Hi there,

It looks to me that the referral had a strong weight and your application was moved to your home country office. Openly discuss with HR (and your referral) your preference to be based in London. Be open minded and professional to managed a potential response that your only chance is at your country's office.

Good luck!

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

(edited)

Hi there,

1) Has this meant that I have failed and no longer will be looked at by the London office? I have a very strong preference for London

Not necessarily. But it might be that your application will be moved to your home country.

2) Any ideas of what the HR call will be about? Is there anything I should prepare for

Possible options for an HR call are:

• Call to understand your motivation with fit questions and/or provide information on the process/position to be sure you are aligned. Fit questions are usually non-PEI ones like:
  • Tell me about yourself
  • Why consulting
  • Why us
  • Why should we hire you
• Short case. This is less common at McKinsey and even more unlikely in your case given it is just a 20min call. I heard this happened just in a few offices in Asia in the past.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Congrats on getting that referral AND getting reached out to - this is such good work by you!

1) Has this meant that I have failed and no longer will be looked at by the London office? I have a very strong preference for London

Look, it's most likely that you are not being looked at by London. However, it's possible the home office is just handling the application.

Ultimately, you can flag this interest, but don't be too strong about it (for risk of not being interviewed by your home office).

Remember, worst case is you can transfer in a couple of years - just getting McKinsey on your resume is SO huge for your career.

2) Any ideas of what the HR call will be about? Is there anything I should prepare for

Ultimately, be prepared with your 3 Whys (light/casual version): https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Be prepared to discuss your office selections, motivations for the firm, discuss your background etc.

Have some questions ready too if you like. And, most importantly, just be flexible/adaptable! It's a “screening” most likely, so just seeing if you're a good fit for the firm and a reasonable candidate to give a shot to.

Good luck!

Here's some interview prep advice: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

Most likely London doesn't want your application but the home office does. Take it if that makes sense for you.

They will be assessing your motivation, be prepared to answer questions about you, your motivation for consulting and the firm. But most importantly, to discuss if local office will work for you or not. 

Since it is HR, there will be no case.