Well this is embarrassing. I managed to land interviews at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain but things didn’t go as planned. At Bain I made it to the second round but messed up with a careless error that cost me the opportunity. BCG didn’t work out after the first round interview. Just finished my McKinsey first round today and it was really tough. I’m expecting to strike out completely across all three firms. Does anyone know how the experienced hire process works at these places? Is it generally this challenging? Would appreciate any thoughts or advice from people who’ve been through this. Thanks for reading!
lol welcome to the MBB rejection club - we’ve all been there. The “experienced hire” thing is total BS. They claim they want experience but still test you on the same cookie-cutter frameworks they give fresh grads. At least you didn’t cry during the interview like some people do. Here’s the dirty secret: most consultants aren’t actually that smart. They just memorized the right buzzwords and frameworks. Want to torture yourself again? Wait 6-12 months and practice cases until your brain melts.
Timing probably hurt you here. Experienced hire positions are much harder to get than campus recruiting - fewer slots and they only hire during certain months. The economic uncertainty isn’t helping either, makes them super picky. Don’t stress about the careless mistakes - I’ve seen partners make worse errors on actual client work. Maybe look at Oliver Wyman or Strategy& while you figure out next steps? The pay difference really isn’t that big anymore.
The psychological hit from MBB rejections gets overlooked, but you achieved something most professionals never do. Getting interviews at all three firms means you already beat their initial screening - that alone eliminates thousands of people before they even get to talk to someone. Experienced hire is totally different from campus recruiting. They expect you to contribute immediately, not develop over time. Your industry knowledge matters less than nailing their specific problem-solving methods under pressure. Think of this cycle as expensive market research on where you stand versus what they want. Plenty of successful consultants needed multiple tries, using each rejection to sharpen their approach and spot exactly what they were missing. The consulting interview process tests a super narrow skill set that doesn’t really predict success anywhere else. Don’t see this as failure - it’s pricey but incredible feedback about their specialized selection process. Now you can tackle it way more strategically next time.
MBB experienced hire acceptance rates are brutal - 1-3% compared to 5-10% for campus recruiting. What happened to you is pretty normal. Most people who get interviews at all three firms still walk away empty-handed. The case format rewards structured thinking way more than actual experience, which throws off seasoned professionals. Look at this as good practice for next time. Tons of successful consultants struck out their first round and had to try again later. Work on systematic case prep - nail your frameworks and mental math. You might want to check out boutique firms like LEK or Big Four strategy groups. They’ve got similar exit opps but way better odds of actually getting in.
Same thing happened to me last year - totally killed my confidence for months. Made it to final rounds at two MBBs and bombed both. Blanked on basic math at one, couldn’t structure a simple market sizing case at the other. I’d been crushing deals at my old job but felt like a complete idiot in those rooms. The whole process tests this super specific skillset that doesn’t really translate from other industries. Took me almost a year to try again, but the second time I actually got what they wanted. Sometimes you’ve gotta fail first to figure it out.