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What are the types of cases one can possibly expect from the sustainability space? Especially for McKinsey rounds, since the firm has a growing focus on the same in the recent times?

Can anyone guide me on what are the things I can focus on, to stay prepared for the same?

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Florian
Coach
am 10. Okt. 2022
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

Generally, McKinsey interviews are always about the process and your thinking, rather than what you know about a certain topic.

Yet it makes sense to become familiar with a couple of topics that can guide your understanding and idea generation for a case interview.

For that matter, have a look at all the latest research articles by McKinsey on Sustainability here: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/sustainability/our-insights

  • Read through those articles and think about potential cases that could be spun off of them
  • Think about frameworks and brainstorming exercises related to it
  • Look at the types of exhibits and interpret them
  • Look if there is some quantitative analyses

Other than that, McKinsey cases are a bit different. For more details, have a read here: https://preplounge.com/mckinsey-interview

Let's break it down below as well:

1. The difference between a McKinsey case and a non-McKinsey case first and foremost lies in the interviewer-led format as you are aware. Every case you have in this case book can be asked from an interviewer-led perspective.

In the McKinsey interview you will have to answer three different questions types - broadly speaking:

  • Structuring
  • Exhibit Interpretation
  • Math

While in candidate-led cases, they should arise naturally when you drill down into your structure, in McKinsey interviews, the interviewer will bring them up in succession.

2. The second big difference lies in the nature of questions asked at McKinsey. At the core, McKinsey wants to see creative ideas communicated in a structured manner, the more exhaustive the better.

As a result, McKinsey cases will usually be very creative in nature and not something that can be solved by looking at industry frameworks or industry trends.

The example of the machine breakdown in the lower part of the article is a real McK case question and demonstrates the creative and out-of-the-box aspects of their interviews.

Be aware that frameworks were applicable in the 2000 years, the era of Victor Cheng and Case in Point. McK has long caught up on this and the cases you will get during the interviews are tailored in a way to test your creativity and ability to generate insights, not remember specific frameworks.

3. The third big difference is how to answer the questions in a McKinsey interview. Since the interviewer guides you from question to question, you need to be in the driver's seat for each question and treat each almost like a mini case in itself.

Your goal should be to come up with a tailored and creative answer that fits the question. The framework should - broadly speaking - follow these three characteristics:

  • Broad
  • Deep
  • Insightful

The firm wants to see exhaustive and creative approaches to specific problems, which more often than not do not fit into the classic case interview frameworks (or can be derived from industry drivers and trends) that were en vogue 10 years ago...

Again, this only applies if everything you say

  • adds value to the problem analysis
  • is MECE
  • is well qualified
  • includes a detailed discussion of your hypotheses at the end

As a result, you can spend several minutes, guiding the interviewer through your structure!

Now for Structure and Exhibit Interpretation, there is also no right or wrong answer. Some answers are better than others because they are

  • deep
  • broad
  • insightful
  • hypothesis-driven
  • follow a strong communication (MECE, top-down, signposted)

That being said, there is no 100% that you can reach or the one-and-only solution/ answer. It is important that your answers display the characteristics specified above and supported well with arguments.

As for Math questions, usually, there are answers which are correct (not always 100% the same since some candidates simplify or round differently - which is ok), and others that are wrong, either due to the

  • calculation approach
  • calculation itself

The difference in format and way of answering a question is the reason why I recommend preparing very differently for McK interviews vs. other consultancies.

Now that you know about

  • the different format
  • the different question types and case briefs
  • the ways to answer the questions

you can start using the cases you already have and approach them in a McKinsey-specific way. 

If you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out for some free guidance on how to come up with your own McKinsey-type cases on the spot.

Also, check out this answer I wrote on how the cases McKinsey posts online are comparable to the actual interviews: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/are-mckinsey-website-practice-cases-representative-for-what-will-come-10002

Cheers,

Florian

Udayan
Coach
am 10. Okt. 2022
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /12 years recruiting experience

A good way to approach challenges like this is to see what are the real world challenges companies are facing when it comes to sustainability?

Some examples that come to mind

  • Offsetting carbon footprint from normal activities - e.g., manufacturing, travel, printing paper etc.
  • Replacing the use of fossil fuels with sustainable alternatives
  • Packaging materials and use of excessive plastic in packaging
  • Environmental impact of firm activities
  • Use of carbon tax credits

 

Those are just some examples of issues companies are facing. It is impossible to predict what you will get unless you have the actual interview question. However you can be more prepared by reading about sustainability issues firms are facing. At the end of the day, the case is not about testing your ability to structure a particular problem but to be able to structure any problem so you do not need to know these in great detail in order to come up with a good structure.

Best,

Udayan

  •  
am 20. Okt. 2022
#1 rated McKinsey Coach

Hi there, 

If I were you, I would check with the recruiter / HR whether specifically for the role - office combination you are applying to the cases will be from one specific industry or rather general. For almost all candidates the cases can be from any industry, but it's best to know in advance so you can adjust you preparation accordingly. 

Best,

Cristian

Ian
Coach
bearbeitet am 13. Okt. 2022
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

Here's a case I've just completed on Sustainability: https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/hunger-warriors-270

Secondly, read BCG Insights and McK Insights. You'll literally see a plethora of topics:

  • Sustainable Investing and Finance
  • Energy Transition
  • Climate Innovation, Technology, and Growth
  • Sustainability Strategy and Transformation
  • Food Systems and Security
  • Supply Chain Management and Procurement
  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Food Loss and Waste
  • Food Supply Chains
  • Food Packaging
  • Digital Agriculture
Maikol
Coach
am 10. Okt. 2022
BCG Project Leader | Former Bain, AlixPartner, and PE | INSEAD MBA | GMAT 780

Each of McK, BCG, and Bain have more and more cases on sustainability.

My suggestion is to be aware of the key topics (e.g., emissions, COP27, electricity storage, EV, etc). You can find plenty of material on this on the MBB websites.

If you want I have a couple of cases on ESG that I can propose to you.

Pedro
Coach
am 24. Okt. 2022
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

I would prepare for cases “as usual” and read as much as possible about the sustainability practices and available materials from consulting firms on those topics.

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