Hi everyone, would it be acceptable to use a story from my final year at school for a PEI if i'm currently in my third year at university, or is this considered too long ago?
(edited)
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Using stories from high school in a PEI
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Sorry - could you clarify? What's do you mean by "final year at school" considering that you're still in university?
Either way, any story can be good for PEI since it's not really about the ultimate impact but about the skills you had that made a difference. Just describe the challenge and what skills you used to overcome it, as long as the skills are the right skills, I believe you're in good shape.
Undergrads often use stories from school. If you are further in your career (university?), you can acknowledge that it's a while ago, but you are telling it because you think it's important.
Hope this help!
Allen
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Hi there,
Absolutely! I would avoid having too many stories from high school, but 1-2 is perfectly fine.
Along this vein, you want to have more stories in the professional/current context, supported by older stories and non-professional one.
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Hello there!
It definitely will be acceptable!
Make sure you create your story using
STAR+L approach (Situation, Task, Approach, Result, Learnings)
If you need any further help, feel free to reach out.
GB
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It would be completely acceptable. One of the best PEI stories I got from a past McKinsey summer BA candidate was about how she had to convince the headmaster about a change in their school uniform as the head girl of her school.
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Yes, that may be too long ago.
The point is that they want to get a sense of your recent experience and what you stand for, which is why the 2-3 year mark is ideal. A story from 5-6 years ago might reflect a very different person than who you are now.
For anybody who is looking into the PEI topic, I recently released this end-to-end course covering PEI. More on it here:
Best,
Cristian
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Hi,
I think it's better to stay focused on recent academic/sport achievements and relevant experience (e.g. work, etc.).
If you think it's something you MUST tell and it is relevant, you might also tell the story.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Antonello
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Hello!
On top of the insights already shared in the post, 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)
This is precisely one of the topics covered. HS for you is only 3 years ago, so I would not say it´s too much -it would be for me, for instance-. However, it depends very much on the relevance of that story.
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!
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