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McKinsey PEI Ready: The Guides

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The interviewer's view of the PEI
40 stories that show excellent performance
12 books, from clarity to mastery
USD 99
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What to expect

In my experience, the Personal Experience Interview (PEI) weighs at least as much as the case, yet many strong candidates treat it as an afterthought. McKinsey PEI Ready takes you from seeing the PEI as your interviewer does to stories of your own that hold up under probing.

What sets it apart

  • Written from the interviewer's side. I interviewed more than 50 candidates for McKinsey. The guides explain, in my own words, how the PEI is run and assessed.
  • Excellent performance, shown. 40 example stories, each with commentary from an interviewer's perspective and the four questions most likely to follow.
  • A way to know where you stand. A self-diagnostic, a self-scoring sheet and a readiness checklist tell you where to start and when you are ready.

What you get

12 books in three levels

  • Level 1, clarity. Interviewing with McKinsey: how McKinsey interviews and what it seeks.
  • Level 2, diagnostic. The McKinsey Personal Experience Interview: how stories are probed and assessed.
  • Level 3, mastery. Drive, Growth, Connection and Leadership Mastery, each with a Story Collection of ten example stories.
  • Plus. A start-here guide with a self-diagnostic and preparation plans, and the Practice Partner Guide for the person you practice with.

Create your own stories in three steps

See the PEI as your interviewer does

Levels 1 and 2 show what McKinsey seeks in your stories, and why most preparation aims at the wrong target.

See what excellent looks like

Forty example stories, from students to managers with a decade of experience, show performance that holds up under questioning.

Build your own stories

A storytelling framework turns your experiences into two stories per dimension.

How you work with it

  • Take the short self-diagnostic to see where your stories stand today.
  • Read Levels 1 and 2, then start with the dimension you feel least sure about.
  • Build your stories, practice them with a partner, and use the readiness checklist to know when you have done enough.

Working through everything takes about 45–55 hours. You can also pick only what you need.

What candidates say about my materials

“The extensive additional material he provides is particularly helpful: with it, you can keep preparing on your own between meetings.” 

From a PrepLounge review of my coaching, about the materials this system grew out of (translated from German).

FAQ

Candidates who want to prepare the PEI on their own, and candidates whose case preparation is on track but whose stories are not.

McKinsey Interview Ready: The Complete System contains everything here plus the full case material. If you need only the case, take McKinsey Case Ready: The Guides.

Yes, and it is optional. McKinsey PEI Ready: Guides + 2 Coaching Sessions includes this material and adds two one-to-one sessions shaped around your needs. For the case and the full interview there are McKinsey Case Ready: Guides + 3 Coaching Sessions and McKinsey Interview Ready: Complete System + 5 Coaching Sessions.

No. It is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by McKinsey & Company. Everything is in my own words and discloses nothing confidential.

About Moritz

Coach
Ex-McKinsey interviewer, genuinely invested in you | 100% McKinsey case & PEI prep turning nerves into real confidence

I have the experience of living in 9 countries and transitioning my 9+ years professional career multiple times from technical expert to generalist at a Senior Manager level:

Consulting career: I worked for 2.5 years at McKinsey & Company up to JEM level (Experienced Hire) and part of the local Recruiting Team until August 2021. I was an official candidate coach and interviewer, including all associated training and “secret” insights

Disclaimer

The material is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by McKinsey & Company.