How to get a job at Mckinsey

It's no secret that McKinsey hires from the top schools and business programs. The company considers schools like Harvard, Yale, Wharton, and Stanford to be hotbeds of talent and spends the majority of its efforts recruiting from these target schools. If that's not enough, you will also need to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA in either a business-related or quantitative major.

Your ability to brand yourself as the right candidate will go a long way. Unlike industries like investment banking which prefer candidates to have previous finance experience, McKinsey hires from a wide range of backgrounds. The firm has repeatedly publicly stated that they don't require you to have previous professional consulting experience (in fact, they actually prefer that you don't).

They do prefer candidates, however, who have worked with major brands even if just an internship. If you are an undergrad/grad student, aim for competitive internships at companies with strong brand names. This shows that you've made it through a competitive interview process before, and so will be much more likely to do it again.

Remember it's all about who you know. This means that you should begin to reach out to your alumni/professional networks, or begin the cold networking process with professionals at McKinsey a few years before applying for a job there. It's never too early to learn more about McKinsey and ask someone to be your advocate.

If you pass the initial application screening process that is impressive, but you still have a long way to go before landing the job. First, you will be asked to complete The McKinsey Problem Solving Test, which is a 1-hour multiple-choice test with 26 questions. The test helps McKinsey understand how you approach problem solving and how well you can size up a situation.

If all goes well you will be asked to come in for two rounds of interviews, with each one consisting of multiple interview sessions. Each interview session usually lasts 45 to 60 minutes long and is broken down into three parts: the standard fit interview, the Personal Experience Interview (PEI), and case questions.

• PEI interviews consist of roughly 25% of your interviews. Rather than your usual behavioral questions, expect the hiring managers at McKinsey to ask around 15 follow-up questions to the first behavioral questions. This can throw a lot of candidates off.

• Case interviews test a wide range of a candidate's abilities. These cases take about 75% of the interview, so roughly 30-45 minutes. However, McKinsey cases are different in two ways. First, McKinsey interviews tend to be interviewer-led. Second, McKinsey interviewers will test the quality and logic of your responses at a higher standard than most other firms.

Landing an offer at McKinsey is no easy task. It is highly competitive and challenging, but with the right preparation and dedication, it's possible to land a job in this prestigious consulting firm.