McKinsey at OCI Forum

[Anonymous User]

McKinsey is going to be at my T10 school in the upcoming weeks and I have an interview. I'm a JD/MBA with above median (probably top40%ish) grades. Anyone know what type of law student they're looking to hire? Are they serious about hiring law students? What's the callback process like?

[Anonymous User]

Yes they are serious, the callback process goes first to an exam where you have to pass to move ontothe next round, as well as 2 group cases. Pass the test, you are golden. Next round are two case interviews and two expereince interviews. These are intense but actually a lot of fun if you like business strategy at all. After that is the same thing but in the regional office that you want to be in.

These are pretty gruling and it takes much more rigor to get a McKinsey offer than an offer at any law firm, at least based on interviewing. After they give you an interview, they don't care about your grades, your school or anything like that, all they care about is that you have the intellectual horsepower to destory cases, and that you are confident, personable and someone that is a leader that plays well with others.

[Anonymous User]

thanks.

anyone else have any experience?

[Anonymous User]

How learnable is the initial screening exam?

[Anonymous User]

How learnable is the initial screening exam?

they send you an email saying the initial screening interview will consist of X,Y,Z. it does indeed consist of X,Y,Z. master answers to X,Y,Z and you will make it to the next round

[Anonymous User]

If you are decent at math and problem solving then it requires almost no prep at all. I passed the test after doing like 3 hours of math prep because I forgot some SAT tricks I used to know. If you are bad at math, the test is pretty much going to destroy you, no way u'll finish and do well.

If you think you have a shot at the first round, I recommend buying going to caseinterview.com and testing your fundamentals and start practicing with the math sections. Also, go to mckinsey.com and they have practice tests on their. These tests are about quick math, rounding, strategic thinking all in one.

[Anonymous User]

I went through their entire interview process last summer, and am starting work there in a couple of months. Here's some info that might help - and I'm happy to answer any other questions that come up.

The structure last summer was screening interview, problem solving test (accompanied by 2 non-evaluative group cases), round 1 of cases, round 2 of cases.

In terms of who they're looking for, they seem mostly interested in natural problem-solving ability (in a business context) as well as strong people-skills and a teamwork mentality. Also, the ability to stay calm and cool under pressure is another element I noticed come into play.

I found the PST challenging, partly because I hadn't done math in forever and felt quite rusty. I was pressed for time and didn't feel like I did well at all, but luckily I ended up passing to the next round. I think the majority pass the PST and seems to be a test of very basic mathematical competency. To practice I did the McKinsey practice test and basically every other set of somewhat similar problems I could get my hands on, because I was eager to get to try my hand at the cases.

After that, they provide multiple opportunities to do practice cases at their offices with McKinsey folk, as well as lots of people at McKinsey whom you can contact for help in your preparation. In my experience, the practice cases were very accurate representatives of what the actual cases in the interviews were.

I think they are very serious about hiring law students, but I didn't feel like they had a high yield of hires from EIP because I think that there aren't too many law students who are super interested in consulting. At least in my case I felt like my peers were far more focused on firms. The amount of commitment you need to get through the interview process I think necessitates that you are seriously interested in working there. But as a law student you have a god a shot as anyone in my opinion.

If you'd like more specifics I'm happy to help out!

[Anonymous User]

Just to clarify, they offered to pair you up with McKinsey employees for case prep? Also, if it's ok, do you mind telling us which school? I have a screener with them soon.

[Anonymous User]

Just to clarify, they offered to pair you up with McKinsey employees for case prep? Also, if it's ok, do you mind telling us which school? I have a screener with them soon.

If I remember correctly, once you pass to R1 they give you a McKinsey "buddy," someone you can e-mail or call to ask questions and get advice. My buddy was one of the same consultants who did the non-evaluative group interview after the PST, so he was able to give me feedback based on how I did in the group case, and I went on to ask him some more questions on how to further prep for the case. We never did one-on-one cases, it was more of a question and answer type of thing. I did, however, do a bunch of cases with a b-school friend so I did have the advantage of one-on-one prep, just not with McKinsey folk.

Once I got to R2, I got a couple more contacts within the firm from the recruiters. They gave me the info of a couple of ex-lawyers at McKinsey who could give me some more specific prep and advice coming from the legal world/common mistakes they see among law students. Throughout the whole process I felt like I was given very helpful resources.

If I say my school it'll be really obvious who I am Are you concerned they are less/more interested on people from different schools? If so, I would not worry about that. If they are interviewing you, they are interested in giving you a shot at the process.

Also - are you interviewing for a summer position or permanent hire?

