The Consulting Offer Season 2 Part 8
Watch Kevin P.Coyne, ex-McKinsey Director and Worldwide Strategy Practice Co-Leader, mentor and train Alice Qinhua Zhou and Michael Klein for their McKinsey and BCG case interviews. Alice successfully joined McKinsey NYC at the conclusion of the program.
Kevin P. Coyne was a director and co-leader of both McKinsey’s Worldwide Strategy Practice and CEO Transitions Practice. At the time, he was the youngest associate at the firm and one of the youngest Principals appointed. He was the only person ever admitted directly into the Harvard Business School from his junior year of college, Rice University, which he attended by special permission before graduating from high school. Kevin has co-written 6 Harvard Business Review articles, 12 McKinsey Quarterly articles, 2 bestselling business books and articles across influential business publications. He spent time in the Federal Government as an Executive Assistant and sole policy advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury in the Reagan Administration.
Alice Qinhua Zhou is a 26 year-old candidate from Yale University. She attended Fudan University where she graduated 1st in her class. Alice has a strong track record of leadership at Yale, having served as President of the consulting club and editor-in-chief of a peer-reviewed journal. Alice has no full-time work experience. Coming off a McKinsey internship decline and unsuccessful Bain internship, Alice is interested in both McKinsey and BCG for a full-time associate position in NYC.
Michael E. Klein is a 30 year-old candidate from McGill and Brown University. Michael has a very strong analytic profile balanced by an equally artistic side: he was a candidate for ‘Canada’s Got Talent’ where he sang Prince lyrics accompanied by a harpist. Michael has limited work experience as a business journalist. Going into his very first interviews, Michael will have to prove he can use his technical skills to seamlessly understand and solve business issues, while demonstrating his leadership acumen in the fit interviews.
Kevin explains why the generalist role is a better path. He discusses the skills for both, their use on McKinsey engagements, and the up-or-out versus grow-or-go career path.
The 4 things you can do to increase your influence over engagement teams and clients are discussed, as well as how these skills develop over time.
Kevin discusses the 3 primary attributes of McKinsey Directors and McKinsey’s view of an associate as a 12-year apprenticeship on the path to becoming a director.
McKinsey “sells” its services to clients by differentiating itself in the ability to recognize a need no other competitor has identified. McKinsey is less responsive, more proactive.
Michael focuses on technical lessons and Alice on communication from the PEI and Spice Girls group case interview. Kevin explains how interviewers try to build rapport.
Most candidates network by citing a partner’s prior publication. Kevin explains when this approach seems mechanical and offers advice on building sincere relationships.
Kevin shares a powerful and counter-intuitive technique taught to McKinsey associates to ensure they can build relationships with senior executives.
Alice and Kevin discuss the techniques foreign-born US-based consultants could use when trying to build a relationship with American clients and, particularly, CEOs.
Michael discusses the notion of “work-focused” cultures in Germany and the Netherlands, and Kevin demonstrates how relationship building works here just as well.
Michael and Kevin unpack the danger of playing it safe to be the 3rd best person in that interview. The key is building a technique to develop relationships in general.
Kevin explains why relationship building is particularly useful on studies and relates his personal experience, as an associate, of working with the COO of a railroad company.
The lunch discussion shifts to the unhealthy techniques some consultants adopt in their desire to be liked and accepted by the client.
Kevin discusses the 3 areas where new consultants struggle the most: analytic skills, time management and client management.
In this insightful scene, Kevin discusses the steps he took earlier in his career to ensure he was never away from home for more than 2 consecutive nights.
How do you act, what do you say, what is taboo… etc. during the lunch between case interviews at the McKinsey office? During on-campus recruiting, the final round interview is typically an all-day event at the local office. You will end up having lunch with the local consultants and partners, and...
The group discusses how to manage the staffing requirements of McKinsey, by understanding the 1 or 2 areas that the consultant should and could negotiate.
