We have gathered some of the questions most often asked by candidates in this section. In case you have additional questions after browsing this site, feel free to contact us.
What should an application include?
An application should include a personal letter of application, a CV, grades from high school and onwards, and reference letters if available.
How long is the application process?
 | It normally takes around 1 week between receiving your application and sending you a response. | |
| Interview process: Three interviews with three different consultants and a written test constitute the first interview round. If the applicant passes the first round, a second round of interviews follows, usually the same day. |
In what language should I write the application?
The application can be written in English, German or French.
In what language will the interview be conducted?
The interviews can be in English as well as German or French, depending on your background and on the office you are applying for.
Can I apply for a job in a foreign McKinsey office?
Yes. Some choose to apply for a job in another office. This requires direct application to the specific office. Go to www.mckinsey.com for a list of international offices and contact persons. Here, you will also find the Web site of the specific office you are interested in.
When should I apply?
We accept applications all year round and we rarely place job ads in the newspaper. Many of our applicants send their application several months before they plan to start.
Can I apply even though I have worked for a few years elsewhere?
Yes, we welcome experienced hires.
Can I apply even though I work for one of your clients or another consultancy?
McKinsey’s policy is never to headhunt from clients or competitors. Still, if you do work for a client or competitor and wish to apply for a job with McKinsey, this is of course your own decision and your application will be treated just like any other application.
How many consultants work in the Swiss office?
The Swiss office employs approximately 205 consultants. Including support staff, there are approximately 320 employees.
How many female consultants work in the Swiss office?
In the Swiss offices approximately 19 percent of the consultants are female.
How many countries is McKinsey present in?
We have about 90 offices in some 50 countries, and our consultants represent more than 100 different nationalities.
How is McKinsey organized?
McKinsey is a partnership, i.e., the firm is owned by partners (approx. 1'000 worldwide). We have one managing director who is a "first among equals" and the administrative boss. Each office is led by its partners, who are only guided by McKinsey's mission and guiding principles. Questions regarding all offices, e.g., IT, compensation, election of new partners, etc., are solved through global partner committees.
All McKinsey personnel share strong professional values. There is a high degree of exchange between offices as well as discussions across borders on McKinsey's future strategy. This ensures a coherent firm.
What are the academic backgrounds of your consultants?
Approximately 50 percent have a business background either from Switzerland or abroad. The other 50 percent hold an engineering, science, law, or medicine degree. Some of these have studied business as a second degree, but this is not a requirement. Through internal training programs McKinsey offers several ways to build the required business knowledge, e.g., basic accounting and finance.
How long is a typical project?
Projects are normally 6 weeks to 6 months long.
Can you influence or perhaps choose the studies to work on?
We are able to indicate our preferences in the on-line internal "project market" which is updated weekly with the upcoming opportunities. Our staffing department will then try to match offer and demand in the best way possible. Right from the start, all associates are encouraged to work in different industries and with different problems (e.g., strategy, M&A, supply chain). After a couple of years, we start building a spike – a specific industry knowledge or a specific practice skill.
Why do you never talk about clients?
We do not talk publicly about clients. The reason for this is that we normally work with highly sensitive commercial issues. The philosophy is that as long as we never discuss clients, it will always be up to the client to decide on how much they will disclose.
Is it possible to take a leave of absence for traveling or educational purposes, or for family reasons?
McKinsey strives to offer consultants flexibility and therefore quite a few take a leave of absence between projects or go on a part-time program for a certain period of time. It is an individual discussion between the consultant and the office.
When can I start working?
We have introduction courses (Basic Consulting Readiness) each year. Since we prefer that you start by attending such a course, your starting date depends somewhat on the course schedule.
How much internal training do you have?
All new hires will start out with a one-week training course (Basic Consulting Readiness). All non-business students must complete a Mini-M.B.A. course of three weeks. During the first four to five years, all consultants spend a couple of weeks per year on training and conferences.
When and how do you specialize?
After a couple of years, some consultants choose to specialize in an industry or function, e.g., finance, retail, or telecom.
Do you have a chance of working abroad?
On a short-term basis it is very likely that you will work on projects in other countries.
Is a transfer to an overseas McKinsey office an opportunity or a requirement?
It is an opportunity, which can be exploited after 2–3 years in the firm. It is a strength of the "one global firm" philosophy. It is always agreed between the individual, the partners in Switzerland, and the overseas office, to make sure that the timing is right.
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