Final round MBB - How can I deal with stress?

Question

I tend to believe I am very well prepared and can crack any case + very good PEI and background, but I don't trust my mental system. In the first round, on the first interview I was so stressed, that I had to vomit right after the call.

How can I deal with my stress? I think this is the biggest mental obstacle. Due to many things happening in my life, I feel like I would be absolutely crushed if I don't pass the final round. This is a completely inefficient and wrong way of looking at things. But I'm seriously trying (doing yoga, meditation, positive affirmations). It helps temporarily then I'm back into extreme anxiety and fear. Any tips are welcome.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I'm so sorry to hear this! I'm about to be very blunt, but it's for the purpose of showing you that the only way to "fix" this is to realize that you're seriously overhyping yourself for nothing.

1) Nothing about this interview matters or is a big deal. If you don't get the offer, life will go on. Moreover, you'll honestly probably be happier for it. You are not a failure. You just didn't pass an interview - like everyone else in this world. So, welcome to the club.

2) This is the most important moment of your life....until the next one. There are going to be hundreds of moments like these, and they don't matter once they're done. Think about your college admissions, or a big class presentation, or an interview for an internship, or a first date, etc.. Are you scared of them now? No! They're in the past. This will be too soon.

Get over yourself and this situation. If you get it, it'll be good. If you don't, it'll be fine. There will be other things that come your way.

3) Don't let society/your culture pressure you - their values are arbitrary. Are you in the East Coast US, Japan, Korea, or any other high-achieving "rise the corporate ladder" country/city? Just remember...that's how they define things. It isn't like that everywhere...if you were to live in the countryside, no one could care less about this "brand" or "mark" on your resume.

Here is some prior advice on the matter: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/choking-during-interview-8580

Good luck :)

Answer 2

Hi there,

Good question. Here are my thoughts:

Clarify your real goals. Think about what you want to do in 5-10 years. Is MBB the only way to get there? Are MBB people the only ones that are successful? Did Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg work at McKinsey? No. MBB can speed up your trajectory but it is almost never the only way to get where you really want to go. You can most likely get there anyway. When you understand and internalize this, most of the pressure will go away
See the interview as just one of the possible steps towards the big goal. Linked to the previous point: you are not preparing for the MBB offer- that’s not your final goal. You are working towards your big 10-year goal. The interview doesn’t work? Doesn’t matter. You can go for another company or apply again in 2 years. There are other steps available. Long term, the fact that you “lost time” failing at the first attempt will be completely irrelevant
Have alternatives. Not necessarily applicable to your case but if you manage to get other invitations /interviews it will for sure decrease pressure. It also generally makes sense in terms of your long-term goal – you are decreasing risks to get delays in what you really target due to unforeseen events (eg a partner doesn't like you for whatever reason). I went through my BCG interview process after getting an offer from OW – and that helped a lot to decrease the pressure

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Answer 3

Hey there!

Of course, getting stressed because of the interviews is totally normal. But your biggest and the most important task is to change your mindset. Evenly distribute your concentration so as to be sure to occupy yourself with something before and after the interview. Try to keep yourself busy as long as you can - that will help you stop overthinking.

Watch your breath! Keep it even and this way don't let you fall into panic. It also will keep you focused.

And absolutely keep it in my that the interview - is not the end of the world and neither of the outcomes will ruin your life no matter what!

Fingers crossed!

Answer 4

Hey,

You are just struggling to manage your own thoughts & emotions and letting them run wild. Stop it and just ignore that mental chatter. Do you consciously listen to your heart pumping or kidneys beeping or whatever else your body does? Then why this exaggerated focus on the mind?

Perhaps take a break, do something fun. Get back in there & focus on giving your best. Dont worry about the outcome. It will happen.

All the best.

Answer 5

Hi there,

Lots of useful advice here already. I wish I had seen this question earlier.

Aside from what was mentioned, also trust that things will normalise with time. The more you experience interviews, the less nervous you'll feel, like it is with anything else. So don't put so much pressure on yourself in terms of ‘doing’ something about being nervous, but also just accept that it will go away with time.

Best,
Cristian