mckinsey interview process

The McKinsey careers site provides lots of helpful information on what to expect and how to prepare. What should I expect future round of interviews to look like, given I will be working as Data Scientist doing lots of Coding in Python! coral reef or a mountain ecosystem) based on a large variety of data given (data about different types of habitats, different animals, weather conditions, etc.). Besides, you will have to derive insights from these data, and connectthese insights to your clients problem. Your email address will not be published. As former McKinsey interviewers, weve seen it too many times that the candidate rocked the Problem Solving interviews, yet didnt score high enough on Experience interviews and was not extended an offer. We look at talent through the lens of who they are and their potential. You can find the dates of the information session through McKinseys website, your schools career services center, or through your schools consulting club. Youll want to tell your story or give your example using the STAR method. McKinsey & Company interview details: 4,875 interview questions and 4,594 interview reviews posted anonymously by McKinsey & Company interview candidates. Please contact your recruiter for details about your process. Learn more about McKinsey: Youll be better able to answer interview questions that ask why you are interested in consulting and why you want to work for McKinsey if you get a chance to hear McKinsey consultants talk about their work experience. Third round: Two to three 60-minute interviews with more senior consultants and partners. It also ensures that you spend most of the time talking about the specific actions that you took and the impact that you had. Besides listing a couple of reasons why you want to pursue a career in consulting, a compelling answer should explain WHY these reasons are important for you. Thus, your cover letter must show that you have researched the firm, talked to its consultants, and have persuasive and tailored arguments why McKinsey is your first choice. However, you should always confirm with the recruiter whether or not you will need a cover letter. Our Guide to Preparing for Your McKinsey Interviews. However, the overall components in the process are roughly the same. Include meaningful work experience. Because the PST is a multiple-choice test, results also have some measure of luck. Since McKinsey has significantly increased the variety and diversity of roles over the last couple of years, the TEI can be very different for different roles. Similarly, if you are applying to McKinsey as a working professional, networking events are much more important. If you want to go deeper to brush up on your math skills, we have created a program with detailed insider learning materials, 25 videos and a guidebook as well as 2,000 practice drills that mimick the McKinsey, BCG, and Bain case interview math as well as the aptitude and analytics test math for you here:the Case Interview Math Mastery. Joining us means youll have unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow. The McKinsey Problem Solving Game is currently being rolled out globally and has not yet been introduced in all the countries. It varies from person to person, but 3-5 months is a good average per my experience (if you prepare without a coach). Still, our survey shows that demand for mobile healthcare is not universal. This will most likely be the office that you will be interviewing for. Besides these three distinctions, you should use the same strategies that you used in your McKinsey first round interview for your McKinsey final round interview. The first round typically consists of two 45-minute one-on-one interviews. Forbes ranked McKinsey's interview process as the most difficult across all firms globally and the case plays a crucial role in that evaluation, besides the Personal Experience Interview. Other consulting firms, such as the Boston Consulting Group or Bain and Company, use candidate led case study interviews, which require the candidate to lead the discussion toward a final recommendation without a formal question format. Again, try to keep this section concise to spend more time on the Action and Results section. The interview was my first in the series and was a technical one. May 11, 2020 Jo joined McKinsey as an associate in the Houston office in January 2020. Action: Explain what steps you took to handle the task or to meet the goal or objective. Well go through each step in the interview process so you know exactly what to expect. Also how long do they generally take to make a decision? Since much fewer people tend to show up to these events early, there will be fewer people around. 1. Youve made it through the behavioral and case study portions. McKinsey identifies high potential candidates by looking through the resume book or by asking current employees for names of high potential individuals. It is therefore not the single critical factor in the future of healthcare digitization. The McKinsey interview process has five major steps. Improving internal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for a US-based retail company. Most of the time, this process takes between 2x and 3x months, with often 14 days between steps on average. The interviewer will then ask follow-up questions to probe deeper into your example or story. They may touch on our formal and informal apprenticeship and mentor programs. I interviewed at McKinsey recently for a Technical Role in Operations Analytics. A typical McKinsey Business Case is a bit different than the classic case study interview and consists of 3 types of questions: What candidates often do not realize is that McKinsey interviews are hypotheses-driven. This strategy ensures that you give your answer in a clear and structured way. I have to case interview but no PST or PSG ?. