Mckinsey Interview Preparation

Hello!

In any case it´s good news, it´s not so easy to get an interview at this point!

You have 2 main workstreams ahead:

1. FIT INTERVIEW

The "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

You can see plenty of reviews from candidates who purchased it already.

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 FREE Expert Articles on PreLounge, in a sreies dedicated to preparing for the different parts of FIT:

1. https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/cv-interview-questions

2. https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/motivational-fit-interview-questions

3. https://www.preplounge.com/en/behavioral-interview-questions

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch

2. BUSINESS CASE

You need to get hands on asap:

1. Practice cases with partners asap, as many as you can do.Find experienced partners who can provide a good feedback

2. Practice your math skills, both in your cases and with ad hoc exercisess, such as:

1. ​Multiplying double digit numbers (you can find videos about this in Youtube, unfortunately we cannot post the link here but they are easy to find)

2. Leveraging math tools (Mimir math for iOS), Math tool on Viktor Cheng website to practice

Furthermore, you should practice as much as you can, and ensure that you cover:

1. Profitability cases- basic profitability framework.

2. Idea generation cases: for any specif issue

3. Growth cases: market penetration, new product launch, product mix change, etc.

4. Pricing cases

5. M&A cases

6. Valuation cases

7. Value chain cases

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on your upcoming interview with McKinsey!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• To prepare for the case interview, it is important to familiarize yourself with the types of cases that McKinsey commonly uses in their interviews, as well as the structure and format of the case interview itself.
• PrepLounge is a great resource for preparing for case interviews, as it provides access to a large collection of practice cases and solutions, as well as tips and advice from experienced consultants. It is recommended to go through a variety of cases from different industries and functional areas to gain a broad understanding of the different types of cases you may encounter in the interview.
• As for a plan, It is advisable to start by reviewing the basic frameworks and methodologies for solving cases, such as the "3 Cs" (Company, Customer, Competitor) and the "5 Ps" (Purpose, Problem, Plan, Performance, People). Once you have a solid understanding of these frameworks, you can begin working through practice cases on your own, using the frameworks to guide your thinking. Then move to more complex cases and try to solve them.
• It is also important to practice your communication and presentation skills, as the ability to clearly and effectively communicate your analysis and recommendations is a key part of the case interview.

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

Best,

Hagen

Hi there, 

Congrats on starting on the journey!

To begin with I'd take advantage of a few free resources that are available here on the website:

• Case interview basics - Go through this course format to develop a rough understanding of what to expect from the interview, what a case looks like and how you should generally approach it
• Do cases on your own - Check out the case library on PrepLounge and start doing cases on your own, always checking with the suggested answer at the end. 
• Do cases with peers - You can also do this here on the platform

Beyond that, you need to achieve mastery in both the case and the PEI component of the McKinsey interview. The latter one is especially tricky to get right because there are not that many useful resources out there and you need tailored support to understand what stories reflect your best self. This is the point where you might want to consider a coach, ideally somebody with McKinsey experience to maximize your chances for the interview.

Feel free to reach out for an intro call. Happy to give you more details then and walk you through a potential interview strategy for the upcoming rounds.

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Congrats!

As a starting point, I would like to refer you to both articles I wrote on the two elements of the McKinsey interview:

The Problem Solving Interview (Case): https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-interview

The PEI: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-pei

Once you have read through the articles I would start working on the different skills:

1. Drills on your own (happy to share some materials for free)

2. Full cases on your own (same)

3. Peer practice with strong practice partners

4. Work with a strong coach if you want/can go down that round as this can multiply your performance in a short amount of time (even just one session)

5. Develop 6 PEI stories as described in the article

As a rule of thumb, you should invest around 100 hours into prep, and around 50 if you have a business background and are more familiar with casing.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

There is not a set plan.

Ultimately each journey is different and you need to adjust according to your timeline, background, strengths, weaknesses, learning style, etc.

This is where a coach is immensely valuable.

Lacking a coach, here's some advice for your prep: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

Please please don't get hung up on the quantification of things. There's not a set casebook or a set number of cases or a set range of case types.

You need to learn how to solve any problem period in an objective-driven, structured way.

First: explore the site. Watch a few videos on the website.

You can also read Victor Cheng's book or check his videos.

This is just for you to get acquainted with what case interviews are.

Then do a couple of case interviews with a partner, ideally an experienced one.

This is the basic for you to understand what this is all about.

This hasn't been mentioned but is key. Make sure you practice the free cases McKinsey have on their website with a partner. I am always surprised at the amount of people that don't do this.

Other than that, look to McKinsey style cases on preplounge and MBA casebook as well. Feel free to reach out for a free intro session as well if you want to discuss how to plan and practice efficiently 

Hi there,

Well done on getting the interviews! McKinsey interview preparation is indeed very different from other firms and I would caution anyone to consume all the free content out there, thinking it's appropriate for McKinsey (which usually it isn't)

Feel free to get in touch for some more specific guidance, happy to help out!

Best,
Moritz