Good evening, I'd like to know if it's possible to get hired at McKinsey in Germany without having an excellent German level? (my german level is B2-C1)
Is it a must to complete the McKinsey Interview Process in German and should I assume English is OK if I indicate that I only have an intermediate German level and they still invite me for an interview?
How useful are languages other than English or German at McKinsey when based in Germany?
Many thanks for your help!
(edited)
Hey there,
Unfortunately for McK Germany, German is a must, and also the language the interviews will be conducted in. Germany is a huge consulting market with a lot of German-speaking clients, so it's a requirement to be native or at least business fluent (even though once you join you might not ever work in Germany for German clients…).
That being said, I know people who have managed to pass the interviews with a C1ish level of German, but it's a bit more complicated since you want to focus all your mental energy on solving the case and not on thinking about how to communicate your answers. With proper preparation, key phrases, and keywords it can work!
In short, it's possible but harder.
Languages, in general, are very useful as they are an asset when discussing what projects you want to do and where. It gives you more leverage and choice.
Cheers.
Florian
Hi there,
I can confirm from my experience that working in Germany your German level must be C1/C2, unless you will be joining a specific competence center as an expert and most of your work wont be in Germany. This is, however, 1% chance.
Good luck with your search,
Lucie
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Thank you for your help, Lucie! Will get on with improving my German!
Hi there,
at McK, good German is a pre-requisite. That said, B2 and especially C1 is actually quite strong and may give you a chance to succeed in the process. To pass the screening, suggest you don't position it too conservatively (don't call it intermediate!) as that may prevent you from getting through - once you made it the interview process, it becomes more subjective.
I recently coached a candidate with that exact profile, so can assure you that there is definitely hope. Feel free to reach out via PM, in case you want to know more.
Regarding languages other than English and German, to be frank, that won't matter much in this particular case and won't really get you any bonus points.
That said, of course, the better your level, the higher the chances, so suggest you focus on improving the command, in case you have a bit of time before you apply.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Andi
Hi there,
I am German and worked in McKinsey. In order to get in and thrive, you will have to be native or close to native. Sorry to say that B2/C1 doesn’t quite cut it, unless you have a ridiculously amazing background.
Considering the high density of talent in the region, HR has plenty of alternatives to choose from 99% of the time. Hence, there’s no reason to compromise on language even a little bit. And mind you - language is everything in McKinsey.
Sorry but that’s how it works, I’m afraid.
Best of luck!
(edited)
Hello!
Overall, I would say that it´s a requisite to speak German to work in the DACH area. However, it totally depends on your value proposition for the company: if you an expert on a niche area, for sure it´s gonna be easier (and doable) to get hired with non-excellent German. As an analyst, I would say it´s almost impossible: competition is just too fierce to start one step below everyone else.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hi Clara, I have 7 years' worth of work experience, however not in the consulting world, so I don't think I have enough leverage to get away with a lower German level than other candidates. Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry to hear about that! I also struggle with my German, so totally feel u here :)
Hi there,
B2-C1 is probably not enough. They do need full German proficiency/fluency. Apply to offices where you speak the language natively/fluently!
Here's one gauge: Can you complete a case in German to a high level? If not, you do not have an adequate level of German.
(edited)
Hi Ian, thanks for your feedback. I'll be taking it into account.
Will be difficult as there will be an assumption that you can do client work in German.
Hi Florian, I completely understand and I must agree with you. I will put all my efforts into getting my german up to standard and give it a try once I feel confident enough. Best wishes
All the best!