All questions tagged Final Round - Consulting Q&A - PrepLounge.com

Hey there,

So I am always of the view that you must give your best in every situation. You then gracefully accept whatever the outcome but knowing you gave your best.

I suggest you check with HR if sending a refreshed CV would make any difference. If yes, send it. If not, then focus on the final interview. The interview feedback from earlier stages matters more. They shortlisted your CV anyway so clearly its good.

Have your new CV handy for the partner interview anyway and should any questions arise, offer to send him your new CV.

Hey there,

I would not interpret positively or negatively. Unfortunately, you will have to wait for HR to get back to you.

Fingers crossed that it works out!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I'm so sorry to hear this! I'm about to be very blunt, but it's for the purpose of showing you that the only way to "fix" this is to realize that you're seriously overhyping yourself for nothing.

1) Nothing about this interview matters or is a big deal. If you don't get the offer, life will go on. Moreover, you'll honestly probably be happier for it. You are not a failure. You just didn't pass an interview - like everyone else in this world. So, welcome to the club.

2) This is the most important moment of your life....until the next one. There are going to be hundreds of moments like these, and they don't matter once they're done. Think about your college admissions, or a big class presentation, or an interview for an internship, or a first date, etc.. Are you scared of them now? No! They're in the past. This will be too soon.

Get over yourself and this situation. If you get it, it'll be good. If you don't, it'll be fine. There will be other things that come your way.

3) Don't let society/your culture pressure you - their values are arbitrary. Are you in the East Coast US, Japan, Korea, or any other high-achieving "rise the corporate ladder" country/city? Just remember...that's how they define things. It isn't like that everywhere...if you were to live in the countryside, no one could care less about this "brand" or "mark" on your resume.

Here is some prior advice on the matter: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/choking-during-interview-8580

Good luck :)

Same difficulty as all the rest...

You are held to the same high bar worldwide - it's honestly not worth comparing. Understand what "good" looks like, and strive for it regardless of the office!

What does this mean? You need to be:

"Someone who can approach a complicated problem and think + communicate in a structured way in the right context+objective of the case, while being personable, adaptable, and coachable, so that, ultimately, the interviewer can see themselves working with this individual and putting them in front of a client."

Hi, if I understood correctly you have two issues:

1. you are having difficulty in structuring the problem in a way that it is MECE

2. you don't know much about customer retention

About the first point, you are probably not breaking down the problem correctly, or you are mixing different factors (try to keep breaking them down until you isolate all the components).

About the second point, try to use the common frameworks (4Ps, Porter, etc.). If they are not useful (I think they should be) then try to read some literature about customer retention. I personally think that instead of learning frameworks it is better to develop some business sense

Hey there,

I would say in 80-90% of the cases...With Zoom and remote interviews, this figure has decreased, however.

In the end, it does not matter since the McKinsey hiring process is highly standardized and objective across offices, interviewers, and even continents.

All the best with your final round!

Kind regards,

Florian

No one can tell you really.

It could be that interviewer was testing you or maybe not or maybe he was just having a bad day. Regardless, dont dwell on it and wait for feedback.

From your gut feel and performance, you should have a decent idea of what can you improve next time.

Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

BIG4 have been awfully (>3 weeks response times) slow in the middle east region in the past few months, based on my experience coaching candidates. So be patient :).

Have other options going in parallel.

All the best.

First of all congrats on passing the first rounds on more than one MBB! I guess this doesn't happen by chance so I would suggest keeping on doing what you have done so far, including the way you structure your cases.

To be more precise in my opinion, it's always better to structure the case in buckets. How do you choose what buckets to use? By using the questions you mentioned.

For example, you can ask yourself "what are the drivers for X?" and then use the actual answer to this question (i.e. the drivers) as the framework to solve the case.

Hope it helps,

Franco

Hi there,

1. What does this mean?

Exactly what they said ;) You can skip one round of interviews and start directly from the final.

2. What are some special considerations if I do re-apply and interview for the full-time?

Would be great if you (i) have the confirmation in writing or (ii) send them an email to thank for the opportunity, saying you would be eager to interview again for the final round, so that you have something in writing to show to HR if any proof of the conversation is needed.

Then, prepare as you did before, working specifically on the areas of improvement to get better there.

