Hi there,

I'm not sure what you mean by framework here? Frameworks are for cases...

Now, for these types of questions you absolutely need structure. So, you should have a few key points for both of these questions. They need to be logical and reasonable.

Dear A,

Just remember that answering to any questions like this is your chance to shine and prove your leadership skills. Actually, any stories that you mention in your answer can highlight your best abilities. For that you can follow common framework in answering any questions. It consists of 5 parts:


1. Situation

2. Problem

3. Solution

4. Results

5. Your learnings

Hope, it helps.

Best,
André

Hello, 

thanks a lot for the question. :) 

I can give you 3 main advices: 

• Since you are an environmental graduate (by the way well done! We need that!), it makes sense if you tell the interviewer something related to climate change or environmental topics (e.g., electric vehicles). Coherence is very important and much appreciated
• Unfortunately there is not a specific "safest" answer that you can give. Since you will probably tell the interviewer a topic of your interest, he/her can use this for every type of case. However you seems to be confident in all the most probable ones. No worries!
• Based on the topic you will suggest (e.g., electric vehicles), prepare yourself accordingly. In particular, the following: 
  • be confident regarding some key trends (e.g., market growth and forecast) 
  • prepare some reasonings and a potential issue tree regarding market size questions (e.g.,"how many electric vehicles are there in America?" or “how many electric vehicle chargers are there in America?") 

Summing up, business consulting cases can be classified according to the following main criteria:  

• Type (e.g., market size, market entry) 
• Topic (e.g., kind of industry) 
• Level of difficulty
• Interviewer - led  (i.e., McKinsey)  vs Candidate - led (i.e., BCG)

You will propose the Director a topic but, as you can see, you cannot influence all other points. Key is think about a topic of your interest and prepare on it! 

Do not hesitate to reach out me in case of further questions! 

Good luck!

Matteo 

Hi, these are some of the classical questions of fit interview. The idea is not answering with how you would do it but how you did it in the past. Crafting impactful stories about all the dimensions covered in the fit part is crucial for your preparation.

If you are interested in understanding how I generally support my candidates in it feel free to text me

Best,
Antonello

Hi there,

Make sure you mention something you're not only interested but also:

• Know something about (no brainer) - personally, I am interested in a bunch of things I know nothing about…
• Have a passion for (less obvious) - enthusiasm goes a long way in winning people over and making a positive impression. Conversely, if you pick a “safe” topic you know a lot about but can't really show genuine enthusiasm for, you may have a hard time…

I only ever heard of those questions in extended personality interviews. I once got this question myself at Roland Berger and mentioned “languages and cultures” (I lived in 9 countries). I was asked to go deeper and deeper as to why I am interested in this field, what I am doing to educate me, how I am using this in a constructive way, how this may help the firm, etc. You get the point!

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!

(edited)

Hi there, 

sounds like a fun question indeed.

Pick a topic you are very familiar with, and equally important, one you enjoy talking about.

Given your environmental background, a topic related to sustainability, renewables etc, maybe in conjunction with emerging markets (→ increases likelyhood of market sizing / market entry cases), could be a natural fit?

Now, having said that, do not try to overthink the topic - in either case you will still need to come well prepared with a robust, and repeatable approach to solving case interviews. Having a slight advantage by influencing the topic by itself will not be enough to succeed, as interviewers are very adept in telling apart raw case performance from impact of familiarity / experience with a topic. 

If anything, too much familiarity with a topic can sometimes impair case performance, as candidates tend to deviate from using a well-structured approach they would apply when not familiar with the case / industry. Please be cognizant of that and avoid the pitfall! Make sure you come to the interview with an open mind and prepared for anything. 

Hope this helps - wish you all the best for the interview! Do reach out, if you haver further questions. 

Regards, Andi

(edited)

1. Probably the simplest framework to follow is STAR: Situation,Task, Action, Result

2. Give a couple of sentences for each at least, and make sure to set the stage properly (dont ramble, but make sure to explain what's going on and how the situation is relevant to the question)

3. The most important section is the last one: what happened,and especially what you learned: how did you grow from that experience, and how will you be able to leverage that in your future role at Consultancy

You could go cheeky here and answer: “my workaholism, so that I can spend more time with her drinking wine and watching movies :)”

90% of the time I already know which case I am going to give. The candidate's answers won't change that. And I may change the topic - but NEVER EVER the difficulty level, as that would just be unprofessional of me.

