Hi,
I have 3 first round interviews.
2 are the common mckinsey PEI x Case interview. However, 1 is a 1 hour general knowledge interview "A conversational interview delving into your background, technical skillset, consultant ‘toolkit’ and transferable skills"
Any advice on how to prepare for the general knowledge part?
The general knowledge interview is only for the expert consulting track where they will be keen to get an idea of your relevant experience and expertise. I've not conducted such interview myself but based on stories from past candidates there's not a whole lot you can prepare beyond what they have already told you.
My only insightful suggestion would be to read up on relevant McKinsey Insights articles on your relevant field (e.g., digital transformation, agile org, etc.) as well as look up the Partners who are in your local office (e.g., Digital McKinsey London) and the type of work they do/articles they have written as that will be the type of work that you would be exposed to if you were to join.
(edited)
Hi Anonymous,
This is rather typical for experienced hires with a specific background (which usually isn't relevant for university graduates).
How to prepare for it:
Hope this helps - if so, please give it a thumbs-up with the upvote button below!
Robert
Hi A,
During the general knowledge interview will be tested your past relevant experiences.
I would recommend using the STAR framework to explain your past projects:
Using this framework you should focus on the most relevant and meaningful projects and your roles in them.
Also, read the latest articles to find out the topics you could use to demonstrate the relevance of the projects you led.
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GB
Hi there,
Sounds like you're coming in as an experienced hire.
For this session you should expect them to essentially test your "Experienced" portion :)
So, you need to be prepared to talk about your past projects + roles. You really need to highlight here how much knowledge you have in the industry/topic. You'll need to persuade them that you have had real impact and led teams/projects with your expertise.
Finally, you should be prepared for "brainstorming" around the topics at play. So, if coming in as an IT experienced hire, they may ask you "How would you setup Agile at scale?" Or "What do you think are the key reasons Digitization programs either suceed of fail" Or "How would you decide between a cloud vs. on-premise solution"?