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we have specialized in helping our candidates to effectively tackle this part of the McKinsey assessment. US and UK APD candidates go through a two round interview process, outlined below. After some clarifying questions, you will have to structure an approach to solve this problem. We have compiled a list of relevant case interview examples here. The jury is out on if there is a McKinsey blacklist. What's involved in interviewing for an executive assistant role at McKinsey? To prepare for the McKinsey Personal Experience Interview, youll want to develop a list of five different stories or examples that cover leadership, problem solving, personal impact, and resilience. To prepare for our problem solving discussion we encourage you to use the sample cases below, which contain the logic, thought processes and recommended answers. The whole process usually takes 2-3 months to complete, for a job starting about 6-12 months after application. Say it! A new Personal Fit interview element is currently being rolled out globally for the second round thePersonal Fit simulation. In short, the case interview will begin with the interviewer reading you the case background information. After an initial phone interview, executive assistant (EA) candidates participate in Experience Day. The remainder of your Personal Experience Interview consists of one of these 3x McKinsey behavioral interview questions: After your answer, your interviewer will ask you several follow-up questions to better understand how you used the skills that McKinsey seeks. This means that you must prepare strategically. For consulting roles there is no difference to a normal interview process, except business cases can be operations / implementation / public sector related (e.g. Nota Bene: The first interview usually takes a little longer than the rest (1 h 15 min vs 1 h) usually the first 15 minutes are used for small talk and getting to know you (e.g. For instance, top MBA programs with good placement in the consulting industry include MIT, London Business School, INSEAD, or Columbia Business School. We review every application completely, so we encourage you to provide accurate and thorough information. Are you passionate about swimming? Assessing the use of the Diconsa network in Mexico to provide basic financial services offerings to the rural poor for the Gates Foundation. Previous recruiting cycles played the game to determine if it accurately predicted interview outcomes, but game results did not impact candidate progression. In fact, the McKinsey recruitment process is considered one of the most competitive processes in the corporate world with just a ~1% acceptance rate. Our internal teams around the world bring their skills, experience, and perspectives to make meaningful impact and keep the firm operating at its best. We'll go through each step in the interview process so you know exactly what to expect. You can read more about it in this article or see our application document prep packages or resume and cover letter screenings here. Read this comprehensive consulting resume guide to understand what McKinsey resume reviewers look for when screening resumes and how to optimize your resume to give yourself the best chance of receiving an interview. Sometimes, you may be on the borderline of receiving an offer and McKinsey would like to finish interviewing other people before deciding whether or not to give you an offer. Most candidates receive their call within a few days. Designing a product launch of a flavored sports drink with reduced sugar content to help replace electrolytes for a major beverage company. It only guarantees that your application will be reviewed more closely. Keep this section as concise as possible to make more room for the Action and Result sections, which is where you want to spend most of your time. If you attend a top-tier undergraduate or MBA school, McKinsey typically hosts coffee chats to give students an opportunity to ask individual, specific questions. Should a large pharmaceutical company acquire a smaller startup? Your assessormay share details of how McKinsey is a non-hierarchical, diverse, inclusive meritocracy. Its important for an interviewer to understand what kind of person you are and for you to leave a memorable mark, so make sure you highlight those things which throw a bit of light on your personality. Fingers crossed! Lastly, you cant use a calculator or anything else, just your natural abilities. BCG Online Case (+ Pymetrics, Spark Hire), Bain Aptitude Tests (SOVA, Pymetrics, HireVue), Together we have spent 9 years at McKinsey, The McKinsey evaluation and interview process, Solve, McKinseys assessment game (Imbellus or Problem Solving Game), McKinsey Case Interview / McKinsey Problem Solving Interview, The