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Interview process

Hey guys, just received an email from my mckinsey referral saying that i will be invited to the recruiting process soon and will be contacted by the hr in Middle East offices!    

1- how will it start? Will they send me the assessment test first then contacted by hr or what?

2- Can i postpone both the test and interviews or only the interviews?

  3- i will be travelling in 14 days for 10 days, should i cancel my plans? Even though i practiced for a good period of time, i havent practiced since 6 weeks, what do you guys think? 

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Top answer
Lukas
Coach
on Jan 17, 2021
BCG | PwC | LSE | 3+ years in Consulting |I get you ready for BCG

Hi 

It's hard to give a general answer, without knowing more about you. I would offer you a free 15 min call to discuss your challenge in more detail if you like. Just PM me and we can set it up.  However, I will still try to answer your questions here: 

1) Usually the recruiting process works like that (there are big geographic differences) 

  1. McKinsey PST
  2. First round of interviews
  3. Second round of interviews​
  4. Job offer

2) In general they are quite flexible, just reach out to your HR contact, be kind and ask if it's possible to reschedule and mention a good reason. Usually, this should be possible. 

3) I can't answer that, without knowing your case performance. In general, I would say you need at least 25-30 interviews and around 6 week time to prepare yourself properly. You can speed up this process through the help of case coaches. 

I hope that helps. Kind regards, 
Lukas

Florian
Coach
edited on Jan 18, 2021
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

Congrats on making the first step happen! :-)

1. Yes. Here it is crucial for you to start preparing BEFORE they send anything out as, in most countries, the deadline for the PSG is 7 days from receiving the link to the game. Middle East Office has already transitioned to the PSG/ Imbellus.

2. You should be able to postpone both. However, for the test, ideally, reach out to HR beforehand to avoid confusion and a back-and-forth

3. See above. Discuss your logistics and schedule with HR. McKinsey HR is super accommodative of candidates' needs and usually very happy to swap around interview dates, etc.

Cheers,

Florian

Vlad
Coach
on Jan 17, 2021
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

1. If you are not an experienced hire - you'll get a test invitation. If you are an experienced hire interviewing for an Associate - it depends on your experience and role. For example, MBA grads don't get the test

2. Usually you have quite a lot of time to do the test (it was a month for PST, I would expect similar for Imbelus). You can postpone interviews as well. The only exceptions are university interviews and interviews for the specialist role, when the timeline is pretty tight

3) No need to cancel, you can do it later. Don't worry at all

Best

Ian
Coach
on Jan 17, 2021
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

Congratulations!

1) They will send you an email detailing next steps. More like than not you will have an assessment test, but possibly not. Regardless, HR will talk to you about this!

2) You can postpone both IF you are an experienced hire (i.e. not recruiting through a school)

3) Your call...depends on if you think it will affect your chances or if you'll be fine (good focus, good wifi, etc)

on Jan 18, 2021
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Well done on landing an invitation. In terms of your questions:

  1. HR should send you information on the test to do (most likely the Imbellus one); after that you will do 1st and Final rounds with Case and PEI
  2. You should verify that with HR
  3. It depends on when the interview it is going to be scheduled and your current level of preparation

Best,
Francesco

Clara
Coach
on Jan 18, 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Congrats!

My thoughts: 

  1. Yes, HR will contact you with the instructions for the 1st assessment. They will give you a deadline for that. 
  2. Yes. And you should 100% do it if you are not ready. 
  3. I would wait for HR to get in contact and coodinate with them. Perhaps they offer a timeline htat is not even that confflictive, and there is not even a problem there. In any case, you should get back to preparing asap. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Gaurav
Coach
on Jan 18, 2021
#1 MBB Coach(Placed 750+ in MBBs & 1250+ in Tier2)| The Only 360° coach(Ex-McKinsey+Certified Coach+Active recruiter)

Hi there, 

I suggest you contact the HR beforehand and ask him about everything, since you have some travel plans and especially if you didn't study for the test yet. Both interviews and the test can be postponed without any problems.

Hope it helps! PM me if you have any other questions or need help preparing!

Cheers & good luck,

GB

on Jan 18, 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,

1. They'll probably send you an email for taking the Imbellus.

2-3. Considering your situation I'd reach out to HR before receiving an invitation to try and reschedule the process to fit your plans.

Good luck,

Antonello

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