One piece of advice I have for the screener is make your interest in them very, very clear. They interview a ton of law students, and some are likely only marginally interested/curious, but not super serious about the prospect of abandoning the legal industry. Be sure to distinguish yourself and let them know this is something you're seriously interested if it's something you'd really like to do.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the additional info! I interviewed last year for a summer position and went through most of the motions but didn't get it in the end (dinged in the decision round). Do you think they would hold that against me this year for FT interviews? And yes I thought some school might be getting a preferential treatment Also, since I passed several rounds last year, would I pick up where I left off or should I do everything over again?

Thanks a lot for helping btw. This is really useful.

[Anonymous User]

I have an offer with a law firm and would like to work there this summer.

That said, I currently have an interview with McK for their summer position - can I try hard to get the position and then defer?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the additional info! I interviewed last year for a summer position and went through most of the motions but didn't get it in the end (dinged in the decision round). Do you think they would hold that against me this year for FT interviews? And yes I thought some school might be getting a preferential treatment Also, since I passed several rounds last year, would I pick up where I left off or should I do everything over again?

Thanks a lot for helping btw. This is really useful.

So glad to help!

You'd definitely start the process over again (at least I think so - perhaps you can find a way to let the recruiter know you've been through it - but I think you'd still have to go through it again) That's great that you made it that far - that means that whatever you were doing in terms of solving the cases was working! In your upcoming screener, I would be sure to discuss your interview experience with them last year. Shows strong interest and that you have the skills needed (I think a lot of people get dinged after R1 of cases). You might also wanna talk about what you've done to improve in order to better your chances of making it all the way through this time. Did you get any feedback from the interviewers for your decision round?

When I did R1 and R2, I felt that R2 was much more about fit than the case. I'm wondering if you had the same experience? There's no way to tell, but that was just the feeling I got. It seemed like the unsaid consensus among my interviewers was "you made it through R1 so you can do a case...now let me take this opportunity to see if I actually like you and if I think you'd fit in here."

BTW - a somewhat similar thing happened to me, I went for both summer position and permanent hire, but for summer position I never even got invited back to take the PST. They called back a much smaller % for summer positions as far as I could tell, and I couldn't quite discern the criteria for getting to do the PST. I guess this doesn't apply to you as much, but if it's any reassurance, it seemed to me like there were very few summer spots for law students.

[Anonymous User]

I have an offer with a law firm and would like to work there this summer.

That said, I currently have an interview with McK for their summer position - can I try hard to get the position and then defer?

Are you a rising 2L in the middle of the interview process?

I don't have the info to answer this question, but my instinct would be that it's not an option. I think there are too many people who want those positions for that to make sense for them to do.

You could always summer at a firm, see if you like it, and go for McK again as a 3L if the deferring plan didn't work.

I will they that they are very different career paths, though. Are you torn/trying to decide between the two? With some research into the type of work you'd do at a firm v. what you'd do at McKinsey, you may have an easier time making the decision. You'd also have to gauge your comfort level with the idea of leaving law and possibly (and somewhat likely) never returning to it. This was an easy decision for me to make, but a difficult one for many others. Happy to answer any questions you might have in thinking about law v. McK.

[Anonymous User]

I made it to R1 last year before getting dinged for an SA position. My feedback was pretty much, gain some more experience to talk about and get better at the specifics in cases. When I applied for a ful-time position this year, I expected at least a first round interview, and I got dinged right away. They said that I interviewed last year, so I need to wait longer. Is this typical? I thought having interviewed would be seen as a plus, not a negative, expecially considering that the experiences I have had this year make for much more interesting interviews.

[Anonymous User]

I made it to R1 last year before getting dinged for an SA position. My feedback was pretty much, gain some more experience to talk about and get better at the specifics in cases. When I applied for a ful-time position this year, I expected at least a first round interview, and I got dinged right away. They said that I interviewed last year, so I need to wait longer. Is this typical? I thought having interviewed would be seen as a plus, not a negative, expecially considering that the experiences I have had this year make for much more interesting interviews.

I would want to "lol!" but I understand that you don't understand. Once you fail an interview with McKinsey, you have to achieve a shit ton in between your failure and the next time they give you something ie get another degree, publish a book, or something on that order. It's a negative if you had failed the interview...they invested time in you and they are right--in one year you can't show much improvement. You'd need to wait a few years before you can consider applying, sorry.

[Anonymous User]

I made it to R1 last year before getting dinged for an SA position. My feedback was pretty much, gain some more experience to talk about and get better at the specifics in cases. When I applied for a ful-time position this year, I expected at least a first round interview, and I got dinged right away. They said that I interviewed last year, so I need to wait longer. Is this typical? I thought having interviewed would be seen as a plus, not a negative, expecially considering that the experiences I have had this year make for much more interesting interviews.

I would want to "lol!" but I understand that you don't understand. Once you fail an interview with McKinsey, you have to achieve a shit ton in between your failure and the next time they give you something ie get another degree, publish a book, or something on that order. It's a negative if you had failed the interview...they invested time in you and they are right--in one year you can't show much improvement. You'd need to wait a few years before you can consider applying, sorry.