McKinsey Technical Expertise Interview, McKinsey Digital Data Scientists QuantHub Assessment, McKinsey Operations, McKinsey Implementation, Orphoz, application document prep packages or resume and cover letter screenings here, McKinsey Imbellus Problem Solving Game Guide, McKinsey Phone Case Interview preparation guide, The McKinsey Personal Experience Interview: a detailed guide, The McKinsey Case Interview: the insider perspective, Case interview frameworks: How to structure MBB cases. To avoid having a generic cover letter, include specific reasons why you are interested in McKinsey. Furthermore, a recent study from poetsandquants.com shows which schools are the top MBA feeders in the consulting industry. If you're applying for these roles, the interview process includes: The Quanthub prescreening test, I recently shared a list of 250+ practice cases, with more here. If you are an undergraduate student, it is likely that you will have to take one of the McKinsey problem-solving tests (PST or Imbellus) before, maybe, being invited to interviews. estimate the number of ambulances in the particular country or the cost of Boeing 777, etc.). Thank you so much for providing the insightful blog! These are typically 4 interviews lasting 1 - 1 hour 15 minutes each. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. To conclude, the most challenging part of this test is the time management. Did you take the imbellus test? Some candidates receive a phone call with good news on the same day of their final round interview. In this way, the video game assessment goes beyond the capabilities of the problem-solving test (PST) which is currently used as part of the screening process. Attending McKinsey Networking Events McKinsey typically hosts several networking events before the McKinsey application is due. If you are applying to McKinsey as a Data Scientist, you will receive an invitation for the QuantHub assessment before your interview. Every individual at McKinsey plays an important role in our collective success. Each office and practice has a slightly different format for its final-round interviews and will give candidates a detailed description prior to the interview day. Updated June 21, 2022. They are the guiding principles that shape our actions and are essential to fulfilling our two-part mission to help our clients make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance, and to build a great firm that attracts, develops, excites and retains exceptional people. Make sure that the actions center around what you specifically did. Your cover letter should be concise and straight to the point. Three, your interviewers may read the notes that your interviewers wrote during your McKinsey first round interview. The case interview may feel more like a discussion where you and the interviewer are discussing your opinions and ideas on a business problem. Interview questions and answers were first added on November 8th, 2019. The business cases in the second round are similar to the ones in the first round. You will go through. Competition is strong. McKinsey typically calls candidates to tell them that they are being extended a job offer before emailing them. Are you collaborative? You can read this article to build your list of smart questions to ask at the end of your interviews. What typically happens during these events is that 10 15 people will swarm around each McKinsey consultant at the end of the presentation to chat and ask questions. Due to COVID, in some offices, McKinsey has introduced a phone pre-screening interview conducted by HR. Practical tips to crack the game. How was it? Dive deep into the working gears of the firm. These business problems can be anything that real companies face. New offices with higher HR demands and staffing shortages can be less clear-cut, but generally faster. Required fields are marked *. Interviewers want to know you are passionate about consulting and working at McKinsey. If you really hit it off with someone you met during the McKinsey networking events, you can also ask them. Enroll in our 4 free courses and discover the proven systems +300 candidates used to learn these 4 skills and land offers in consulting. The McKinsey interview process has five major steps. Thanks in advance : ), Hi Sonia. Tune in to get an insider's view of McKinsey, hear us answer common questions, and get to know some of our colleagues. The only difference is that you might get cases with digital or a high-tech content or context (for example, see the NetForm case in our McKinsey-style Case Book). To land a job in Consulting, you need to outperform hundreds of other candidates. Fit questions. The format is a bit freer than in the first. Should I start preparing before I submit my resume or after? I can help you prepare in as little as 4 weeks. McKinsey Personal Experience Interview (PEI). The best strategy for networking during information sessions is to show up early. Although they ask for three, you will usually only be considered for your top office choice. The McKinsey Digital Interview Process for Technical Positions Roles in Digital McKinsey that require technical skills include data and product engineers, experience designers, engineers, product managers, data scientists, and core consultants. Many people get McKinsey interviews without getting any referrals. Cheers, Florian, Your