Q&A: I was a consultant and interviewer at McKinsey
I spent 5 years working as an innovation strategy consultant at McKinsey in the Montreal office. During that time I worked on projects around the world on a wide range of innovation-related subjects. I also interviewed many applicants for associate and analyst roles in Canada and elsewhere. I'm now the founder of Juniper, a boutique consulting firm, and co-founder of Vocaprep, a case interview preparation website. Ask me anything!
Thanks for the question Mike (great name by the way)!
Although the process is easier with an MBA - that's mostly because the machinery is more structured in business schools - it is absolutely possible to break into consulting without one. In fact, most consulting firms are now primarily looking for people from a variety of backgrounds (less than half the incoming batches have MBAs these days), and if you are prepared and motivated that should not be what holds you back.
You will need, however, to be able to explain your educational and professional experiences, why you took that path and why it makes you valuable. You also need to demonstrate your drive, achievement and problem solving abilities throughout.
There's really two steps - getting and interview and then passing it. Getting the interview will require a really good resume and cover letter and a whole bunch of networking (find consultants from your school, or other connections and talk with them, cold email people on LinkedIn with really good introductions, etc.). Once you've landed the interview, your background doesn't matter - it's all about how well you've prepared and practiced.