What are good questions to ask at the end of the first interview with Mckinsey?

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, I think the question about their transition from banking to consulting is a great one.
• Moreover, however, I would advise you to carefully frame your question about dislikes. Instead of asking what they don't like, consider asking what challenges they face and how they deal with them.
• Lastly, I would not ask them for feedback because you will get feedback anyway.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

First of all, congratulations on the interview! It's great that you're being thoughtful about what questions to ask to engage and create a genuine conversation with the interviewer - in my experience that goes a long way toward getting them on your team to advocate for you in the process, and eventually become your first mentor when you join. A few thoughts:

1. Questions About Their Career Transition
You’ve already got a great starting point here. Since you and your interviewer share a banking background, this is a golden opportunity to connect on a personal level. Instead of just asking, "Why did you leave banking?”—which is a good question—you can make it more engaging by showing curiosity about their journey. For example:

- “I noticed you made the move from banking to consulting after your MBA. I’d love to hear more about what drew you to McKinsey specifically. Was there a moment or experience that made you think, ‘This is where I want to be?’” 
 - This invites them to share a story, and people love talking about their “aha” moments.

Or, if you want to tie it back to your own experience:  
- “As someone with a banking background myself, I’m really curious—how do you feel your time in banking prepared you for consulting? Were there any skills or mindsets that translated better than you expected?”
 - This shows you’re thinking ahead about how your own experience could set you up for success.

2. Questions About McKinsey’s Culture and Work
You’re absolutely right that asking about challenges can be tricky. Instead of framing it as, “What do you dislike?”—which can feel a bit negative—you can flip it to focus on their personal growth or unexpected insights. For example:

- “I’ve done a lot of research on McKinsey, and I know the work can be demanding but incredibly rewarding. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself or the firm that you didn’t expect when you first joined?”  
 - This is a more positive way to explore the realities of the job while still being authentic.

Or, if you want to dig into the culture:  
- “McKinsey has such a unique culture. What’s one thing about the way teams work together or the way the firm operates that you’ve found really valuable or different from other places you’ve worked?”
 - This shows you’re thinking deeply about what makes McKinsey special.

3. Questions About the Role and Impact
This is where you can really show your passion for the work McKinsey does. People love talking about projects they’re proud of, so give them a chance to share something meaningful. For example:

- “What’s a project or client engagement you’ve worked on that really stood out to you? What made it so memorable or impactful?”
 - This lets them geek out about their work, and you’ll likely get a great story in return.

Or, if you want to show your strategic thinking:  
- “How do you see McKinsey’s approach to problem-solving evolving in the next few years, especially with all the changes in technology and the global economy?” 
 - This shows you’re not just thinking about the job today but also about where the firm is headed.

4. Questions About Feedback and Growth
Asking for feedback is a smart move, but you want to do it in a way that feels natural and not too forward. Instead of putting them on the spot, you can frame it as a learning opportunity. For example:

- “If I’m lucky enough to move forward, do you have any advice on how I can best prepare for the next round? Are there any areas you think I should focus on based on our conversation today?”
 - This is a humble way to ask for feedback while showing you’re eager to improve.

Or, if you want to keep it more general:  
- “Based on your experience interviewing candidates, what do you think sets apart the people who really thrive at McKinsey?” 
 - This gives you insight into what they value most while still showing your drive to succeed.

5. Questions to Show Genuine Interest in McKinsey
This is your chance to show that you’re not just interested in a job—you’re interested in this job at this firm. For example:

- “What’s one thing you wish you had known about McKinsey before you joined, or one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their career here?”
 - This is a classic for a reason—it’s thoughtful, and it gives them a chance to share wisdom.

Or, if you want to dig into the firm’s values:  
- “McKinsey talks a lot about values like client impact and leadership. How have you seen those values come to life in your day-to-day work or in the firm’s decisions?”
 - This shows you’ve done your homework and are thinking about how you’d fit into the culture.

6. Closing Question to Leave a Strong Impression
End on a high note with a question that leaves them feeling positive and leaves you memorable. For example:

- “What’s one thing that keeps you excited about working at McKinsey, even on the toughest days?” 
 - This is a great way to end because it’s optimistic and forward-looking. It also gives them a chance to share something personal and meaningful.

You definitely won't have time for all of these so keep a few in your back pocket and choose the ones that feel most authentic to the conversation you're already having and what you actually want to know most.

Remember:
- Be Curious, Not Scripted: The best questions come across as natural and conversational. Don’t overthink it—just focus on being genuinely interested in their experiences and insights.
- Show You’re Invested: Your questions should reflect that you’ve done your homework and are thinking deeply about what it means to work at McKinsey.
- Make It a Dialogue: The best interviews feel like a two-way conversation, not an interrogation. Use your questions to build rapport and connect with your interviewer on a human level.

You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this, and that’s going to shine through. Trust yourself, stay curious, and remember—this is as much about you assessing whether McKinsey is the right fit for you as it is about them assessing you. You’ve got this!

Let me know if you want to run through any of these questions or practice your delivery. I’m here to help!

Hi there!

"What would be good, interesting questions to show my genuine desire to work at Mckinsey and that i am deeply invested in this process?" --> first of all, it is great that you have already the idea that you don't need a list of random questions, but rather those that will show your genuine desire to succeed at McKinsey's process and will work for it. Also kudos for the research on his profile. Side note here: see if you can find what is the industry he's focused on, more often than not the case will be related to that - it happened to me in my interviews!

