Just received an email from McKinsey for an additional Interview

Hello there,

It's great to hear that McKinsey is still interested in your candidacy after a 10-month process! McKinsey is known for its thorough and rigorous interview process, and additional rounds or interviews are not uncommon.

Receiving an email about an additional interview could serve a few purposes ranging from clarifications, further assessment, and final evaluation, etc.

Since they've suggested additional reading, it's likely that they want you well-prepared for a specific topic during the interview.

I would advise you to reach out to the interviewer to understand exactly if this is a case interview and if this will be the final one, review the suggested reading and revisit your experiences, reflect on the fit part and how McKinsey is still a good fit for you, and most importantly STAY FOCUSED AND POSITIVE, being invited for an additional interview is a positive sign. It means they're still interested and want to explore further. You are almost at the finish line this is definitely not the time to throw in the towel, give it your all.

Hope this helps!
 

Hi,

Based on my experience, an additional read is normally given when your previous rounds results are too drastic with one score in particular being very strong and that interviewer willing to push for you. 

Often, the reason for a poor score in one interview is due to the case, and typically not due to ‘motivation’.

I would suggest that you clarify again that there will be no case interview, but anyways prepare for a full interview. The last thing you want is to be thrown off guard because of a wrong expectation.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. 

Hi Aleeya,

Q: I also don’t know what this interview is now about. Can someone help me out? Is this normal for McKinsey? What should I expect?

From what they shared, it seems like a fit interview without cases. It is not very common, but I have helped candidates who had an extra interview after the final one. Usually, this happens for experienced hire roles where the final chat is with the head of the practice.

I agree with Benjamin not to completely exclude a case despite what HR says. I know of cases where HR said there wouldn't be any case, and a case was asked instead.

Good luck!

Francesco

Oh Wow!

What office is this? 

This is by no means typical. 

Best case scenario the recruiter is just somebody who is really casual but here it rather risks looking unprofessional. 

Realistically, it sounds like they're on the fence about you. Probably it's not only because of YOU, but also because of the situation they are in and the entire consulting market. 

My recommendation would be to treat it like an actual interview. I doubt it's going to be case focused, so instead I'd really focus on preparing the personal fit part. 

Let us know how things work out in the end. I'm invested in the story by now :)

Best of luck!
Cristian

Hello,

This is not super typical, but sometimes companies will arrange extra interviews with candidates for a number of reasons.

Based on what they have told you, I would expect more of a fit interview / conversation about your background and experiences. But I would also advise you to be prepared for anything, and not completely rule out a case interview either. If you prepare both case and fit, you’ll be covered on all the bases. Best of luck!

@Aleeya any update on your end ?

Sounds like this is very much a “non-structured” fit interview. They want to know you're right for the firm. You're close - good luck!