Sudden McKinsey Interview for Lateral Hire - what now?

I'm currently at a startup, having graduated 2 years ago and bounced from a research assistant position at a top-5 bschool to my current job doing strategy and product management.

Anyway, about 4 weeks ago my disenchantment and boredom reached a critical mass and I finally started seriously networking within management consulting. I'd interviewed exactly once before at a consulting firm, going to a final round with BCG in October of 2010 before getting dinged.

Yesterday morning, out of the blue, someone from a major city office calls me at work. Apparently, my resume had crossed his desk (I have no idea whose hands it ultimately passed through, only where it started). He spends 30 minutes explaining what McKinsey is and what they do, and finally asks if I'm interested - of course, I respond enthusiastically. We set up a time to "discuss my resume" later this week.

What does this mean? Is this SOP for lateral, unconventional/out-of-school hires at McK? Is this a vetting procedure to evaluate my worthiness for a standard case interview? I'm rather confused, if also overjoyed. Trying not to screw it up. Any input or thoughts would be appreciated.

5 Comments
 

Did the person you talk to say anything about the position he was looking for or what was his position in the firm? This sound like it could be for a consulting position (BA or associate) or potentially a research position (given your background)

Anyway, I would go in prepared to give your 5 min story, articulate why McKinsey but also be prepared to answer a case or a market sizing question, in case he wants to test you somewhat

Good luck!

 

Mollitia eos quis earum nam reiciendis ea ducimus. Et quibusdam qui nobis quo quo. Repudiandae sunt explicabo ab.

Et quas ut officiis laudantium necessitatibus. Delectus hic cupiditate autem unde tenetur voluptatem. Dolorum quia sed voluptas.

Eius nobis voluptas sed asperiores id. Error doloremque qui corporis ducimus magni sed. Libero est doloremque minima voluptas labore sunt sit. Quis esse vero est et.

Dicta est sunt cupiditate aut praesentium. Voluptatem nemo rem nihil est non commodi. Ipsam odio rerum dolorem cupiditate.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
  • Manager (170) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $135
  • Senior Consultant (355) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (391) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (632) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”