I'm the anon from a couple posts up (there are lots of anons in this thread) and I don't 100% agree with that. It's a yes and a no. They have a general policy, I think something like an 18 month period, where you have to wait to re-interview with them. But it's not universal. If it was, I would have gotten dinged when I interviewed in year 2, and I didn't.

This rule is meant to keep people from applying constantly after getting rejected, which makes sense. It seems to me to be less applicable in the context of on-campus interviewing. Perhaps for OCI it's more of a case-by-case evaluation. Either way, I interviewed 2 years in a row for it and it wasn't a problem.

I disagree that it's a negative to fail in an interview, especially in the context of interviewing from law school. It's a little bit of a different ballgame in my opinion. If you're coming from an MBA or just applying randomly through their website, then yes, if you interview as both a 2L and a 3L in law school, I would think it's be a little bit different. But I'm definitely no expert, this is just my opinion.

[Anonymous User]

I would want to "lol!" but I understand that you don't understand. Once you fail an interview with McKinsey, you have to achieve a shit ton in between your failure and the next time they give you something ie get another degree, publish a book, or something on that order. It's a negative if you had failed the interview...they invested time in you and they are right--in one year you can't show much improvement. You'd need to wait a few years before you can consider applying, sorry.

I would've LOL'd but I understand that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
As someone else mentioned, the general rule often doesn't apply when you interview for SA in one year and fail and interview for FT the next year. It's common practice at my school and from what I have heard at several other schools as well. In fact I myself interviewed last year and got another one this year, no problem. Maybe they vary it from school to school but it's definitely not a universal policy.

[Anonymous User]

I have an offer with a law firm and would like to work there this summer.

That said, I currently have an interview with McK for their summer position - can I try hard to get the position and then defer?

Are you a rising 2L in the middle of the interview process?

I don't have the info to answer this question, but my instinct would be that it's not an option. I think there are too many people who want those positions for that to make sense for them to do.

You could always summer at a firm, see if you like it, and go for McK again as a 3L if the deferring plan didn't work.

I will they that they are very different career paths, though. Are you torn/trying to decide between the two? With some research into the type of work you'd do at a firm v. what you'd do at McKinsey, you may have an easier time making the decision. You'd also have to gauge your comfort level with the idea of leaving law and possibly (and somewhat likely) never returning to it. This was an easy decision for me to make, but a difficult one for many others. Happy to answer any questions you might have in thinking about law v. McK.

someone necro'd, sorry about that. but if this poster is still around..what do you see as the big trade-offs between McK and Law? curious about the accuracy of this list. There are downsides common to them both that I have not put here (up or out, small chance of partnership, lots of hours, etc).

Pros of Mck:
-Varied work. New clients/new problems constantly.
-Strategic focus. Helping clients do what they want to do rather than aiding them when they are sued.
-Superior exit options. Can go into management at a client which is probably a more interesting/lucrative track than in-house counsel.
-Weekends are respected.
-More opportunities to develop communication skills/leadership through working on teams and giving presentations (rather than the solo-focused law firm work).
-Generalist instead of specialist.
-Awesome brand for an eventual career in business (startups, management, or anything really).

Downsides of Mck:
-Less compensation for the first few years. 135k vs 160k. Potentially higher bonuses but not guaranteed.
-Insane amounts of travel.
-Smarmy people and industry generally.
-Transitory lifestyle (associates don't get an office).
-More client-facing work means more pressure to keep up appearances constantly.

[imchuckbass58]

Downsides of Mck:
-Less compensation for the first few years. 135k vs 160k. Potentially higher bonuses but not guaranteed.

I'd say it's actually about equal. True McK pays 135k, but:

-25k signing bonus
-Bonus from 10-40k (unless you're bad enough to get fired, you'll get a higher bonus than "market")
-401k match - sounds silly, but it can be the cash equivalent of another 10k
-Health insurance more heavily subsidized (almost fully subsidized) - again, can be worth a few thousand

Raises are also fast than biglaw, although up-or-out is more aggressive so it's probably a wash on balance.

[Anonymous User]

2L here. Did this boat already leave. McKinsey does not come to my school, but I have a prepared application package from them... send it or too late?
And, does it seem like I lose anything by applying now as opposed to next year? I see contrary info. above me... I know I will be more qualified next year because of the nature of the classes I am taking as a 2L.

[Anonymous User]

2L here. Did this boat already leave. McKinsey does not come to my school, but I have a prepared application package from them... send it or too late?
And, does it seem like I lose anything by applying now as opposed to next year? I see contrary info. above me... I know I will be more qualified next year because of the nature of the classes I am taking as a 2L.

Do you have an SA job lined up? I don't think McKinsey would be completely out of the question. They haven't even started MBA recruiting yet, so their summer classes can't be full unless they impose a quota on JDs.