When did I change the case topic? If there was something interesting in your experience (which means if you bring up certain topics in your answers I might decide to use them) or… if you started being cocky on a certain topic…

Having said this… you're not thinking straight about this. It is not about passing a easy or difficult case. It's about being able to showcase your abilities. Getting to the right / final answer does not mean you pass the interview and vice-versa.

Hello!

On top of the insights already shared in the post, next week will be pusblished in PrepLounge´s Shop material related.

In concrete, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB". It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Hope you find it useful!

Hello!

On top of the insights already shared in the post, next week will be pusblished in PrepLounge´s Shop material related.

In concrete, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB". It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Hope you find it useful!

(edited)

I agree with Guennael - STAR is the easiest framework. However, it is not very good when it comes to structuring stories for MBB firms. The reason is that STAR only describes the situation, the challenge, and what you did. But it does not contain the most important aspect of any story - the WHY behind what you did and what you said! It is extremely important to clearly describe how you analyzed a given situation, identified the root causes of the challenge, and then gauged your options to adress these root causes. This description of your decision making rationale is what makes or breaks pretty much any story! Because - similar to the case part of the interview - it is not so much about the result, but about showing the rigor in your analysis and judgement!

Cheers, Sidi

Hi,

In addition to what has already been communicated on the subject, it is important to return to the basics while saying that these questions are actually used to know how you are going to handle similar situations in a consulting firm.

It is therefore very important to find personal examples of situations that are related to consulting issues and to emphasize what you have learned and show that you are able to manage these situations in the future.

Best

Hi,

This is a similar question to "walk me through your resume". I advise that you walk them through your education and work experience on a high-level, and bridge this to why you are interested in consulting and why you are interviewing with them today.

You should not spend more than 2 minutes on this question in order to keep the interviewer engaged.

Best,

Deniz

Hi there,

I've read your question and comments and I must say the examples are pretty specific. The answer to that comes 1) with a lot of practice for the FIT part; 2) when practicing with somebody who is more experienced than you and is able to give you feedback and guide you.

The general idea of that question is to see a) how do you find yourself in uncomfortable situations; b) how do you manage stress and pressure; c) how much can you push but keep the balance without being too intrusive.

As an ex-McKinsey and part of the recruiting team, I know what they're looking for in the candidate. Helped many candidates to boost up their fit part, too.

Hit me up if you have any further questions, happy to help.

Cheers,

GB

The best structure for this question is to

• Open with a 1-2 sentence statement on yourself and who you are.
• Then walk through key experiences in your CV - not more than 60 seconds
• Finish with the reason that brings you into this meeting (why you're applying and how the job fits into your future)

Hi Anonymous,

I would recommend a mix of the first and third approaches you suggested. You should engage the interviewer but also mention experiences that show points of strength useful in consulting.

It is important that you (i) show the details of the experiences and (ii) clearly state the learning/skills that you developed with that experience – many candidates skip at least one of the two elements.

Best,

Francesco

That I should discuss less

More punctual and a better listener.

Dont think of “safe answer". Be genuine and talk about something you really like. Speak with passion and be proud. Its okay if “you dont know it all” or cant answer a question here and there.

Mir bequeme Chillhosen verpassen für Zuhause

The fact that I get too technical sometimes in an effort to explain something perfectly

I would recommend you to take your time and try to remember stories in your life that can have something in similar to these situations.

Then, after you remember the situation - create your story using STAR+L approach (Situation, Task, Approach, Result, Learnings)

If you need any further help, feel free to reach out.

GB

Hi,

First of all - don't assume that the consultant saw your CV. Usually, they don't prepare and read in advance

I would recommend the following structure:

1. Start with a 1 sentence summary of your background, why you are relevant for McKinsey and what's your unique selling point
2. Talk about 3-4 of your roles (may be professional, education, extracurricular), 3 sentences each. The more experienced you are the more you should speak about professional roles. It can be also the distinct roles within the same organization. Typical structure: 1) What was the company 2) What you were responsible for 3) Greatest achievement in that role, that will stay in the memory of the interviewer (E.g. While working at Adidas supply chain I was personally responsible for the delivery of soccer balls to the Worldcup in Africa)
3. The main reason why consulting (or McKinsey if you were a consultant before) is the next logical career step for you

Best!