Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your disappointment!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, interning at McKinsey is a great achievement, and the internship should be viewed as what it is – an opportunity to gain experience while in school. Of course, it's great if the internship leads to a full-time offer, but this is not the standard.
• Still, during the interview process, the interviewer might ask about this internship and why you didn't receive a full-time offer. I would advise you to prepare a clear and concise explanation, focusing on lessons learned. In case the discussion gets more detailed, I would advise you to be honest about why you didn't get along with your project lead, but avoid speaking negatively about the experience and instead, emphasize your own personal growth.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your upcoming BCG and Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

I'm really sorry you did not get a return offer. This is really hard.

Remember, the greatest accomplishments come from temporary defeat. Do not let this bring you down - keep pushing for the next offer.

At the same time, reflect. You're “blaming” the staffing and project lead, but not yourself. In consulting you are going to get bad projects, bad clients, bad managers. 

If you don't reflect on what you could have done better, if you don't attempt to change, and if you don't recognize that this problem will follow you in any consulting role, you will continue to not get offers/promotions.

For context, I had a really similar internship (tough project, a boss I really didn't gel with), but I found a way to make it work (buried my head, played the game, etc.). I got the return offer.

Now, that's water under the bridge but please make sure to learn/adjust/adapt to see how you can navigate the next tough situation WHEN it happens.

The good news is you should be just fine on future interviews :)

An internship is just that - an internship! If they do happen to bring it up, you can just say that it was a great experience, you learned a lot, it re-asserted your interest in consulting, but that you're looking to work full-time in a different country and therefore interviewing!

(edited)

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the situation.

Unfortunately, these things happen. 

I don't expect this to be an issue for your future applications and it's highly unlikely that they'll ask you whether you got a return offer. It's an asset, in fact, because it shows you were validated by one of their competitors. If asked, you can also just say that you wanted to try out different firms before you get to settle on one. 

Best,
Cristian

Your internship at McKinsey Germany itself would not necessarily be a red flag or signal that you didn't get a return offer. It's important to remember that each consulting firm has its own hiring processes and criteria.

While it's possible that you may be asked about your internship experience and not receiving a return offer during interviews, it's important to approach this situation with honesty and professionalism. Be prepared to explain the circumstances and focus on the learnings and growth you gained from the experience.

My suggestion would be to highlight the positive aspects of your internship experience, such as the skills you developed, the projects you worked on, and the value you brought to the team. Emphasize your eagerness to continue your consulting career and your interest in the specific offices you're applying to.

Having the internship will help you get an interview and not be a red flag, but yes it very likely to be brought up and it is something you can prepare for.

They may want to know whether you got an offer or why you don't want to continue there. As suggested by others, be honest and clear about both and you will be fine.

You can say that culturally it was not a good fit and that you were not able to perform given that. But you will have to be very specific about why it was not a good fit and why you think that will not be the case in the BCG/Bain.

Best,

Udayan

(edited)

Hi there,

Sorry to hear but let's look on the bright side.

A McKinsey internship on the resume increases your chances for an invite with BCG and Bain significantly. It will push your application!

During the interview, if you are asked, just tell them you wanted to switch regions and that it was not possible at McKinsey. No need to talk about the failure to receive a return offer.

All the best!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Just 2 points from my POV:

1. Whether you get the offer or not really depends on your interview performance
   • While interviewers -may- ask about the internship, when I was interviewing I did not necessarily see a non-return offer as a red flag
   • No one is perfect and if you did not make the cut then but if you can crush my case right now, that is more important 
2. If asked about it, my take is always to be authentic about the experience but focus on the ‘so-what’ since then. The industry -can- be very small and you never want to say something that is inherently not true

All the best!

Hi there,

sorry about the outcome of your intership. But to your question:

• McK as a reference on your CV will be a boost for most job applications
• Considering BCG and Bain for a full-time position in consulting is not frowned upon, even if you have interned at McK
• You should focus on why you would want to join BCG or Bain rather than why you did not join McK - that will likely be more important in the interviews
• In case you get explicitly asked if you got a return offer after your internship at McK, don't lie but also don't just blame the company for it

Best of luck