Ban period McKinsey

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejection. In terms of your question:

Q: Is the ban period still effective for other roles within McKinsey, including the Business Analyst role or is it only applicable to the (Junior) Associate role?

Not sure if they specified something in the rejection email. However when you fail the test, at McKinsey they ask to wait 12-18 months for a full-time position.

Sometimes when you fail a final round but you are close to a pass, they could mention a shorter period for the ban.

Given that in your case you want to apply for a different office and a lower position, I would recommend the following (unless they mentioned something else in the email):

1. Wait for a minimum of 6 months
2. Find a referral – you can find some tips for that here
3. Disclose the previous rejection and ask if it is ok to apply at that stage

The person referring you will probably check with HR first. If they say yes, then you can apply again. If they say no, you can wait the period they recommend, without the issue of having another formal rejection as you would have not formally applied again via the website.

Good luck!

Francesco

Dear candidate, often it is meant to say to wait some time overall. But

1) if for a different region, different role this might work

2) network and get positive referrals and you can get around it for a different role

3) ask to nevertheless be included in upcoming McK events, eg apply when they are available AND show that you are outstanding in your application and that they should give you the chance

Best regards

I would say from my experience as a part of the recruiting team that the “ban” period only exists for the same role you applied for. For example, if you applied to be a BA but were turned down, there's nothing stopping you from applying for another role.

I hope that helps, and best of luck! Feel free to reach out to me to talk through the preparation process for the BA interview at McKinsey. I was a trained interviewer and recruiter at McKinsey specifically for BAs, so I'm happy to share my experiences and feedback.

Hi there,

You might be able to apply, but you should network in order to find out.

Please make sure you do something different in your prep. Consider actually investing in yourself and hiring a coach. If you didn't pass, something is wrong that needs fixing!

Here's some info to hopefully help you in your prep this time around:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

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

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/dos-and-donts-in-a-case-interview

Hi there, 

Sorry to hear the application didn't work out on the first go. This is rather typical. 

Basically, the ban is for the entire firm. So regardless of the role or the office you are applying to, you need to wait for a year. 

You could still reach out and ask, but don't be disappointed if they say the same thing. 

My recommendation would be to branch out and diversify your application strategy. Have a look at the free guide I wrote below on how to do this:

Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Best,
Cristian

Hello,

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately the ban typically applies across offices and roles, though you can always reach out to HR to make sure this is the case.