What to expect from the McKinsey Digital - Associate interview? How are the cases: is it same as generalist or different?

Hi there,

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

• First of all, the case studies in McKinsey Digital interviews typically are very similar to those for generalist roles.
• Moreover, nonetheless, I would advise you to familiarize yourself with the latest trends in digital technology, as these are possible to be relevant in your discussions.

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 Digital interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

In general, your chances for practice-related vs. non-domain relevant cases are 50/50 since

• the McKinsey case is all about your approach and thinking, not about domain-relevant expertise
• interviewers, who usually build the case on their job experience, have had a time before they joined the practice or even while working in the practice might do non-practice related engagements
• even if it's an industry-related case, there are tons of different functions within that industry that could be quite far away from what you might expect

Focusing only on one segment of cases usually leads to bad experience and performance. Rather focus on how to solve McKinsey cases, regardless of context and industry.

Have a look at this article to learn more: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-interview

As regards the McKinsey case aspect:

McKinsey cases are a bit different compared to the rest.

Let's break it down below as well:

1. The difference between a McKinsey case and a non-McKinsey case first and foremost lies in the interviewer-led format as you are aware. Every case you have in this case book can be asked from an interviewer-led perspective.

In the McKinsey interview you will have to answer three different questions types - broadly speaking:

• Structuring (Framework and brainstorming)
• Exhibit Interpretation
• Math

While in candidate-led cases, they should arise naturally when you drill down into your structure, in McKinsey interviews, the interviewer will bring them up in succession.

2. The second big difference lies in the nature of questions asked at McKinsey. At the core, McKinsey wants to see creative ideas communicated in a structured manner, the more exhaustive the better.

As a result, McKinsey cases will usually be very creative in nature and not something that can be solved by looking at industry frameworks or industry trends.

Be aware that frameworks were applicable in the 2000 years, the era of Victor Cheng and Case in Point. McK has long caught up on this and the cases you will get during the interviews are tailored in a way to test your creativity and ability to generate insights, not remember specific frameworks.

3. The third big difference is how to answer the questions in a McKinsey interview. Since the interviewer guides you from question to question, you need to be in the driver's seat for each question and treat each almost like a mini case in itself.

Your goal should be to come up with a tailored and creative answer that fits the question. The framework should - broadly speaking - follow these three characteristics:

• Broad
• Deep
• Insightful

The firm wants to see exhaustive and creative approaches to specific problems, which more often than not do not fit into the classic case interview frameworks (or can be derived from industry drivers and trends) that were en vogue 10 years ago...

Again, this only applies if everything you say

• adds value to the problem analysis
• is MECE
• is well qualified
• includes a detailed discussion of your hypotheses at the end

As a result, you can spend several minutes, guiding the interviewer through your structure!

Now for Structure and Exhibit Interpretation, there is also no right or wrong answer. Some answers are better than others because they are

• deep
• broad
• insightful
• hypothesis-driven
• follow a strong communication (MECE, top-down, signposted)

That being said, there is no 100% that you can reach or the one-and-only solution/ answer. It is important that your answers display the characteristics specified above and supported well with arguments.

As for Math questions, usually, there are answers which are correct (not always 100% the same since some candidates simplify or round differently - which is ok), and others that are wrong, either due to the

• calculation approach
• calculation itself

The difference in format and way of answering a question is the reason why I recommend preparing a bit differently for McK interviews vs. other consultancies.

Now that you know about

• the different format
• the different question types and case briefs
• the ways to answer the questions

you can start using the cases you already have and approach them in a McKinsey-specific way. 

If you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out for some free guidance on how to come up with your own McKinsey-type cases on the spot.

Also, check out this answer I wrote on how the cases McKinsey posts online are comparable to the actual interviews: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/are-mckinsey-website-practice-cases-representative-for-what-will-come-10002

Cheers,

Florian

Hi There,

I am a former McKinsey Digital EM. During my own interviews and in the 100+ interviews I've conducted, I found that the cases tend to be generalist rather than specialized in digital topics. I wasn't asked a single digital case, so I wouldn't worry too much about this aspect.

For McKinsey Digital roles such as a Specialist, there’s often a Technical Experience Interview (TEI) to assess technical expertise. However, since you’re interviewing for an Associate role, this likely won't be relevant to you.

That said, it might be useful to familiarize yourself with a few digital topics that could come up in a conversation with the interviewer. These include digital twins, online customer experiences/journeys, cloud migrations, analytics, and the ever-growing field of Generative AI. While the chances of getting a case specifically on these topics are slim, they could lead to interesting discussions after your case.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Nilay