Candidate Preparation Material

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McKinsey’s approach to interviewing

McKinsey has developed a comprehensive approach to

assessing candidate abilities and fit for a career at our firm.

During the interview process, you will participate in several

exercises designed to enable you to gain a better
understanding of McKinsey people, values, and work. It will also
provide us with an opportunity to further understand the set of
skills, capabilities, and experiences you could bring to our firm

We hope that the process will better enable you to make an

informed decision regarding your career opportunities

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McKinsey’s approach to serving clients drives our approach to
interviewing
Our approach to serving clients …
Bring the best of the Firm’s
expertise to our clients
through effective teamwork
Help clients develop strategies
and make decisions in challenging
situations
Work with client management to
overcome obstacles and
achieve outstanding results
… translates to the skills we need
in our people
Ability to …
− Solve tough problems
− Set and achieve
challenging goals
− Impact outcomes and influence
others
− Build long-term relationships
with clients and colleagues
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McKinsey looks for candidate capabilities in 5 areas
Capability Description
Displays logical reasoning, conceptual thinking,
Problem solving intellectual curiosity, creativity, good business judgment,
tolerance for ambiguity, and solid analytical ability

Sets high aspirations for self, expects and achieves

Achievement outstanding results, handles obstacles well, shows
signs of entrepreneurship and willingness to take
personal risks

Positively influences others, shows an interest in other

Personal impact people, is self-confident without being arrogant, listens,
understands and responds well

Takes on leadership roles, seizes opportunities and

takes action, helps to build highly effective teams with
Leadership
a shared vision, and is sensitive to the thoughts and
feelings of other team members

Naturally innovative; searches for ways to create new

Entrepreneurial drive approaches and services; willing to build new service
lines and explore new geographies

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The Personal Experience Interview (PEI)

What is a PEI? Why give a PEI?

It is an interview that It provides insight into

asks you to reflect on your past:
your involvement in a
recent experience Achievements

It involves probing Leadership/teamwork

questions about your experiences
actions, thoughts, and
conversations in particular Impact and influence on
situations others

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Personal experience interview tips

Prepare 2-3 examples and ensure each example speaks to

one of the specific questions asked

Be thoughtful and self-reflective

Structure so that your story is easy to follow

Focus on your role in the team, not the team itself

Speak in the first person singular (‘I’ not ‘we’)

Be prepared for the interviewer to interrupt and redirect you

through the discussion

Watch the video on the

McKinsey & Company
website for more PEI
tips and tricks

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Case interviews

What is a case interview? Why give a case?

A problem to be solved in To evaluate the way you

the context of a McKinsey solve a problem and
project situation communicate with others

Candidates arrive at a To observe how you think

reasonable solution
through logical reasoning To gain insight into how
and creativity you handle ambiguity

To assess your comfort

with numbers

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McKinsey focuses on only 1 of the 3 primary case categories
McKinsey focus

Case type Description Purpose

‘Why are manhole covers round?’ Quantitative skills

‘Estimate the weight of a 747’ Comfort with ambiguity
Special
‘What do you think interest rates will do next?’ Creativity
Poise

‘I think the dollar is overvalued. What do you Business

Zingers think?’ ‘How would you solve the budget deficit?’ acumen
‘Did you pay the right price for your last car?’ Logical reasoning
Poise

Profits are declining

Broad functional skills
Classic – ‘What should the company do?’
Big picture perspective
Two new competitors have entered the market Comfort with analysis
– ‘How should the company react?’ and details
Your client has developed a new product
– ‘How should the company market and sell the product?’

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Case answers demonstrate abilities across 2 main areas
Ability to think Ability to build
through problems working
relationships

Ability to ask good questions Effective communicator

Ability to structure unclear problems Can manage ambiguity
Clear, logical reasoning Self-confidence
Curious, probing mind Open and tolerant mind
Creativity in generating options
Basic numerical agility/comfort with
numbers
Practical business sense,
common sense
Ability to draw insights
Ability to see the big picture

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Most cases follow this four step process

Clarify Structure Analyse Conclude

Ensure complete Develop a plan to Request information Synthesise

understanding of the solve the problem and test hypothesis findings
question/problem Describe your Walk the interviewer Summarise
Listen closely to overall approach through your thinking the discussion
problem definition Break the problem Prioritise issues Develop overall
Ask questions to into discrete Pick 1 piece to recommendations
improve pieces/issues probe further Discuss trade-offs
understanding State crisp State your Relate back to
Paraphrase to hypothesis hypothesis problem
confirm problem Use framework statement
statement Ask for a few
only if appropriate relevant facts Suggest next
Note some steps
information may State findings
be extraneous for your analysis
Refine your
hypothesis
Probe further
if necessary
Pick another piece
to probe

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Tips and tricks: Using an issue tree to structure a problem
Example: Profit question

Etc.
Price
Revenues
Volume

Profits

Fixed
Costs
Variable

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Tips and tricks: Back to basics for maths

Do the basics Formulate the Only take

quickly and Be comfortable calculation, then shortcuts if you
accurately with big numbers do the maths are 100% sure

18 57 1 000 000
+9 -6 + 100 000
Step 1
27 51 1 100 000
Revenue
– costs
7 23 2 000 Profits
x7 +52 x 30
49 75 60 000 Step 2

100 rather
- 50
7 2 000
50
12 84 50 100 000

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Suggestions for your interview
What to do
Relax and be self-
controlled; if you are
nervous, tell the interviewer
Remember that we are not
testing your industry
knowledge
Listen and take notes
Explain your thought
process
Push for a conclusion
What not to do
Ask 20 questions or force a
framework that does not fit
Jump to a conclusion
without explaining
your thought process
Hide from the details (or the
numbers)
Ignore signals/hints from
the interviewer and defend
impractical answers
Get frustrated
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