Dear All,
I am moving to the R2 in Mck's Great China region. I am an experienced hirer with many years exprience outside consulting. Will this round be more “free-style” and focus more on FIT or PEI? Will the two partners come from my industry? Thank you!
Hi there,
Well done on getting this far!
Final round at McKinsey can be a bit more “freestyle", but it's not a given. Let's explore in more detail:
However, nothing to worry about! You made it to the 2nd round so you have what it takes and now you just have to bring it home!
Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!
Hi there,
95% of partner rounds are just as standardized as the first round. The reason why you read about freestyle partner experiences is that they deviate from what people expect, hence they post about it more frequently online, hence giving others the impression it is much more common.
Additionally, partner rounds are often perceived as more challenging, just because it's a partner sitting across the table rather than a more junior colleague. It is purely based on the impression and not on the content. :-)
If there are any deviations from the standard McKinsey interviewer guidelines, expect them to be in the following realm:
In any case, the most important thing is not to be startled by this and just keep working on the case or the PEI in a calm manner. In order to do that, have a look at the following two articles that I wrote:
Case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-interview
PEI: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-pei
All the best for your second round!
Cheers,
Florian
Do you have a reference for your 95%?
It really varies. If you have applied to join a specific industry practice then there's a good chance your interviewers will also work in that space. If not, it will really be the interviewers who are available on that day.
Based on candidate experience with McKinsey Greater China Office, most interviewers will tend to stick with the same broader interview structure as round 1 but will likely be more adaptable based on where they want to probe - e.g., FIT/PEI vs. case. There is no rule about which is more important and will depend more on how you performed.
Good luck!
Hi there,
#1 Fix your weaknesses
#2 Be prepared for anything (build your fleibility/adaptability)
Some reading for the case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case
Some reading for fit: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question
Fit/Behavioral
You should be more prepared for a pretty in-depth fit interview. I highly recommend you expect "loose" or "random" questions and practice this scenario with a coach. They are less likely to just ask you 20 "tell me about a time" questions. They may have a bit more of a chat, ask you to brainstorm, ask things like "How would you setup x type of project", etc. etc. You need to prepare to be flexible here!
Broader topics/case variability
In terms of being MECE, try out a wide range of "unique" questions to test your MECE structure!
For example, if you were a farmer and had to pick between buying a cow, chicken, or pig, how would you think about which to buy?
Or, if you were a thief, which store between a, b, c would you rob?
Practice breaking these down into MECE structures so that the concept really hits home.
Hi there,
I am an experienced hire at BCG myself. If you are applying for a consulting track (even as an expert) you may eventually get 1st case from your expertise, the rest will be any strategic case as applying for a generalist role. Your expertise is checked based on your CV but also during the FIT part.
If you want to find out more, please feel free to reach out directly and I also invite you to check this article that can answer some of your questions: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-into-consulting-as-an-experienced-hire
Good luck!
Lucie
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