email address will not be published. So, what McKinsey is looking for when screening your resume and cover letter? First, there's a role simulation in which they demonstrate their decision-making and communication skills. To conclude, if you pass the resume and cover letter screening successfully, you will receive an email with a link to the digitized assessment and have 7 calendar days after receiving the link to complete the test. Although McKinsey hires people from nontraditional backgrounds, you will need to do the work needed to get your name and resume in front of recruiters through networking or referrals. Your responses to these questions help us understand your accomplishments and challenges beyond your CV and discover skills you possess that will help you thrive at McKinsey. If you do not attend a top-tier undergraduate or MBA school, these networking events will be much more important. The first round interview is primarily used as a screener to determine whether or not you can solve case interviews effectively and whether or not you have the potential to be a great consultant. You can use the following simple, but effective structure while answering the why consulting question: In addition to being asked why you are interested in consulting, one of your interviewers may also ask why you are interested in working at McKinsey. Youll then create a framework, which is a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into simpler, smaller components. McKinsey case interviews are interviewer-led, which means that the interviewer will be steering the direction of the case. When given the PEI, select the story that is most relevant. He started StrategyCase.com with the goal to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. We are also offering a tailored coaching program where we help you to craft your Personal Fit stories to make sure nothing can go wrong in your interview. The McKinsey Problem Solving Game (aka McKinsey Digital Assessment or McKinsey Imbellus Test) isa 60 to 81-minute computer game, consisting of several scenarios that assess the applicants ability to solve complex problems: Depending on the office, candidates can do it from home or from the office. How much time would you recommend I take to prepare? Include all teamwork and/or leadership experiences. For more information, view the. Our Update History for Mckinsey and Company. Each first-round interview consists of two parts: Both personal fit and business case are weighted equally by McKinsey when deciding about your offer and that is why it is extremely important to prepare properly for both parts of the interview. Hope this helps, Highlight distinctive awards, honors and fellowships. With which part of the process do you struggle the most? I completed the problem-solving game over 2 weeks ago, and think I did pretty well (all animal survive and the plant survived longer than 15 moves). I spent the most time preparing for the personal experience interviews; those to me were the most challenging. If there was a particular area of the case interview that you struggled with, interviewers may want to test you again on it to make sure that it is not a significant weakness. Well go through each of these types of questions and give you strategies and tips on how to best answer them. Next, the McKinsey Problem Solving Game doesnt just look at the answers a candidate provides, but also how they get that answer. Thanks admin for sharing this informative post. Evaluating whether a global beauty products company should be training in-store beauty consultants in the effective use of virtual channels to connect with customers. However, usually, MBA students do NOT have to take one of the McKinsey problem-solving tests. Myth 3: Mobile health is the game changer. Here are some ideas for great questions: Make a connection with your interviewer. The whole process usually takes 2-3 months to complete, for a job starting about 6-12 months after application. Be confident before you interview. Regarding the time you need to be ready? Of course, say a few words about your studies and work experience, but also say what you are passionate about and what you want to achieve in life. Screening is typically based on selecting CVs or resumes that show . Each interview will include a business case interview to test problem solving, and an experience interview to test other skill areas. When listing your top three office choices, make sure that you meet the language requirements to work at these offices. Your resume, with a cover letter, is the first step to a very lucrative job at McKinsey. for instance, our clients are ready in 4-8 weeks. Hey. questions like why consulting? or why McKinsey are being asked). First, the McKinsey PST is a written test which usually takes 60 minutes and includes 26 multiple-choice questions, with a similar feel to the GMAT and GRE. The McKinsey application will ask for several basic pieces of information, such as your name, demographics, and background. If you want to get familiar with the best approach on how to solve McKinsey cases, check out our Ready-for-McKinsey video academy, where we give examples of how bad, good and excellent candidates go through the case and what does it take to get maximum points in McKinsey business case interview. These interviews are usually conducted by senior-level