mckinsey internship cover letter

Consulting cover letter guide (for McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc.)

Today we’re going to explain everything you need to know about writing consulting cover letters.

We’ll start by reviewing an example cover letter that got interview invitations from ALL the MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, and Bain). 

And then we’ll explain exactly how you should write your own cover letter to land consulting interviews. Here’s a full list of the topics in this guide:

• Example cover letter

How to write your consulting cover letter

Consulting cover letter tips.

• The skills consulting firms look for

Consulting cover letter screening process

• Get help with your cover letter

Let’s get to it! 

Click here for a consulting letter/resume review with an ex-MBB consultant

Example cover letter (which got interviews at mckinsey, bcg, and bain).

Below is an anonymised cover letter from a candidate who got interviews at McKinsey, BCG and Bain. So you can trust that this template works.

The image here highlights the different sections of the cover letter, but we’ll dive deeper into the text later, and you can also get a downloadable copy below.

Free download of the consulting cover letter example, here. 

In the next section, we’ll go step-by-step through each part of the cover letter and explain how to go about writing it. But before we dive in, please note the following points about the above template:

• A lot of people use this template. Get inspiration from it, but every sentence in your letter should be written from scratch.
• This cover letter might sound impressive. It's one of the best ones we’ve seen. But even if you have not achieved as much as this person, you can still get an interview.

With that said, let’s dig into the cover letter writing process!

As a starting point, this video provides a nice overview of the full writing process for a consulting cover letter. 

Now let’s break things down further.

1. Introduction

Example - Introduction

Mary Taylor - [email protected]

DD / MM / YYYY

Dear Sir / Madam,

I would like to apply for an Associate position at McKinsey in London.

This section is a formality. It should simply state the following information:

• Your name and email address. You can replace your email address with a postal address although those are not commonly used anymore.
• The date on which you are sending your letter
• The position, company, and office to which you are applying

Keep it short and sweet.

2. Why you? 

Example - Why you?

I started working as an Analyst at Big Finance in New York in September 2020 and was quickly promoted to Associate in a year and a half instead of the average four years. While at Big Finance, I advised a broad range of clients who constantly gave me positive feedback and regularly asked to work with me again. Before joining Big Finance, I graduated as the top student of my MEng in Chemical Engineering at Prestigious University in the UK. While studying, I received two competitive scholarships and awards. In addition, I developed my leadership skills as the President of the Prestigious University Consulting Club. High energy was essential to lead a team of 5 managing the club and growing the number of members by 20%.

This is your "GOLD MEDALS" section. It is the first section of your cover letter and therefore the most important one.

It should state the TOP 3 achievements of your life to date that are relevant to consulting. These achievements should be as unique and as memorable as possible. When your reviewer reads them they should think "Wow, that's impressive. I want to know more about this person."

To write this section you need to step back and ask yourself "What are the most impressive things I've done with my life so far?" This is not an easy question to answer. 

In our experience discussing this with a close friend can help. It's sometimes easier for them to quickly point out the impressive things you have done as they are an external observer.

In addition, notice how achievements are QUANTIFIED in the example above. Saying you have been promoted "in a year and a half instead of the average four years" is much more powerful than saying you have been promoted "quickly." You should quantify your achievements whenever possible.

This section is your chance to grab the reader's attention. If there's nothing impressive in it, they will stop reading and just scan the paragraphs. So don't miss your opportunity!

3. Why consulting?

Example - Why consulting?

There are several reasons why I want to pursue a consulting career. To start with, I know I will enjoy being a strategy consultant because I have already worked in a strategy team in the past. This was in summer 2019 when I was a Strategy Intern at Big Grocery Retailer in London. In addition, I think consulting is a unique opportunity to comprehensively learn about business management by working on a variety of company situations. Over the past two years, I have started building my business skills while advising clients on financial matters at Big Finance. I now look forward to learning more about companies’ management at McKinsey. Finally, I want to work in consulting because I truly enjoy interacting with clients. Throughout my work experiences I have built a successful track record of developing and maintaining relationships with clients including, for instance, the senior strategy team at Big Grocery Retailer.

Once you have convinced your reviewer that you have impressive achievements under your belt they'll be thinking: "Ok, this person is impressive. But do they REALLY want to be a consultant? Or are they just applying because they're not sure what to do with their career."

The third section of your letter should therefore answer the  "Why consulting?" question . But here is the thing about this question: There are some reasons to go into consulting that you should tell your reviewer about. And some reasons that you should really keep to yourself.

For instance, one of the mistakes candidates commonly make in their cover letter is to write something along the lines of "I'd like to spend 2 or 3 years in consulting to learn more about business in general and then decide what I want to do." This is a HUGE mistake. 