That being said, here are some ideas for you:

👉  Focus on his experience: 

a) Comparison between jobs: Why a person leave bank to join a consulting firm is probably not an insightful question, as this is actually a common transition. It would be different, if this person had a unconventional background. However, as you work in a bank as well, you could ask what were the main differences he found between the two experiences, focusing on what was actually unexpected for him.

b) His perspective related to the consulting career: You can ask what are his perspectives for this career, meaning, does he see himself in this industry on the long run or does he consider transition to another one of his interest in the future taking into account what he have learned within consulting.

👉  Focus on other people's experience:

a) What distinguished consultants at McKinsey: You may say that you know about the hard skills, such as problem solving, communication, etc. but considering all consultants have to be good at it, what makes one distinguished among a pool of bright people? Specially thinking about the soft skills.

b) What makes the pool of consultants unique at McKinsey: What makes McKinsey consultants unique? Is there a common treat / interest / way of working among people that makes McKinsey's people different from other consulting firms / that makes McKinsey's culture unique?

👉  Focus on your own experience:

a) Survival guide for first starters: what would be his advice for someone who has just joined a consulting firm for this person to succeed? Mention again that you are aware of the hard skills, but would like to know about more specific things that he wished he knew when he first joined.

I hope this helps! Don't forget to think about why YOU want to join the firm, what would be the questions you would have once you join it and come up with your own ideas. It is a real opportunity for you to solve questions and get a better understanding of the job, the people and the possibilities of this career.

Wish you a lot of luck in your interview, keep us posted of your progress!
 

Best,
Mari

Hello! 

Congrats on getting the interview! Here are a few types of topics you can ask about:

1. The job and McKinsey more generally: E.g., What actions / characteristics would help you succeed (short-term vs. log-term)? How does 'make your own McKinsey' work (or how did it work for them)? How does global staffing work? When would you need to specialize in an industry or topic?
2. Their background: Why did they leave banking for consulting is a good question. You could also ask how the two compare and what are the pros / cons of each (I would rather ask this than ask what they dislike about consulting, because this keeps the question more balanced; only asking about dislikes might sound a bit negative)
3. Their McKinsey focus/experience: Which industry do they focus on and what are the key trends in that industry now? How would AI impact their industry (or any other relevant macro trend)? What types of clients do they work with? What was their favorite / least favorite project and why? 

Good luck!

Maria

Hey there, 

Please remember, from a strategic point of view: the questions you ask at the end is your last chance to leave an impression or a feeling about you with the interview. 

Yes, you could use this to ask about the job more specifically or their background etc. There's nothing wrong with that. But I'd prefer to think about questions that could help strengthen a connection or positive feel rather than one where interviewers would just give you answers without engagement. For example, you could ask them to tell you about their best moments or experiences in the firm, or what they enjoy most about the firm, or something else that 

It could even be follow ups from something that came up in the ice-breaker or introduction on something they like doing (i.e. common hobbies or past-times, etc.) 

It mostly will enough to change your interview outcome, but it sometimes can make an interviewer feel different about you and give grace or benefit of doubt in some situations. I've witnessed this many times in my interviews and with many of my colleagues doing interviews.

Let's chat about this some more if you want practical implementation of this. 

All the best

Hi there,

Q: What would be good, interesting questions to show my genuine desire to work at Mckinsey and that i am deeply invested in this process? 

I would not recommend asking what they don’t like in the job for a few reasons: (i) it connects you with negative emotions, (ii) whatever they answer, I don’t think it would provide any value to your application, (iii) they won’t be probably 100% transparent given they are acting as interviewers and you are a candidate.

Also, I would not ask for feedback on the case at this stage (they normally won’t provide any valuable insight as they still have to debrief. You can ask for feedback after you know the results of the interview).

Generally speaking, I would recommend questions related to:

1. Something you cannot easily find online that is interesting to you
2. The experience of the person and not the company only (“How did you find XYZ in your experience” instead of “How is XYZ at McKinsey”)
3. Positive experience putting them in a light of mentor/advisor (without being excessively flattering) ("I saw you have done XYZ which is very interesting to me. I was wondering how do you see/what you would recommend to…"). Ideally, show you have done as much research as possible on his profile, as very few people do so.

Good luck!

Francesco

hey!

Your planned questions already sound genuine and thoughtful – asking why your interviewer switched from banking to consulting can give you valuable insight into the appeal of McKinsey while inquiring about aspects they might dislike, beyond the typical long hours, demonstrates your deep research and honest curiosity about the firm's culture; adding a request for feedback if you progress further shows your commitment to growth, and you might also consider asking how McKinsey supports continuous development or what project experiences have shaped their career most, all of which can lead to a natural conversation that highlights your genuine interest. Best, Alessa

Here are some thoughts coming from a former interviewer:

1. Don't ask for information or something that can be easily found out through google / simple research
2. Don't ask for feedback on the case
   1. MBB typically have a standardized process where you are only given feedback after the round (i.e. if you have 2 interviewers, you need to complete 2 interviews before getting the feedback)
3. Instead, use these 2 guidelines to inspire you to generate great questions
   1. What do I really want to know about this firm/life in consulting?
   2. What is an angle or insight that this person will be able to give me that I am not able to get online or from public sources?

The exact question will differ from person to person - so there's no fixed list of questions to ask. But if it fulfils the criteria in #3, then it will be an insightful an authentic question

Hey there,

This part (questions at the end) is not evaluated and should rather be used to ask questions that you are actually interested in and you gain from knowing more about. 

Do not think about impressing the interviewer!

Ask about, for instance:

• Growth trajectory of the firm (very relevant currently with AI)
• Favorite project (creates positive emotions as the person likely remembers it fondly)
• Journey within the firm (people like to talk about themselves)

Fingers crossed and let me know if you need some help with McKinsey! 

Feel free to read some of the articles I wrote here about the process:

• Case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/mckinsey-interview
• PEI: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-pei

Cheers,

Florian