Best,

Francesco

Hello Anonymous,
Thank you for the message. I understand waiting for an answer can be daunting.
My advice is to try top focus on something else while waiting for the outcome.
In reality, the debrief after each round is standard: each interviewer provides detailed feedback and then 3 options exist:
1. Consensus on a positive outcome: you get the offer
2. Debate between the interviewers: here it's a factual debate on the 5-6 criteria. They also take into account the last rounds and if the areas for development were the same (for example, if during the 3 rounds, you made a calculation mistake, then it's a no go)
There is no mathematical way to address this: every case is different. And for example, if the office had reached the quotas of A/Cs they should recruit, then they might be more demanding and selective.

3. Consensus on a negative outcome: in case we see a weak performance and a weak potential to evolve in the firm.
I hope that helps - try to focus on something else during these days and best of luck,
Norah

Hello,

Congratulations on the upcoming interview! I’ve answered your questions based on my experience of interviewing in the London office last autumn:

1) The numerical and diagrammatic tests were multiple choice and paper based. The test provided on the PwC website are similar and should be used to prepare. I’d also recommend signing up to assessmentday.com. The tests are representative of what you’ll get and there are loads of examples on there. During the actual interview, make sure to work quickly and skip any questions which seem time consuming - come back to them once you’ve got the easy ones out the way.

2) Your understanding of the structured and unstructured case interviews is correct:

Structured - you’ll be presented with a set of slides outlining the case objectives, background information and plenty of data. At the start of the interview you’ll be given 5/10 minutes to read through the case material and to start formulating your approach.

Unstructured - as you mentioned, the unstructured case is more of a ‘discussion’ and doesn’t involve the use of charts and graphs like a traditional case. However, it’s still VERY important to stay structured when answering, be flexible and communicate your thought process clearly at all times. The types of questions you could be asked might include:

- Estimate the annual profit for Disney land Paris

-What’s the ratio of land mass in the northern hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere

- Calculate the expected take home profit for a Spanish deli style supermarket in London

-You might be asked to put forward your own business idea related to one of your interests and then do a quick profit/loss calculation for it (e.g I want to open restaurant in location X, calculate the potential revenue and costs)

As you can see, you can be asked just about anything and it will really depend on who is interviewing you. Expect to have your business knowledge tested as you talk around the case. As mentioned, stay calm, be structured and ensure a good dialogue with the interviewer at all times.

3) The order in which you complete the activities depends on the group you’re assigned to. From what I recall, candidates were put into 3 or 4 groups and rotated around each of the activities.

4.1) Other activities: The only other activities not mentioned that I completed was a written case interview and a presentation (it’s possible you don’t have to complete these as I was told beforehand by HR).

4.2) Fit questions: although I didn’t have a stand alone fit interview, both the structured and unstructured cases contained elements of fit (particularly in the second round). Expect questions such as: tell me about yourself, why consulting, why strategy&, why should we hire you, what other firms are you interviewing with, etc

I hope that helps and do feel free to get in contact if you have anymore questions. Good luck with the preparation!

Harri

I would not panic and I would not listed to fishwives tales. You have made it this far. Very likely...they just need to get together to discusss your (and everybody else's) performance. You will likely get an answer in a few days. Know that you have done everything you can do and all else is out of your control. I suggest you treat yourself. Whatever the outcome, kudos for putting in the hardwork and getting to this point.

Hi Tabitha,

I will give my input based on my experience giving final rounds at a tier 2 firm as well as my own experience moving to MBB.

First of all it's important to take official feedbacks with a grain of salt.

(1) For legal and marketing reasons firms are very careful regarding the feedback they provide. I've been part of final round discussions with partners were we discussed interviewee's attire, the fact they have spouses or not, age, ... for obvious reasons we won't say that we didnt hire someone because you wore the wrong sweater.

(2) Depending on the season/office/position you apply the demand for new hires will be different and that will impact the threshold for giving an offer. A common myth is to think MBB will always hire regardless of their needs. I've discuss with a MBB partner that putted very blunt "at this period in the year we have reach our target quota, anyone can still apply but they will only be hired if they are a superstart, otherwise waiting until January is better."

Now, this is not to say that you should disregard your feedback. You have mention a specific point that you could focus on.