Consulting firms want to hire FUTURE PARTNERS. Not employees who will stay for a couple of years. You can watch the video below for more details about this.

The best approach for your "Why consulting?" section is to write about past experiences that really show you know what you are getting into. The perfect situation is if you have done an internship in consulting or in corporate strategy and have enjoyed it. If that's the case, this is the perfect section to write about it.

But even if you haven't done related internships, there are plenty of angles you can use to connect your past experiences to what you will do as a consultant. For instance:

• You might have enjoyed working with clients when you were in M&A or in Sales
• You might have enjoyed structuring and solving tough problems as an engineer

You should use these experiences to say that "working with clients" or "solving tough problems" is something you KNOW you enjoy doing; and you look forward to spending more time doing this as a consultant.

When they read this section, your reviewer should think: "Ok, this person is impressive AND they know what they are getting into."

4. Why McKinsey / BCG / Bain / Other?

Example - Why McKinsey?

McKinsey appeals to me for three reasons. To start with, the different people from the company I have met and worked with all told me they had truly enjoyed their time there. For the past two years, I have worked for Michael Smith, a former Engagement Manager from the London office, who now works for Big Finance. Additionally, I regularly read McKinsey’s reports on financial services and think the insights delivered by Sarah James and others in the Finance practice are truly superior to that of other consultancies. By joining McKinsey, I therefore think I would have an opportunity to work with and learn from the best consultants in the industry. Finally, the fact that McKinsey was selected by Finance Supercorp to shape its digital strategy also played an important role in my decision to apply. This was a first-of-its-kind contract in finance and it shows that while at McKinsey I could get the opportunity to work on truly unique projects.

If you have managed to convince your reviewer that you have an impressive background and that you really want to be a consultant, you have a VERY HIGH chance of getting an interview. 

The only question that's left for you to answer is: " Why McKinsey  / Why BCG? / Why Bain? "

Top consulting firms  have a lot in common. In most regions, they cover the same industries and work for similar clients. They also pay similar salaries, and the career path is more or less the same from firm to firm. So what should you write about in this section?

In our experience, the most efficient way to set yourself apart in this section is to write about three specific elements:

When you write "I've met with Michael Smith," or "I've read report X," or "I've heard about project Y," you are making an argument that's SPECIFIC enough for your reviewer to think: "Ok they've done their homework."

If you stay too GENERIC, your argument will be much less credible. For instance, writing something like "While at McKinsey, I'll be exposed to a broad range of industries which I'm excited about" is a weak argument because you could swap McKinsey for BCG or Bain in that sentence.

In fact, this is the ultimate test. If you can swap McKinsey with another name in your "Why McKinsey?" section you are not being specific enough. You need to work on your paragraph again and mention SPECIFIC people, reports, or projects that you find interesting.

5. Conclusion

Example - Conclusion

For all these reasons, I am very enthusiastic about the chance to work at McKinsey. I am available for an interview at any time and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Mary Taylor

The last section of the cover letter is a formality again. It should include the following elements:

• A sentence or two saying that you are enthusiastic and available for interviews at any time
• Your final signature

So how do you make it easy for your reviewer to put your cover letter on the "Accept" pile? We have put together the 10 tips below to make sure you can achieve this and avoid common mistakes.

Tip #1 Don't use a template letter

Writing cover letters is painful. But trust us, reading hundreds of them can be at least as painful. That's why you should make every effort to make your letter interesting and genuine. 

It's ok to get inspiration from templates such as the one we provide in this guide. But every sentence in your letter should be written from scratch.

Tip #2 Keep it to one page

One of the unwritten rules of consulting cover letters is that they should not be longer than one page. The trick to achieve this is to only select the MOST RELEVANT experiences from your  resume  and to summarise them. 

The points you decide to highlight should clearly demonstrate that you would make a great consultant.

Tip #3 Standard format and font

It's tempting to use an eye-catching font and format. But that's actually a bad idea. You only risk your interviewer thinking: "I've never seen this font, it looks really weird. Who is this person?" Your cover letter should stand out because of its content, NOT because of its format.

Tip #4 Not the time to be shy

Your cover letter is not the time to be shy. If you went to Harvard and have three Olympic medals, now is the time to say it! Most of us don't, and that's fine. But the point is that you should really push yourself to bring your most impressive accomplishments forward.

Tip #5 Network, network, network

This might sound surprising, but a big part of the cover letter is  how much networking you have done . Having networked with people from the firm you are applying for pays dividends for multiple reasons. 

First, they might recommend you to the HR team. But most importantly, these people will give you insight into what makes their firm UNIQUE. Then you can quote what you've heard in your cover letter (and name drop the person you heard it from) to show that you really understand the firm you are applying for.

