Hello,

To answer your questions:

1. Is 34 years old considered too old for a Junior Associate position?

Absolutely not! Age is not something to be concerned about in this case. If anything, being older than your peers may give you an advantage professionally since you will have more business experience and will probably be taken more seriously by clients. If Junior Associate is the appropriate role for you based on your skills and experience, then go for it!

2. If I know someone who could refer me either within the firm or who knows someone at McKinsey, can they still refer me during the freeze period?

Yes and no - they can technically refer you during the freeze period, but you cannot apply during the freeze period regardless, so that referral link would eventually expire without you being able to use it. There's no way to circumvent the ban unfortunately, you just have to wait it out. The good news is that a referral significantly increases your chances of getting an interview, so if you think it would be feasible for you to get one, I would definitely look into that!

Hi there,

sorry to hear that the recruiting effort so far has not yet been successful. Happy to share my thoughts on your questions.

1. Is 34 years too old for Jr Associate - to my knowledge, the firm does not have a hard cap on age. However, for each career level, they do have that in terms of work experience. Depending on your past career, your profile might then simply calibrate with a higher level (e.g. Associate). Besides, that, sy question would also be - at the age of 34, would you enjoy still starting as a BA, where everyone else is in their early / mid 20s. Might be a bit challenging to fit in from a cultural standpoint accordingly, so I'd consider this factor as well in your case.
2. Waive the freeze period? In general, it's possible on occasion but you will need a very senior referral to make that happen. 

Hope this helps. Wish you all the best!

Regards, Andi

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about the double-rejection but I have a lot of respect for your resilience. I met many people in the firms who also had several attempts at getting in and they were eventually successful. 

First of all, no, you're not going to be too old. I know people who joined in their late thirties, early forties. It's more atypical, but it's not problematic. So go for it. 

Second of all, the referral helps increase your chances of passing screening, but it won't help you with the freeze period. So just use it once the freeze is off. 

Last but not least, make sure that you get it right this third time around. Ideally work with a coach / expert. This will make a critical difference in your chances of getting an offer, especially if you've been at it for a while. 

And aside from this, make sure that you have a good application strategy to begin with. Sharing with you a guide below that you might find useful:

• Free Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Practicing for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> SoyTechnologies  

Hi there,

1) Is 34 years old considered too old for a Junior Associate position?

For the firm it should not be a problem. You have to consider whether it would be fine for you to join at that age. I would expect they might propose the Associate role directly given the experience you will have developed by then.

2) If I know someone who could refer me either within the firm or who knows someone at McKinsey, can they still refer me during the freeze period?

If you have a referral and would prefer to apply earlier, I would recommend to:

1. Disclose the previous rejection
2. Ask them to check with HR if it is possible to anticipate the application. It might be possible to have a shorter period (eg 12 months)

You can then follow what they recommend.

Best,

Francesco