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INTERVIEW TIPS
INTERVIEW TIPS - HOW DO I PREPARE?
So you've made it: you've been invited to one of McKinsey's "Recruiting Days." Congratulations! You're half-way through. But now, so many questions come to your mind: How should I prepare? Has my background really trained me for this kind of exercise? How should I behave during the interviews?

Stop. There's no reason to start panicking. In fact, once you know what it's all about, you should actually end up looking forward to it. So, to help you feel more comfortable, here's the truth about interviewing with McKinsey.

Getting to know each other
Before solving a case study, you will invariably spend the first 10 to 15 minutes of each interview talking about yourself. Now that may sound easy, but it can actually prove rather tricky.

Be yourself
Remember, if it works out, you'll be working here, with these people, and even if you managed to pretend to be somebody else during the interview, you won't be able to keep it up for months on end. We're not testing you; this is just our first chance to understand who you are.

Even little things can count
It may have been a long time ago, and it may have seemed perfectly natural to you, but it may still be well worth mentioning. Think of all the things that you've done where you've demonstrated leadership, or personal drive, or personal impact, or a combination of these.

And do talk about them, pointing out their relevance.

Who's your interviewer?
This is a dialogue, really. So do take the chance to meet your interviewers. They've been with McKinsey for a while, after all, so feel free to ask them questions about their background, their job, their motivation. This is your best chance so far to get to know us from the inside.

"Interviews at McKinsey are not just about McKinsey interviewing you. It’s also a chance for you to talk to consultants and find out what sort of people enjoy working at McKinsey."
- Matthias
Associate Principal
PREPARING FOR THE
INTERVIEW

Practice some interactive case studies or watch our video on how to best prepare for your interview.

Outside Help

Some of our consultants found these sites useful in preparing for their interviews and learning about McKinsey:
www.wetfeet.com
www.vault.com
www.squeaker.net
www.hobsons.ch

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