Tip #6 Read, read, read

Unfortunately, networking is not always easy or possible. In these cases, your second best option is to read as much as you can on the firms you are applying for. You should read about the firm's projects, reports, and partners and find pieces of information you are really interested in. 

For instance, if you did your master thesis on electric vehicles, try to find who works in this area at the firm and what they have to say about it. And then mention what you have found in your cover letter.

Tip #7 One letter per firm

One question we often get is: "Should I write one letter per firm?" The answer is YES. But it's not as hard as it might sound. 

Every cover letter needs to answer three questions: Why you? Why consulting? And why this firm? The only paragraph you will need to change in every letter is the one about "Why this firm?" For each firm, you will have to do the networking and reading mentioned above.

Tip #8 Start writing early

Writing an outstanding cover letter is VERY HARD. Most candidates underestimate how much time it takes and start this process too late. You'll need to take a step back and reflect on everything you have done to date to highlight your most relevant experiences. 

This takes multiple iterations. Start early.

Tip #9 Get feedback

In our experience, great candidates all look for feedback and iterate on their cover letter until it's truly as good as it can get. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

It’s best to get feedback from peers or consultants. These people will be able to point out which parts of your letter they don't get or don't find impactful enough. If you’d like to have an expert review your cover letter, check out our team of  ex-consultant coaches .

Tip #10 Proofread multiple times

Finally, you should check and double check your letter for typos and grammar mistakes - multiple times. A cover letter is (not so secretly) a writing test and you should really treat it like one.

What consulting firms look for

To get multiple interviews at  top consulting firms , it’s extremely important to understand what those firms are actually looking for. 

The good news is that most of the leading consultancies are looking for basically the same skills. 

To illustrate this point, here’s what  McKinsey  and  Bain  say that they’re looking for in candidates, along with our own translation of what they mean:

There are also a few unofficial items that consulting firms will look for on your resume, and you can read about those in our  consulting resume guide .

Next, let’s talk about the typical cover letter screening process.

Screening process

Now let's talk about HOW your cover letter will be handled once you send it. Here's how it works.

Your application will be sent to a JUNIOR CONSULTANT who recently graduated from your University. They will score your documents based on a grid provided by the HR team. 

Consultants usually have to score 200 to 400 applications in about 2 weeks. And this is sometimes on TOP of their normal project. It's not uncommon for them to leave the job to the last minute and to have to do it on a Friday night just before the deadline.

Why is this important? The point we are trying to make is your application is part of 100 other applications. And the person who will review it will be tired by the time they get to your cover letter. If they don't understand something, they won't Google it. It's your job to make their job easy.

Why consultancies ask for a cover letter

There are two main reasons why consulting firms ask for cover letters.

First, partners bill several thousand dollars per day to their clients. The opportunity cost of interviewing you is HUGE for the firm. Put yourself in the shoes of a consultancy for a second. What are the top 3 questions you want to answer before investing money in interviewing a candidate?

• Have they demonstrated the skills needed to be a consultant?
• Do they know what consulting is and what they are getting into?
• Are they genuinely interested in working for our firm?

If you don't answer these three questions in a structured and impactful way, your chances of getting past the screening process are very low. This is why every cover letter should be structured as follows:

• Why consulting?
• Why this firm?

The second reason consulting firms ask for a cover letter is to test your writing skills. Consultants write all the time: emails, PowerPoints, Word documents, etc. They spend about 50% of their day writing. And a lot of the time their job is to summarise very large quantities of information in a succinct way.

This is exactly what you have to do in your cover letter. You have to a) look back on all your past experiences, b) select the relevant experiences to convince the reviewer that you are the right person for the job and c) summarise all these experiences in a way that's easy to read and digest.

Cover letters are a disguised writing test. Candidates who end up getting invited for interviews recognise this early on. Making a good impression on paper is way harder than making a good impression in person.

Are many candidates ready to invest HOURS in writing the perfect cover letter? No. That's the whole point. That's how you can set yourself apart. If you spend enough time making sure that your letter is as impactful as it can be, you stand very high chances of getting invited for interviews.

Another reason that it can help to have a cover letter is to explain anything on your resume that may look unusual to a reviewer, such as a time gap or a non-traditional background for consulting. 

Whatever your unique situation is, if you’re not confident in how your cover letter looks today, then we can help you. 

Get an Ex-MBB consultant to review your cover letter

The guide above, in addition to our guide on  consulting resumes , should go a long way in helping you craft documents that will get you interviews. 

But if you still feel you need additional help, we have a team of ex-MBB recruiters and interviewers who would be happy to provide feedback on your cover letter.

You’ll get feedback on how to immediately improve your cover letter, including what experience to focus on, how to optimise your phrasing, formatting, etc.

