Informational Interview with McKinsey BA!
Hey,
I'm getting close to my goal of landing a consulting job in Dubai! I just scored an informational interview with a BA from their Middle East office and I wanted to ask for suggestions on what questions I should/shouldn't ask as well as have you all review the list of questions I've already prepared to tell me "Yea, ask that!" or "No, don't say that; that's dumb."(Note, I probably won't be able to ask all of these):
-How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position? Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain this necessary experience?
-What special advice do you have for a student seeking to qualify for this position?
-How did you prepare for this work? If you were entering this career today, would you change your preparation in any way to facilitate entry?
-What makes McKinseyâ€s work different in Dubai than all the other firms?
-How many BAâ€s did the Firm bring on this year and how many more do you think will be brought on in the future? What schools were they from primarily?
-From your perspective, What are the problems/major frustrations you see working in this field?
-How would you describe the working atmosphere and the people with whom you work? What can you tell me about the corporate culture? Basic philosophy?
-What is it like working in the Dubai office? Emerald/Diamond program?
-What particular skills or talents are most essential to be effective in your job? How did you learn these skills? How can I evaluate whether or not I have the necessary skills for a position such as yours? Have your background and language skills helped?
-How do you think my universityâ€s reputation is viewed when it comes to hiring?
-How would you assess the experience Iâ€ve had so far in terms of entering this field?
-[If you feel comfortable and it seems appropriate:] Would you mind taking a look at my resume?
-Are there any written materials you suggest I read? Which professional journals and organizations would help me prepare for a career in consulting
-Can you name a few people who might be willing to see me? May I have permission to use your name when I call or contact them?
This interview is coming up in the next couple of days so your help is really, really appreciated.
I'm not going to comment on specific questions but keep in mind the #1 thing I would advise is not to come off as desperate or insecure. Therefore don't ask "how does my school do in recruiting" or "is my resume good enough?"
The best interviews always have a mood of "are we the right match for each other (ignoring the question of qualification, grades, exp b/c you are in front of them already)", not "am I good enough for Mckinsey?"
in short don't be arrogant, but go in with the attitude that you can handle the job if given the opportunity.
Your questions are well though out and you seem very intelligent.
Definately ask him to at least 'peruse' your resume, if he doesn't ask for it then he's a dick.
How did you get the interview? Alumni? Do you go to a target? Just be confident and makse sure to do your research and be ready for Qs like why you wanna work in consulting! You could ask his advice but I wouldn't wanna make him say a Yes or No to whether you are good enough or not. Ask things like what can I do to improve my resume...Anyways good luck with it! Is it gonna be in Dubai? Are you there for the summer? Are you from USA? These informationals are good cause you can introduce yourself and get a feel for the job! I also talked to some BCG and McK dudes not long ago and it was very informative (I am still in ugrad) Good luck!
Also, don't crap your pants...as a BA has absolutely, 100% NO PULL within the organization. At the very most, they can forward your resume to HR, period. Their word or opinion means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
I don't mean to burst your bubble, as I think this is worthwhile for you to have your questions answered and at least allows you to touch base with someone within the Firm, but in no way does this get you 'close to landing a consulting job in Dubai'.
Ask as many questions as they are willing to answer and, for your own benefit, seek to learn the truth about entry level consulting gigs (hint: don't be fooled into thinking that it is everything the person says it is and try and decide if a) they are telling you the truth and b) if you think they are, is it something you really want to do.
Best to you,
how did the interview go?
By the way, an informational interview increases your chances of getting an offer by 0%. You simply have to follow the process of application:
Summer Internship
Who is Eligible? Summer intern positions are open to exceptional individuals currently studying for a B.A. or M.A.
How to Apply All applications should be received through McKinsey's on-line application. Please specify "Associate Intern" as the position you are applying for, and mark the Dubai office as your top choice.
Good luck, but it is really predictible: are you in at least the top 10% of a top school, do you have relevant internships, do you have really strong, outstanding ECs? If you can say yes to all the 3 questions you will get invited, if not you will very, very likely not get invited as selection follows a clearly defined quantitative logic without much subjectivism/intuition. At the interview one out of 10 gets an offer. That's the deal - no magic. Networking does not help at McK
tomtom, would networking with McKinsey employees at the EM+ level help at all to get the interview? This wouldn't be just send a few emails networking, but a decent relationship built over a long period of time, including face-to-face contact.
Also, would finance or accounting internships count as relevant?
Theoratically at partner+ level, but also there nobody would want to burn his fingers by referencing a candidate that does't meet the criteria as I described above fully. Really, I wouldn't waste my time networking concerning Mck - this only gives you the illusion of increased chances as you emotionally feel closer to McK - totally misleading. I simply apllied online for FT and within 4 weeks I had the offer...
Sorry, forgot one thing: the question to peruse your resume so someone who knows tells you what to add/cut could be really helpful - that's absolutely true - go for that as your only goal in the informational interview...
...but still assess your chances objectively before involving: without the 3 things as described - don't waste your time
It went really well. He was chill about answering all my questions. I learned about the industries being worked, the types of clients they were dealing, and the difference between McKinsey's work in Dubai and the others (obv biased, but good to know what they think their strengths are).
The only thing I would say he really stressed is that you should be very quick with numbers at the case interview.
As for using the informational interview to network my way in, to be honest, I have a lot of very strong qualifications to receive this internship in Dubai (3 internships: 1 in energy consulting, 1 in mid-east banking, 1 in management consulting focusing on growth companies; great grades; non-target but well-recognized school; founder of consulting club) so I would use this interview as a way for him to not only peruse through my resume but make sure it gets read by handing it through to HR.
The only reason I said I'm getting close is because of that last part.
Im going through the exact same situation. I go to a non target in the US, majoring in finance & accounting, and have really good grades. I also am applying for consulting jobs in Dubai as that is where my family is. So, did you get the job? Anything you would do differently? Suggestions on who I can contact in MBB?
I have a question though tomtom, since as a former EM you would be very knowledgeable in this regard. What do consulting firms in general like to see more: finance/accounting or management concentrators?
My answer would be that it really doesn't matter. Just do well in whatever you choose to do. It sounds like a blow-off answer, but it really isn't.
From what I know about the field, most students in a business program are finance concentrators (either with or without accounting as a double major). Some employment profiles of top undergraduate business and MBA programs are very detailed with firm name, number of students hired by each firm, and each student's major. You'll notice that the ones going into consulting rarely majored in management.
tomtom, What kind of things will I want to emphasize, and add to my resume?
I've tried to break it down in terms of communication, management/leadership, analytical abilities, and teamwork. Should I just focus on displaying those 4 characteristics, or is there anything else that I'm missing?
Thanks for your help.
MBB..., your background sounds well - especially the internships and the consulting club thing. What you write about your grades might make you to a "maybe to be interviewed" candidate: non-target and good (not excellent) grades. I wish you all the best! Pezzo..., you could add "entrepreneurship". Besides the structure make really sure there are absolutely no typos and such stuff - they hate that...and it's no big effort for you
pf, you realize this thread died over 2 years ago, right? i'd suggest either pming the guy to see if he even still checks his account.
Guys its Mckinseys. Of cors they will only hire top kids from top targets with top grades
Dolore qui sit beatae ex quos. Aliquam itaque ipsa molestiae. Aut aut est nam nobis ut et.
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