Can I still get an offer? MBB final round, almost finished one case but didn't.

This is a great question that I’ve already asked myself in the past! 

Overall, very few things “automatically” disqualify a candidate, and this is not one of them.

If the interviewer did not prompt you for your final recommendations, it probably meant they had enough insights already on your performance. 

Keep in mind that a case interview is not necessarily scripted. At McKinsey, we need to take you through a few steps, but it is not actually mandatory to give a final recommendation. Of course, I highly encourage you to do so whenever possible, but it is not a rating category per se. 

Hope this helps - send me a message if you need more information. Happy to help!

Finishing the case is not required. In fact, what is being tested is not whether you can get to the end of the case, but rather how you solve a case. Doing the right things, even if “slow” is perfectly fine. Doing this fast but wrong… doesn't grant you an offer. And being able to provide a recommendation… is probably the least valuable part of the case for the interviewer. If you prove your ability to focus on the problem, and to have structured communication, then the interviewer may not need an additional data point.

Hi there, 

Q: Would not being able to give a final recommendation automatically disqualify me for an offer?

If the interviewer did not ask for the final recommendation, it might be that they just wanted to skip that part. Not all interviewers will ask for a final recommendation at the end.

Regardless, you don’t need to have a perfect performance for every single question to move forward, thus it is still possible that you get an offer. It is difficult to comment on whether that’s going to be the case as we don’t know how you performed in the rest of the interview.

Good luck!

Francesco

Absolutely not. 

Don't worry about it.

In most interviews these days, interviewers don't even ask for a recommendation. 

Especially since the recommendation is also one of the areas that has more of a ‘recipe’ so it's not that insightful for the interviewer. 

I'd say sit tight and hope for the best for now. And in the meantime, you can apply to other firms. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Cristian

Hi,

Speaking from my experience as an interviewer, I haven't failed a candidate for not ‘finishing’ a case. 

Most of the time, they failed because they weren't able to demonstrate the traits to a good enough level, and that may not correlate to ‘moving through the case’ fast or quickly. 

So - don't stress out about it, and the only thing you can do now is wait for the results. All the best!

Hi there,

It's always tough to say from the outside as many factors play into the decision.

Not being able to get to the final recommendation how you described is a non-issue, however! In that regard, you should be fine.

Fingers crossed,

Florian

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process thus far!

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

• First of all, the fact that you weren't able to provide a final recommendation does not automatically mean that you are disqualified for an offer. While it can sometimes be useful to make a final recommendation, the interviewer will receive little new information about your performance at this stage either way.
• Moreover, I would advise you to stay positive and just wait to hear back. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen