Does McKinsey ask about expected salary during the interview?

Hi,

1. The salaries are not discussed during the interviews
2. Net salaries are very similar across the offices with the rare exceptions (African countries, etc. + In some expensive cities like New York you will have a slightly bigger salary)
3. The salaries are standardized for the particular role so in general, you are not discussing the salary
4. You can discuss the position itself:

• It's best to have the target role in the objective of the resume from the beginning
• It's good to discuss the role that you want with some friends from McKinsey so that they will give you an honest answer whether you are really qualified for it
• You can discuss the role if you successfully pass the interviews
• Higher role and salary are not necessarily good for you. McKinsey has the Up Or Out policy and if you are not experienced in consulting it's not bad to have less responsibility at the beginning and some capacity to make mistakes. The career growth is so fast at McK that you'll get your target salary pretty soon.

Best

McKinsey does not ask about salary expectations during interviews. Interviews only have the purpose to assess the candidates suitability for the position. The reason is that salary is pretty standardized, and also that your interviewers are normally not involved in the technicalities of the offer. Any type of negotiation/figures discussion can only happen AFTER the interviews.

Cheers, Sidi