Hello, I had one Engagement Manager and one Associate Partner at my first-round interview. Will those who take 2nd round interview from me be higher profile colleagues - Partners from McKinsey?
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Hi there,
Yes, the second round is usually done by APs and Partners, in rare cases even Sr. Partners.
McKinsey is trying really hard to create an objective and standardized interview experience for all candidates, across offices, practices, and interviewers. As a result, you should expect exactly the same interviewing format as in the first round
- 25 minutes PEI
- 25 minutes case
- 5 minutes for your questions at the end of the interview
You will be evaluated on the same criteria, and metrics, with the same types of cases and questions.
Now, that's the theory. :-)
Quick reality check!
That being said, partners still often employ their own way of doing interviews based on their personal preferences, which means that sometimes the final round with them can be less predictable.
Some focus on the case, others focus solely on the fit part (and deviate from the traditional PEI to ask other personal fit questions), and some stick to the standard format. I had a candidate recently who had to go through two cases and one of them was made up on the spot, which made it very tricky.
In general, the more senior the partner, the more likely are they to deviate from the standard interview format because they a. can b. have their own way of doing things. :-)
So now you know the practice.
What does this mean for you and your preparation?
Nothing much.
Continue with your preparation, meaning
- Rehearse and finetune your PEI answers with a coach or peers who know what they are talking about
- Hone your case interview skills that are relevant for McKinsey (structuring, math, exhibit interpretation) with coaches and drills
- Prepare for some traditional fit questions (Why consulting, why McKinsey, etc.)
- Pay special attention to the areas where you received negative feedback in the first round. Second-round interviewers are aware and will dig deeper into these specific areas
During the interview
- Stay cognitively flexible
- Do not be surprised if the format deviates from what you expect
- Stay calm and collected no matter what happens
- Stay enthusiastic, and engaged and portray the impression that you are happy to be here (partners love that...)
If you managed to pass the first round, you should have it in you to pass the second round as well.
Fingers crossed and let me know if you need some help with McKinsey!
Feel free to read some of the articles I wrote here about the process:
- Case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mckinsey-interview
- PEI: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-pei
Cheers,
Florian
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Generally, final round interviews are done by the Partners.
From time to time, scheduling is tough and an Associate Partner will cover for 1 of the Partners.
Drawing from my own time at McKinsey, and my experience in my own McKinsey interviews, I will say:
+ First round interviews are almost exclusively down by EMs. An Associate Partner might do a a first round interview, but this is rare.
+ Final round interviews are done by Partners. However, it is less rare to have an Associate Partner cover 1 of the interviews.
+ I have never heard of a case where BOTH of the final round interviews are each done by Associate Partners; neither have I hear of both doing the same in the first round.
+ At McKinsey, in the pecking order, an Associate Partner is closer in hierarchy and prestige to an EM than they are to a Partner (I mention this because of your curious reference to ‘higher profile’ colleagues).
All the best in your interview! :-)
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Hi there,
They are likely to be the same level or higher. In general 2nd rounds are a higher level, but that's not always the case.
The rule, in general, is to try not to predict/expect any one thing!
A few things to keep in mind for the 2nd round:
Case Reading: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case
Fit Reading: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question
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Hello,
Second round interviews are most commonly done by partners and associate partners, but this is not always the case, you may also have an EM interviewing. It largely depends on interviewer availability.
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Hi there,
in the 2nd round at least 1 interview will be from Partner, remaining will be at least Manager level.
All the best!
Lucie
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Yes, that is how the process typically works. But it might happen that you will encounter another Associate Partner for example (usually this would happen if Partners' availability was limited and there was some kind of time pressure).
Good luck during 2nd round!
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