Introduction video call with McKinsey

Question

Hi,

I have been interesting to work at McKinsey, and had my CV preliminary screened during career fair two year ago.

I haven’t applied there yet as I had commitments in my current job, but recently got a massage from their Central Asia office HR saying that they have got interested with my profile and she wanted to have a 15 minutes call. I have accepted it, but no answer for past 10 days.

Yesterday another Lead HR, probably from Turkey office massaged me with mentioning an approach from other HR, and desire to have a call. We have scheduled an introductory call for tomorrow, and now I am curious what specifically they want to talk about? What should I prepare for?

Thank you

Answer 1

Hi there!

This is great! It always helps if they're the ones who reach out because it means they're really interested in your profile.

Overall they want to get a sense of:

Whether you are interested to move into consulting and into McKinsey
What is your background and whether you have consulting skills that would make you eligible for the role
What role would fit you best
What is your current situation at work and when you could actually be applying / go through the interview process

This is also a great opportunity for you to learn more about the application process and how to approach it.

Sharing with you a guide on how to lead these sort of ‘coffee-chat' / info discussions with consultants:

Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

Also, make sure that you apply to other firms as well, especially since the market is quite tight on screening at the moment:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,

Cristian

———————————————

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Answer 2

Dear,

from my experience you may see this as a first exploratory/intro call where HR will primarily ask you about your recent experience and if you would be interested in applying for a given McK office.

Honestly, I believe it could be a great opportunity to learn about the office dynamics and show your interest in joining the Firm.

I would suggest preparing some “smart” questions to ask that demonstrate your genuine interest in McKinsey.

Feel free to DM me to dig this deeper.

Best,
Antonio

Answer 3

Hi Abdurokhman,

Q: Lead HR desires to have a call. We have scheduled an introductory call for tomorrow, and now I am curious what specifically they want to talk about? What should I prepare for?

Most likely the call will have the goal to understand your motivation with fit questions and/or provide information on the process/position. Fit questions are usually non-PEI ones like:

Tell me about yourself
Why consulting
Why us
Why should we hire you

If they haven’t clarified the topic of the call, it is fine to reach out to clarify it.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 4

Hi there,

Nice work!

This is essentially a screening call. You should be ready to talk through why you are interested in consulting/firm and talk to your past experiences. Essentially, this is a “light fit” interviewer.

Here's some reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Answer 5

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Answer 6

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Answer 7

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