Consulting prep is a long and arduous process …
Hi, I am Kim Tran – former McKinsey management consultant, resume screener, test coach, and case interview coach. A frequent questions I get in all of these jobs is “How to get into MBB consulting firms?”.
An average successful candidate should take 2-3 months of intensive training, and the first preparations should start at least 5-6 months before the application. Topics for learning include consulting resume and cover letter writing, test prep, and case interview prep; every step of the consulting recruitment process must be prepared for simultaneously – don’t wait until after the test to start training on cases – it takes lots of practice to turn knowledge into productive habits that you can follow effortlessly in high-stake interviews.
Sounds quite intimidating, doesn’t it?
… but with a systematic and comprehensive approach to preparation, “anyone can make it to consulting!”
If there is one thing I learn from my time at McKinsey, it is “structure”. Every problem can be solved if you apply the right structure and break it down into bite-size pieces. Consultants live by this rule as if it’s the Eighth Commandment.
Years ago, when I was in your position, applying for McKinsey, my performance in the first mock cases was so awful my coach said I had virtually no chance at the job. So I looked into the system and thought to myself, maybe I can break every part of this process down and master the hell out of each! And that’s how I went from a non-target-school student to the youngest consultant at my McKinsey office!
That structure, and years of experience coaching candidates after I left McKinsey, became the skeleton of this very website, offering a structured and systematic approach to consulting prep for countless successful candidates.