If I was in your shoes I would do the following:

1) Status quo. What other firms are you currently in process, what firms could you potential still apply and what is the timeline to do so

2) Honest assessment. Get an unbiased opinion on where you currently stand today. This means, PEI, case, Q&A, ...you only know how much work do you need to do if you know where you stand

3) Develop a "work plan" for the remaining of your time taking into account the feedback you received

Happy to discuss this on a call if you would like

Hi Zahid,

Well done and congratulations! I'm late in replying to this Q&A, but I'd just like to really emphasize you never know.

I've seen people who thought they aced the case/interview not get an offer. I've seen people who think they failed miserably get offers. We are not great judges of our own performance...and every interviewer has a different style.

Well done, and use this as a lesson in not trying to predict the future :)

And, you are right...the journey has just begun. Enjoy!

Hi there,

I completely agree with Udayan - you can't beat yourself up over this.

Remember, you're in the (vast) majority here. That's especially true this year where there's just less demand/hiring happening.

Also remember that the greatest accomplishments come from temporary defeat. I was rejected from BCG in undergrad, only to whiz through 6 years later. I know people who failed 9 interviews, only to get their 10th.

You have other offers! That already puts you in a MUCH better situation than most.

What to do next:

1. Feel bad for yourself for a minute, then get over it, put your head up, and go ace this final interview
2. Hire a coach to do a final assessment of your performance, just to make sure you're good to go
3. Do a worst case scenario "playout" in your head. When you do this, you'll realize it's not all doom and gloom.

Good luck!

Hello!

Congrats on that final round!

Honestly, and having helped in Europe 1 person with LEK, it would be very surprised if you got a written case.

Can you clarify your geography?

Furthermore, regarding 2nd round: ensure that you polish very well the FIT part, that becomes particularly relevant. If you want to deep dive, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

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.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

• Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200
• Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201
• Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi,

Congrats on making it to the final round at McK! Quite an achievement already. With regard to your questions, please find here some elements to put you on your way:

- What really changes now compared with the first round? Is it the intensity/complexity of the cases, is it more invoved PEI, etc.?

The cases tend to change a little bit in the sense that they become a little less structured. Principals and partners interviewing for the last round have often more experience in interviewing that EMs / managers during the first round, so they stick a little bit less to a scripted case. The cases can also become a little more conversational. I don’t think this changes the preparation all that much, but you have to get comfortable to receive cases that are a little less conventional. I got one case in the last round at McKinsey that was “Where do you expect health care in Europe to be 10 to 20 years from now”. So it become more a conversation than a case. Now this might not apply to you, but the message is be a little bit more expecting of the unexpected. (ps. This doesn’t require practical knowledge of an industry or special preparation… They still evaluate your thinking process / answer structure / … more than the actual content). Actually, the case and fit blend a bit more together into one hybrid.

- Will the notes from my previous performances be shared with my interviewers for final round?

Often you receive a call of one of the first round interviewers with a summary of the feedback that came out of the first round interviews. If this doesn’t come through, don’t hesitate to contact HR or of the interviewers with a polite email requested feedback for preparing your decisive round. It also shows investment in the process and a willingness to improve!

- In other words, will they try to test me on the specific feedback points that I received to see if I'm showing improvement on those points?

The answer is – as often in consulting – “ it depends”. If there was a particular soft spot(s) during the first round interview and you receive explicit feedback on it (e.g. weak maths, structure, etc.) there might be some more focus on this. If they look for confirmation on a point of doubt, they will pay attention. Alternatively, if the interviews were generally strong, and there were no obvious weaknesses, the interviews will be a bit more balanced and nothing in particular will be tested.

- Any other tips to keep in mind, outside of PEI and Cases?

What I think is important to keep in mind is that – in the last round – the interviewers already know that you’re likely a strong case performer and generally a clever person (otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten through the earlier stages of the recruitment process). So this point of view is yours to lose, in the sense that the default is that they expect strong case performance already. However, to get all the way to a final offer, it becomes more about the assessment of fit within the culture of the company, being generally a professional with client-facing skills, etc. So my advice would be to act like a consultant already, like a professional who is at a problem-solving session with another professional (the interviewer). Don’t approach it like a student-professor exam-situation, where there is always the imbalance between how’s the grown-up and who’s the youngster (figure of speech). So act like you would in that job, with some confidence (watch out: don’t become arrogant!! Big red flag) and a certain gravitas. The more your interview looks like a nice and balanced conversation between two colleagues, the better the odds are to take it all the way!

Good luck!

Wouter*

P4S Expert