Introduction to McKinsey and company

McKinsey and Company visited ISB on 9 September 2006 to conduct an “Introduction to McKinsey” session with the student body. The session was conducted by:
Rajiv C Lochan – Associate Principal
Venkatesh Srinivasan – Engagement Manager
Rohit Kapoor – Junior Associate (ISB Class of 2006)
Gautam P Chhugani – Junior Associate (ISB Class of 2006)
Ruchi Bansal – Junior Associate (ISB Class of 2006) and
Chris Fernandes –Recruiting coordinator

The session began with a presentation giving the general background and information about the firm. This was followed by each of the speakers recounting their own experiences with the firm and the ups and downs in their careers. The student body appreciated the honesty and frankness of each speaker as they recounted their initial days in the firm.

Thereafter, the focus shifted to the recruitment process of the company. Venketesh invited questions from the students regarding the recruitment process and the same were addressed during for the remaining part of the event. The main focus of the remaining part of the session was on the short listing and interviewing process followed by McKinsey.

The speakers gave a detailed insight on the interview and evaluation process and elaborated on the parameters on which they judge the candidates. They emphasized on the fact that grades are important to the extent that they provide a quantifiable measure on the basis of which the candidates can be differentiated. However, it was also very clear from the discussion that grades were not the only consideration and other factors are equally important. These include – prior work experience, leadership skills and extra curricular activities. They also gave a brief overview of the rigorous resume short listing process where they spend almost 7 -8 minutes per resume and that every resume that is accepted needs the concurrence of at least two people.

After the resume short listing stage there are two rounds of interviews where they judge the following skills of the candidates:
· Quantative skills
· Problem solving
· Personality
· Ability to work in teams

The session was immensely useful as it gave a sense of what McKinsey is looking for in the applicants and provided an opportunity to students to reflect on their profiles and assess whether there is a “fit” between their profiles and the expectations of the firm and what needs to be done in order to bridge the gap.

Posted by Sunanda