McKinsey - told to reapply within 6 months, should I?

Hey,

First, sorry for the negative outcome. 

Is 6-month usual? No, as mentioned in the other comments, you probably were very close to an offer.

Will it be a simplified processed? If they didn't mention it, probably not. You can call the recruiter and ask / negotiate that part. Try to get it in writing in case you have a different HR rep in 6-month.

Should you reapply? There is no straight answer, and it depends on your goals and alternatives. Ask yourself about the fit with McKinsey particularly the office your applying to and how much you want to join that office. Is it worth turning down other opportunities you might have? and last do not forget that (and don't focus on that either) you might be rejected in 6-month as well, so it depends on your risk aversion. Only you can answer this one :)

Hi there,

This is very promising!

Basically, they see a lot of potential in you but just don't view you as ready. Essentially, you were not prepared enough.

Yes, do apply in 6 months, but you need to do 2 things:

1. Before you apply, reach out to the Partner and HR and double-check that you can/should. Emphasize that you're done a lot of work since then
2. Do a lot of work! I highly recommend a coach to figure out what you are missing that prevented you from moving on from round 2. Work hard to improve your casing and remove those weaknesses.

Good luck :)

Hi there yes you should. If they see potential in you but feel you are not still ready, they put you on the waitlist. You should definitely start practicing now and reapply again in the 6 months,

Hey there,

Sounds encouraging!

Under normal circumstances, you would not be able to apply for 1-2 years after failing the interview stage. However, exceptions exist for various reasons.

In this case, I would check back with HR, referring to your conversation with the Partner. You may very well be marked internally as a high potential candidate. 

However, this needs to be aligned between the Partner and the recruiting team, which isn’t always the case. Let’s hope it is in your case!

Best of luck!

Hi S,

Sorry to hear about the rejection. A ban of 6 months is not usual. The usual ban is 12-24 months, so this means you indeed performed well and close to an offer.

In terms of whether you can skip steps: it depends on what they said. I know cases where this was possible, but they normally communicate it in advance.

Best,

Francesco

It depends and so I would clarify with the recruiter.  Either way its a good sign but I've seen both cases as a final round interviewer.

Hi there,

Usually, the ban in McKinsey is 12 months for internships and 24 months for full-time applications.

However, for candidates that are on the fence and failed during the partner round, 6 months is not uncommon at all. This means that you did very well and barely failed. I have coached a couple of candidates who made it in on their 2nd try with a similar story. It's usually just fine-tuning at that stage.

Hence, use the 6 months to work on your weaknesses and try again.

All the best,

Florian

Hi there, 

It is great news, meaning if it was math that blocked you, in reality is not so hard to get through that, a lot of drills, eventually math tutor. I will also spend a good time on case preparation, just in case. 

Good luck!

Lucie

PS: Was this answer helpful?

Dear candidate, 

well done. Definetely make use of it, if you like the position and firm. 6months is a great number

Best regards,

Charlotte

Hello!

Sorry to hear about that math mistake!

The partner is right, 6 months is not common, so it´s totally a good sign. 

Make sure to follow up with this person, as well as HR, when the 6 months mini-ban is over. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

It's not common but it's not abnormal. That is what is suggested for candidates that almost make it.

I don't see why you wouldn't apply again in 6 monhts… just make sure to take the time to prepare and improve.