Hi, I am attending a networking event with McKinsey at my school tomorrow. I'm a business major but its open to all majors. Any tips/suggestions? Thank you!
Hi, I am attending a networking event with McKinsey at my school tomorrow. I'm a business major but its open to all majors. Any tips/suggestions? Thank you!
If the on-campus event is invitation-only and is limited to 60-80 people, I agree with other suggestion: you have been flagged as high potential and you shouldn’t be worried about impressing them.
If instead this is an event open to anyone with a first-come first-served basis in terms of registration or registration open only to consulting club member, then I would instead suggest to try to have have an intelligent conversation with a few (2-3) McKinsey folks so that they remember (positively) your name.
Hope it helps,
Andrea
Hey Tom!
My advice might be counterintuitive, but - please - do NOT plan on doing anything special! Networking events at McKinsey are formats for the Firm to market itself. It is MUCH LESS the time for you to market yourself. In the moment that you are eligible to participate in such a workshop, the Firm has already tagged you as an interesting candidate, and there is very limited headroom for you to wow anyone during the event.
So just be relaxed, observe, and ask yourself what are the 2 or 3 things you really want to find out about the Firm and its employees. That's it. Don't try to impress at such a workshop. The time to impress will be the interviews! Cheers, Sidi
(edited)
Hi there,
For an university networking event I suggest:
Best,
Alberto
Hi Tom,
unless it’s a restricted event or you fall under Option B mentioned by Vlad (the workshop is specifically to test your ability to solve cases), as Andrea said I would try to get in touch with few of the current consultants as a way to create a positive connection with one of them.
Your goal in these conversations should not be to get a referral on the spot; rather, you should try to provide a good impression with smart questions, transform the dialogue in a conversation and ask the consultants in the end whether you could reach out later for further questions; if he/she says yes you can then ask for his/her business card. If you made a good impression and the person is an alumnus of your university (usually at least the junior ones coming on campus are alumni) there are chances you could later transform the connection in a referral.
You can find some examples of good and bad questions to ask at the following link:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/open-house-at-bcg-311
As general tips for the workshop:
Hope this helps,
Francesco
(edited)
Hi,
It depends on the structure of a workshop:
Best
Consultant's referrals only have value if they truly know you; i.e., if they have worked with you. In other words, don't expect a true referral from someone just meeting with you once over coffee or at a meet & greet.
MBB will see the whole stack of resumes before even coming on campus, and pre-select whom they want to meet with. By applying early, you would confirm your interest and may get invited to a special event - but I doubt it would make much of a difference anyway: who gets invited for interview will usually be decided after the campus visit, regardless of when you apply.
As for the events themselves, you will obviously want to spend as much time as possible with the consultants when they come on campus: arrive early, leave late, participate in discussions & ask good questions. That will be true regardless of the company, consulting or not.
Hi there,
regarding your questions:
Most importantly, you should also use the opportunity to figure out whether you feel that the firm is the right place for you - this works best if you talk to as many people from the firm as possible.
Hope this helps.
Dorothea
What do you mean by you should not expect a great referral?
Then all the stuff you have been writing so far about networking via linkedin and career fairs ... should not be taken into account??
Hey,
I agree with both Sidi and Vlad.
From the perspective of a person who has just gone through the mixers and events - here is just some small tips:
Be curious, confident and try to have some fun.
T