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McKinsey Referral - Able to modify/alter resume?

Hello,

I received a referral link from McKinsey after passing along my resume to a contact there. 

I'm hoping to modify my resume before completing the referral application online. Is this ok? Or should I just go with the resume I passed along to the contact?

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Top answer
Florian
Coach
on Jan 19, 2022
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

If there are important details on your resume that you would like to add, I would definitely incorporate them before continuing the application.

Details that are relevant are related to:

  1. Work experience (new job, promotion, new successes, a new area of responsibility,…)
  2. Academia (new title, new / better GPA, the addition of a thesis,…)
  3. Extracurriculars (new position in a club, new leadership role, new engagement,…)
  4. Time spent abroad (can be for university or professional reasons)

Other than that, I would also send a new resume if the formatting of the older one was off.

Fingers crossed!

Cheers,

Florian

Moritz
Coach
on Jan 19, 2022
ex-McKinsey EM & Interviewer | 7/8 offer rate for 4+ sessions | High impact sessions + FREE materials & exercises

It is possible, yes. If you can't find the option on the platform online, ask your contact if he/she could pass on your updated CV to the recruiter. 

I have seen candidates updating their CV to a new version even during the interview process (e.g. correcting a typo prior to final Partner round).

If you need any specific help with your CV, let me know. I have seen plenty of CVs (good and bad…) during my time in McKinsey.

Best of luck with your application!!

Ian
Coach
on Jan 19, 2022
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

Absolutely you can! You should be able to upload the new resume through the referral link itself. If you can make additions to it that make it a stronger resume then you absolutely should!

on Jan 19, 2022
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

If you have relevant improvements you can definitely upload a new CV.

Some of the key things to consider for a good CV are:

  1. Use action verbs to describe the experiences (eg “Led…; Analyzed…) and use a structure of Action - Results
  2. Quantify results. If you find challenging to define numbers, you can use number of countries/clients/forecasted results
  3. Show experience related to leadership or teamwork. A good number of candidates have points on problem-solving and drive in achieving results, but lack experiences related to work in a team.
  4. Show relevant extracurricular activities and interests. They make the profile more interesting and help to show leadership skills when you are junior

You probably know this already, but typical red flags include:

  • Low GPA
  • Lack of any kind of work experience
  • Bad formatting / typos
  • 3-4 pages length
  • Lack of clear action --> results structure for the bullets of the experiences
  • Long paragraphs (3-4 lines) for the bullets of the experiences with irrelevant details
  • Long gaps without any explanation

Good luck!

Francesco

Simon
Coach
on Jan 19, 2022
50+ successful coachings / Ex-Mckinsey JEM & Interviewer / Industry + Engineering background

Hi!

Usually you can just update your CV and reupload it or send it to the recruiter. Even before the interview, you can always ask if it is okay, that you provide an update (taking into account that the recruiting process can also take some time).

Best,

Simon

Deleted user
on Jan 19, 2022

Yep, upload your best CV.

9
Pedro
Coach
on Jan 20, 2022
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Former Principal | 1.5h session | 30% discount 1st session

I don't see a problem in you updating your CV. Actually, if you can improve, you SHOULD do it.

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