McKinsey: All rounds in one day

Interview McKinsey rounds
New answer on Sep 02, 2020
5 Answers
4.3 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Dec 28, 2018

Hello,

I was invited by McKinsey to take all my rounds of interviewing in one single day through video conference (as I'm not living in the country of the local office right now). 3 first interviews in the morning with consultants, and 2 with senior partners in the afternoon.

Is this a normal procedure? What should I expect?

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Serhat
Expert
replied on Dec 29, 2018
BCG | Kellogg MBA |82% Success rate| 450+ case interview| 5+ year consulting | 30+ projects in ~10 countries

Hi there,

Simple answer for your question: No this is not the typical process. However, it is not also extremely unusual as you are applying for an office other than your home city. You should expect nothing different than usual interviews held in multiple days. Probably, the only difference will be the intensity of the interviews for you as they will be consecutive. My humble advice for you would be "try to do your best to focus on each interview as it is the most important one and do not focus on your performance at previous interviews".

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Norah
Expert
replied on Dec 29, 2018
I am here to get you an offer! | Ex MBB interviewer Expert in MBB and Tier 2, Deep knowledge of EU & Middle East regions

Hello Anonymous,

Thanks for reaching out.

I have heard of several cases of that type, where you would have a day with all your interviews, especially when you have to travel for that (for example for Casa, London or Paris office, it's usually on Thursdays and Fridays). I have also been there 2 years ago.

it's a normal procedure, but you need to prepare for it quite intensively. You will have 3 interviews (back to back) in the morning, then lunch with the interviewers who will give you the go/no go for the last round (the afternoon) after lunch.
Then, if you pass to the last round, you will have 2 interviews with the senior partners in the afternoon.
What I would suggest is a few things:
1. Prepare with fellow candidates/friends/coaches on a back to back mode (3 interviews one after the other) to prepare yourself to that setup

2. Book a session with a coach who is familiar with that setup and will train you accordingly

3. Rest the day before and eat healthy food, vitamines, healthy fruits in the morning of your interview (that will be handful to avoid running out of battery)

4. Relax, it's a standard process and the good news is you might have an offer at the end of the day and be done with the interviews :)

5. Do not be stressed or pessimistic if one of your interviews did not go that well. Keep going! It's a marathon.
Best of luck and do not hesitate to reach out to me by private message if you have any questions,

Norah

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Sidi
Expert
replied on Dec 29, 2018
McKinsey Senior EM & BCG Consultant | Interviewer at McK & BCG for 7 years | Coached 350+ candidates secure MBB offers

In Germany, it is standard to have all rounds in one day at McKinsey. Every candidate goes through that process (first round in the morning, final round in the afternoon). The only difference in your situation is the fact that interviews are done via VC.

Cheers, Sidi

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Anonymous replied on Sep 02, 2020

Dear A,

That tight schedule of the interview usually predict a lot of pressure. So what you can do for that:

- Be prepared on advanced level. Train as much as you can, even during the 1 one in order to get that "taste". If you can, I would recommend you to take an expert coach

- Be confident and well rested

Wish you best of luck,

André

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Oleksandr (Alex)
Expert
replied on Dec 28, 2018
Very experienced ex-McKinsey consultant with cross-country expertise

Hey there,

Well, You're going to feel lots of pressure interview day. Trust me. The only thing to do (no stress) is to advance on your preparation. Typically, you can expect harder cases with the partners vs regular managers or consultants. But, don't underestimate first three interviews.

Be humble and practice your body - in order to lower stress level (otherwise you would probably not be able to be as sharp as you can).

PS> I've heard of such cases, but they're super rare, thus you're lucky! Take your chance.

Good luck!

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