Should I apply Mck Summer Intern?

Hi there,

There are no downsides in applying for an internship at McKinsey before you graduate, so definitely go for it.

I would also recommend you don't apply to McKinsey only, but to all the main consulting companies to increase your odds of an offer (a Tier-2 internship will increase the chance to be called by McK when you graduate if you can't land an offer now).

There are three main things you need to be invited for interviews:

• A great CV
• A great Cover
• A referral – the more senior the person the better

For the CV, you can work on the following in the time you have left:

1. Internships/work experience in relevant companies (other consulting firms, IB, strategy roles in big brands, entrepreneurial initiatives)
2. Volunteer/leadership experience
3. University achievements (if applicable): top GPA, exchange, university clubs

If you are planning to apply to B-School, you may also prepare the GMAT (not worth just for the sake of the application)

For the Cover, you can structure it in 4 parts:

1. Introduction, mentioning the position you are interested in and a specific element you find attractive for that company
2. Why you are qualified for the job, where you can report 3 skills/stories from your CV, ideally related to leadership, impact, drive and teamwork
3. Why you are interested in that particular firm, with additional 1-2 specific reasons
4. Final remarks, mentioning again your interest and contacts

In part 2 – the one you are referring to – you can write about experiences that show skills useful in consulting such as drive, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and convincing others.

It is important that in part 3 you make your cover specific to a particular firm – the rule of thumb is, can you send the exact same cover to another consulting company if you change the name? If that’s the case, your cover is too generic.

For referrals, you can find a step-by-step approach at the following link:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176

Best,

Francesco

Definitely YES!

When it comes to reviewing your application and making the decision to invite you to an interview, McKinsey will not look at:

• if you have taken a strategy/ case course
• what your major is (ca. 50% of starters don't have a business background)

McKinsey will definitely look at:

• if you stand out academically (at the top of your class)
• if you stand out professionally (internships, entrepreneurship)
• if you have been active socially (clubs, social engagement)

If you tick these boxes, it is 100% worth applying.

Hope this helps! Cheers,

Jonas

Hey there,

You can definitely enter consulting without any strategy classes taken in university. In fact, 50% of McKinsey's new joiners have a non-business background. My unpopular opinion is that university experience in business administration is highly overrated and has little bearing on the real, practical consulting world (basing this on my own experience completing prestigious programs and now finalizing a Ph.D. in business administration with a focus on strategy).

Your decision to apply should rather be based on the following questions:

• How far are you from graduation? For example, in Europe, some MBBs won't let you apply for an internship once you are already close to graduation
• Did you already do relevant and valuable internships to support your application?
• Is your GPA in line with expectations at MBB?
• Do you have stories related to leadership, drive, and impact that you can talk about during the interviews?

All the best!

Cheers,

Florian

Definitely apply for the internship if you are considering it post-graduation! I was a summer BA in McKisney London a long time ago where I had a fantastic summer :)

1. There is no pre-requisite of your business/strategy knowledge. It has no correlation with your success at McKinsey!

2. You start preparing early they will help you think about how you want to build your profile and prepare for cases. If you don't get the internship, at least you will have had feedback on your CV and interviews so you can get it right when it matters most next year

3. It gives you a head start at McKinsey where once you join full-time, you already be ahead of your peers and will have a network to tap into when it comes to choosing projects. Additionally, many offices will count your internship as part of your analyst tenure towards promotion as well

Good luck!

(edited)

No, you should definitely apply. The large firms are using the summer programs to identify high potential candidates early on during their academic journey. And in case you should get rejected, this will not affect your chances for a full time application after graduation.

Absolutely!

You should apply to McK Summer Internship AND other internships (take the best one that comes your way).

From the internship you can get a full-time offer.

If you don't get the internship, you can always apply full-time later.

There's really no downside risk here :)

Do not wait until you graduate. In case you get rejected now, you can most likely re-apply after you complete your studies. However, since it is a smaller office compared to the other big European offices, I d network first to get some intel on hiring goals / spots available etc - especially now.

Hello!

For sure yes!

The opportunity cost is zero and you win a "chance" to be invited!

Cheers,

Clara

You do not need any Business courses to work at MBB. Definitely apply for an internship, even if you do not get in it will give you great insight into the recruiting process for MBB and you can apply again for a full time role with great knowledge on how to prepare for the interviews.