McKinsey application "See later"

Question

Hi! I applied to an Associate level role at McKinsey and they told me that my application will remain as a "see later" since there is no avilable positions for the office I selected.

Giving some context, my CV was forwarded to recruiting by a Partner from that office, then McKinsey invited me to Solve and I completed the game two days later. I waited aprox. two weeks to contact HR about the process status, then I got a call today from HR to tell me that my application will stay as see later (McKinsey application dashbord appear as "Closed" but din't receive any rejection email). The recruiter also told me when they have positions available, they will contact me with priority and it won't be necessary to submit a CV or complete Solve again.

The question is: is this normal to happen? Or is a polite way to tell me that my profile is not strong enough to fit?

I will appreciate your comments. Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

Hi there,

This situation is fairly common, especially at McKinsey, where hiring is highly dependent on office needs and capacity. Based on what you’ve shared, here’s what’s likely happening:

1. It’s More About Office Hiring Needs Than Your Profile

Since your CV was forwarded by a Partner and you were invited to Solve, it suggests your profile was strong enough to move forward. If they weren’t interested in you at all, they wouldn’t have invited you to Solve or followed up with a personal call.

However, offices have limited hiring slots and sometimes get more qualified candidates than they can accommodate at a given time. This “See Later” status means they liked your profile but don’t have an immediate opening.

2. “See Later” vs. Rejection
    •    Your application dashboard shows “Closed” because there’s no active hiring for your role/office right now.
    •    However, since HR explicitly said you won’t need to reapply or retake Solve, they are keeping you in their pipeline, which is a positive sign.
    •    If they weren’t interested at all, they would have sent a formal rejection email instead.

3. What You Can Do Next
    •    Stay in touch with the recruiter. Follow up in 2-3 months to ask if there are any updates.
    •    Network with consultants at your target office (especially Engagement Managers and Partners). If another hiring round opens, having internal support can help push your case forward.
    •    Be open to other offices. If McKinsey is your top choice, consider reaching out to other regional offices that may have openings.

This is not a rejection, but it also doesn’t guarantee a future interview. Your best move now is to keep networking, maintain a good relationship with HR, and be patient while exploring other options.

Feel free to reach out if you need further advice - hope this helps!

Best,

Evelina

Answer 2

Hi,

It's normal that a certain office does not have an open position right now. Do not worry for now, keep in touch with the HR responsible of the office. I would recommend to keep on practicing cases at a lower pace, so you are ready for the first interview.

Mattijs

Answer 3

Hi there,

McKinsey and other respectable consulting firms are objective when one is out of the process, so interpret the message as it is: your interview is on hold until a position opens. On the bright side, this situation gives you more time to prepare and ace the interview when the time comes. :)

Best,

Mari

Answer 4

Hi there,

Q: Is this normal to happen? Or is a polite way to tell me that my profile is not strong enough to fit?

This is not common (simply because it is unusual for a large consulting company to have no openings in the foreseeable future).

On the other hand, it is not a standard rejection – if they wanted to reject you, they would have simply sent a rejection email. Therefore, you can expect that when they have openings, they will reconsider your application.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 5

Hey

Yes, this is quite normal and doesn’t necessarily mean your profile isn’t strong enough. McKinsey sometimes places strong candidates in a "see later" category if the office doesn’t have immediate openings. Given that a Partner forwarded your CV and you completed Solve, it means you were considered seriously. The fact that they mentioned you wouldn’t need to redo Solve or resubmit your CV suggests they genuinely want to keep you in the pipeline. You can stay in touch with HR, keep networking, and perhaps explore other offices or firms in the meantime. Let me know if you need help strategizing your next steps! 😊

Alessa

Answer 6

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with McKinsey!

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

First of all, although it's not a normal situation, especially if you've clarified about open positions beforehand, it eventually doesn't really matter whether it's normal or not, because there's nothing you can do about it.
Moreover, if any consulting firm wanted to reject you, they would do so.

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

Best,

Hagen

Answer 7

Hey there,

This is definitely not a common situation, but regardless - nothing can be done now.

I have seen similar cases at McKinsey where the candidates did eventually need to re-apply, but if recruiting / HR specifically told you that you won't have to if / when a position opens up - then I'd believe them

All the best