McKinsey & Company Questions and Answers

We not hiring

No it's impossible. Everyone knows that strategic decisions don't exist outside of Boston and New York. The second you leave either of those cities your brain turns to mush

Pretty slim from first glance. How many YOE? No Canadian school is truly a target school for McKinsey (even UoT or UBC). Best bet is to do an MBA in the states and go through that recruiting channel.

EH hiring is slow right now so that’s going against you. You might have a chance if you’re applying specifically to the Vancouver office but even then it’ll still be tough due to the state of the beach. Would get an MBA and pursue the campus hiring route.

Depends when. Out of undergrad is significantly harder than out of mba, especially if you go to a top program. Later can be easier too if you have the right skills

If you can make a proper consulting CV, get good at cases and be able to explain and sell your experience, you have a good enough shot. Luck also plays a role sometimes if it’s meant to be

Probably not.

Gym during lunch definitely not. Family time maybe 1-2 hrs per day.

You are joining Mck and that too in NYC! You don’t need anything! Chill

Welcome to the firm! Try not to stress about what you don’t know; the first few months especially are an exercise in pacing the information you take in - no need to tackle everything at once. Focus on enjoying the people you meet and continue to be curious - exactly as this post shows you are. There are awesome benefits for travel like fast tracks and status matching, discounts on products that will make your life easier, and an endless amount of information to support you on studies as you ramp up. I’d suggest taking this pre-firm time to do some reflecting on who you are, what you value and why you are coming to McKinsey, what you hope to learn at the firm, and what you’re excited to bring to the table. Once the pace picks up, it’ll be nice to look back on that reflection and remember why you’re doing what you’re doing and what brought you here.

Networking

Look for case interview videos on YouTube. Don’t worry too much, you will be fine.

Nope

No

It depends on what your concerns are. My understanding is that it is largely support staff who will be included in the layoffs. I wouldn’t personally be worried about losing my job there in an “expert” role over losing it at any other company right now. However, I have joined workplaces right after layoffs or have been in a setting that experienced layoffs and morale has often been low. It has impacted my ability to really settle in and connect with colleagues.

Yes - for client-facing roles, they'd just intensify the up-or-out process, which you won't be subjected to for some time as a new joiner