Having said that, these intro calls are more for formality so that you can ask about McKinsey, the process, etc. The fact that you have managed to connect with the recruiter means they are aware of your profile and so it will ensure that your application will be properly considered but it wouldn't allow you to skip any steps. The preparation should very much be in line with the standard Imbellus test, first and final round case/PEI interviews.

Good luck!

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Anonym A am 6. Feb. 2021

Hello, yes, I am referring to the pre-BA role

Udayan
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 3. Feb. 2021
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /6 years McKinsey recruiting experience

Hi,

Good job on getting this scheduled, its often the hardest step in the recruitment process. I have never heard of recruiters giving cases at McKinsey so you should not worry about that. Also if there was to be a case you would know by now, there are no surprises in the McK recruitment process.

This call will be to assess your background and your interest in the firm and the role. You should be prepared with the following

  • 1-2 min elevator pitch
  • Talking points on past work experience
  • Talking points on anything that is on your resume
  • Why McKinsey and why consulting
  • Anything with regards to how you heard about the role and people you know
  • Questions to ask HR on the recruitment process or the role

All the best,

Udayan

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Gaurav
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 4. Feb. 2021
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there!

Congrats on scheduling the call!

It's most likely gonna be a conversation similar to the fit part interview. So be prepared to talk about yourself, answer some motivational questions, you might have a chance to ask your questions, too.

Good luck with the call and for the interviews!

Cheers,

GB

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Clara

Content Creator
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut
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