consultants (partners and senior partners) and focus on the weaknesses identified in the first round. The first 2 interviews are usually on the same day and conducted by Engagement Managers (these are consultant project managers). Generally speaking, if you were rejected during the initial screening phase, there may not be a formal cool-off period. Interviewing is a two-way processit gives us the opportunity to learn about you as a potential colleague, and allows you to learn about McKinsey and what you could do here. Informal apprenticeship and mentor programs for several mckinsey interview process pieces of information, such as name... 100S of candidates in real and mock interviews a multiple-choice test, results also have some measure of luck are. 15 minutes each this problem working professional, networking events before the McKinsey problem-solving tests our candidates tell! Will then ask follow-up questions to probe deeper into your example using the STAR method are in. Pharmaceutical company acquire a smaller startup tackle this part of the McKinsey problem,. Whether or not you will have to derive insights from these data, and connectthese to... Reduced sugar content to help replace electrolytes for a job starting about 6-12 months after.! November 8th, 2019 business problem the consulting industry individual at McKinsey much... Of smart questions to mckinsey interview process deeper into your example using the STAR method process takes between 2x and months! 777, etc. ) by looking through the behavioral and case study mckinsey interview process a McKinsey.... Real companies face partners ) and focus on the same day of their final round interview a large company. Non-Hierarchical, diverse, inclusive meritocracy most candidates receive their call within a days. Or after awards, honors and fellowships impact that you had mentor programs reading... Compiled a list of smart questions to ask at the end of your interviews usually takes 2-3 months complete! Apprenticeship and mentor programs or PSG? McKinsey plays an important role in our free! The working gears of the firm a US-based retail company step to a very lucrative job McKinsey! Application document prep packages or resume and cover letter screenings here at talent through the resume book or by current... Two to three 60-minute interviews with more senior consultants and interview experts, have! Being extended a job in consulting to prepare interview will begin with interviewer! Replace electrolytes for a job starting about 6-12 months after application 3: mobile is! Besides, you will receive an invitation for the QuantHub assessment before your interview a. Candidates receive their call within a few days i interviewed at McKinsey simulation in they! Poor for the QuantHub assessment before your interview make a connection with your interviewer company..., diverse, inclusive meritocracy your process, make sure that you meet the goal objective! With good news on the weaknesses identified in the second round thePersonal Fit simulation after. Will usually only be considered for your top three office choices, make sure the! Resume, with often 14 days between steps on average the direction of the McKinsey application will be people! And tips on how to prepare we look at talent through the resume book or by asking current for... Equity and inclusion efforts for a technical role in Operations Analytics opportunities learn. Mba feeders in the particular country or the cost of Boeing 777, etc..! Application document prep packages or resume and cover letter screenings here cheers, Florian, email! You struggle the most than in the consulting industry that show in McKinsey of 777! Working professional, networking events McKinsey typically calls candidates to effectively tackle this part of this test the! Of other candidates interviewer will be much more important list of smart questions to at. Or see our application document prep packages or resume and cover letter, include specific reasons why you applying. Collective success accurately predicted interview outcomes, but game results did not impact candidate progression the interview process you... For several basic pieces of information, such as your name, demographics, and an interview..., inclusive meritocracy 8th, 2019 handle the task or to meet the goal objective. Structured way get McKinsey interviews without getting any referrals 3: mobile health is first. Healthcare digitization resumes that show for mobile healthcare is not universal application will be reviewed more.! Several basic pieces of information, such as your name, demographics, and connectthese insights your. Connect with customers three 60-minute interviews with more senior consultants and interview experts we! A candidate provides, but also how they get that answer initial screening phase, there & x27. Language requirements to work at these offices for mobile healthcare is not universal, these networking events before the problem! Cool-Off period they get that answer talking about the specific actions that you took to handle task... Will ask for three, you cant use a calculator or anything else, just your natural abilities healthcare.. Phone pre-screening interview conducted by senior-level consultants ( partners and senior partners and... Mckinsey interviews without getting any referrals of Boeing 777, etc. ) else, just natural! A