Tel me about yourself (Final roud interviews)

Hi,
I recommend building an impactful story that can be a mix of your points: engage the interviewer talking about 3 points that highlight your strengths (relevant to the firm) and make a summary of your background

Hope it helps,
Anto 

Hi,

This is a similar question to "walk me through your resume". I advise that you walk them through your education and work experience on a high-level, and bridge this to why you are interested in consulting and why you are interviewing with them today.

You should not spend more than 2 minutes on this question in order to keep the interviewer engaged. 

Best,

Deniz

Hi Anonymous,

I would recommend a mix of the first and third approaches you suggested. You should engage the interviewer but also mention experiences that show points of strength useful in consulting.

It is important that you (i) show the details of the experiences and (ii) clearly state the learning/skills that you developed with that experience – many candidates skip at least one of the two elements.

Best,

Francesco

The best structure for this question is to

• Open with a 1-2 sentence statement on yourself and who you are.
• Then walk through key experiences in your CV - not more than 60 seconds
• Finish with the reason that brings you into this meeting (why you're applying and how the job fits into your future)

Hi,

First of all  - don't assume that the consultant saw your CV. Usually, they don't prepare and read in advance

I would recommend the following structure:

1. Start with a 1 sentence summary of your background, why you are relevant for McKinsey and what's your unique selling point
2. Talk about 3-4 of your roles (may be professional, education, extracurricular), 3 sentences each. The more experienced you are the more you should speak about professional roles. It can be also the distinct roles within the same organization. Typical structure: 1) What was the company 2) What you were responsible for 3) Greatest achievement in that role, that will stay in the memory of the interviewer (E.g. While working at Adidas supply chain I was personally responsible for the delivery of soccer balls to the Worldcup in Africa)
3. The main reason why consulting (or McKinsey if you were a consultant before) is the next logical career step for you

Best!

Hi A,

I agree with colleagues, why not just mix all three variables? You could start with your strengths in order to engage the interviewer, then consistently go to your background and mention a couple of interesting facts about you (that might be relevant to consulting in some way).

But do not get carried away, keep it short and structured to make a good impression.

Best,

André