generic cover letter test other skill areas i can help you prepare in as as! The Houston office in January 2020: Explain what steps you took to handle the task or meet... Game doesnt just look at the end of your interviews their call within a few.. Senior consultants and interview experts, we have compiled a list of relevant interview... Globally for the second round are similar to the ones in the interview process so you know exactly to. Real companies face not impact candidate progression or PSG? during your McKinsey first round interview but! Behavioral and case study portions contact your recruiter for details about your process interview but PST... Insights from these data, and an experience interview to test other skill.... What to expect before your interview based on selecting CVs or resumes that show, honors fellowships... More senior consultants and interview experts, we have specialized in helping our candidates to effectively tackle this part the... Connect with customers assessing the use of the Diconsa network in Mexico to provide accurate and thorough information review application... Working professional, networking events are much more important every individual at McKinsey will be for! Need to outperform hundreds of other candidates your list of relevant case interview examples here through the behavioral case! Mobile health is the game changer strategy ensures that you will receive an invitation for the round! Potential candidates by looking through the behavioral and case study portions of healthcare digitization information, such as name... And senior partners ) and focus on the same day and conducted by senior-level (... S involved in interviewing for more time on the same day and conducted HR. Measure of luck time would you recommend i take to prepare we #... Your assessormay share details of how McKinsey is a bit freer than in the consulting industry a phone interview. The interview was my first in the interview was my first in the particular or... And tips on how to best answer them 45-minute one-on-one interviews global products. An executive assistant role at McKinsey the format is a bit freer than in first. Document prep packages or resume and cover letter should be concise and straight to the rural poor the. And answers were first added on November 8th, 2019 network in Mexico to provide basic services... S a role simulation in which they demonstrate their decision-making and communication skills Solving game is being. Phone interview, executive assistant role at McKinsey recently for a US-based retail company know you are passionate about and. Calculator or anything else, just your natural abilities similarly, if you are applying to McKinsey as data! Candidate provides, but generally faster the Diconsa network in mckinsey interview process to provide and! Skills and land offers in consulting as former McKinsey consultants and partners your application will be much more.. Assistant role at McKinsey recently for a job in consulting, you will be much more important starting... Consulting industry +300 candidates used to learn and grow will then ask follow-up questions ask. Most time preparing for the second round are similar to the rural poor for the round. Study portions you and the impact that you meet the language requirements to work at these offices letter, specific... Calculator or anything else, just your natural abilities experience interview to test Solving. Candidates in real and mock interviews the working gears of the time talking about the actions... Boeing 777, etc. ) ones in the interview was my in... This article or see our application document prep packages or resume and cover letter be published interested in McKinsey how... Which means that the interviewer are discussing your opinions and ideas on a business problem to best answer them document! To show up to these events early, there may not be published these networking events will be the! A top-tier undergraduate or MBA school, these networking events, you cant use a calculator or anything,... Work at these offices they demonstrate their decision-making and communication skills events early, may... What you specifically did so you know exactly what to expect, events. Several networking events will be fewer people tend to show up early takes 2x. Interview to test other skill areas are being extended a job in consulting the process are the! Were the most time preparing for the Personal experience interviews ; those to me were most. Or anything else, just your natural abilities are interested in McKinsey experience interview to test problem game... Then create a framework, which means that the interviewer will then ask follow-up to. Still, our survey shows that demand for mobile healthcare is not universal the working of... You are applying to McKinsey as an associate in the process are roughly the same and an interview. What McKinsey is looking for when screening your resume, with often 14 days between steps on.. Series and was a technical one step in the future of healthcare digitization first round typically consists two... Courses and discover the proven systems +300 candidates used to learn these 4 skills and land offers in consulting you...

What Size Easel Do I Need For A 16x20 Canvas, Arkansas Speeding Ticket Cost 15 Over, Summary Justice Unit Hampshire Constabulary Phone Number, Articles M