Start by browsing profiles for available coaches.

6 Steps to Land a McKinsey internship

An early route to get your foot at the door of McKinsey – one of the three most prestigious consulting firms , is to successfully land an internship and compete for a full-time offer while at the job. With a 1% acceptance rate and uncompromising recruitment criteria, how do you stand out as the cream of the crop? In this article, I will explain two types of internships at McKinsey, and reveal the six steps that you can follow right away to break into McKinsey as an intern.

Table of Contents

McKinsey internship overview

McKinsey Internships are divided into two main tracks, undergraduate internships and MBA internships . This internship typically lasts 10 weeks, sometimes one week more or less. Salaries are as high as that of major tech companies like Google or Amazon (at nearly $7,000 per month ). The work of consulting interns is very similar or identical to first-year full-time consultants. There are six steps to land an internship at McKinsey:

• Step 1: Build up skills and qualifications

Step 2: Build networks early on

Step 3: pass resume and cover letter screening.

• Step 4: Pass the McKinsey PST test 
• Step 5: Pass the McKinsey PEI interview 

Step 6: Pass the McKinsey case interview

Mckinsey internship – recruitment & salary.

Take a look at the snapshot below where I’ve summarised salaries, duration, application deadlines, and eligibility criteria for the two routes of McKinsey internships – Undergraduates and MBA:

The particular features of an internship are reliant upon many factors. For instance, compensation or consulting work may depend on the office you applied to, the business function you are assigned, and your work experiences.

Regardless, these differences normally spread along a discernable line. To summarize, there are three essential facts about McKinsey internships that you should know in advance.

McKinsey internships are divided into two main tracks

McKinsey internships typically fall under two tracks: undergraduate internships and MBA internships .

Undergraduates are recruited into Business Analyst Intern positions, whereas MBAs are recruited into Associate positions. If you’re unfamiliar with these titles, check out this article I’ve written on the career path in consulting for a visual overview.

For now, keep in mind that Associate positions are one level above Business Analyst positions at McKinsey, although this might not be the case at other consulting firms because of different namings.

McKinsey internships typically last 10 weeks in the summer

For both Undergraduate and MBA routes, an internship at McKinsey lasts about 10 weeks , not always but usually in the summer. This is why deadlines for McKinsey summer internship positions are very early (typically 7 months prior to the internship).

At the undergrad level, you need to submit applications around mid-October . At the MBA level, your applications should be submitted in the first couple days of December, if you enrolled in an MBA program in the US .

McKinsey intern salaries are extremely competitive

For the Undergraduate Internship, McKinsey pays its interns around $6,700/month, adding up to nearly $17,000 in total for the 10-week period. This rate is extremely competitive, being just slightly under rates at famously well-paid tech companies, such as Facebook, Amazon, or Google.

8 highest-paying internships

Source: Glassdoor

For the MBA Internship, McKinsey compensates its interns an impressive total of $32,000 for 10 weeks, a similar rate at  Big 3 consulting firms . To put into perspective, this means that in just 10 weeks, a typical MBA intern at McKinsey makes approximately 70% of how much a typical American in any industry makes a year .

Now that you have an overview of the essential facts about McKinsey internships, the next step is to understand a typical intern’s work and the skills needed to do well. Having a deep understanding of what you will actually be doing is very useful because you can tailor your application to what is expected of you.

If you make it into the case interview round, you can even leverage these insights in solving cases to show the interviewer you can get work done, excellently. This will undoubtedly give you a better chance of getting an offer.

McKinsey Business Analyst Internship (Undergrad)

At the undergraduate level , successful candidates are often assigned into the main track of the McKinsey Internship program – the Business Analyst intern role.

Nature of work

By nature, Business Analyst interns’ work is very similar to full-time Business Analysts . In general, Business analysts oversee the “manual” work of a project, while Engagement Managers manage the big picture.

Specifically, when interns first receive a new project, they start collecting data about the client company and industry. They then meet the client, interview the client, and gather more insights using data from the client and from similar cases in the past. Data collected is typically used as input for excel models to analyse the problem and find root causes.

If this all sounds generic, check out this video where I broke down detailed work processes of my first project as a McKinsey Business Analyst intern.

Responsibility & report line

In a project, Business Analyst interns are usually assigned to support a senior Business Analyst or Associate with a big workstream. In some rare cases, interns can lead a small workstream. If you, as an intern, are assigned to support a Business Analyst or an Associate, you will report directly to that person. If you lead a small workstream, you will report directly to the Engagement Manager (EM).

McKinsey Business Analyst Internship (MBA)

At the MBA level , successful candidates are often assigned into the Associate Intern role. Again, your work structure is very similar to that of full-time Associates.

Just like Business Analyst interns, the work of Associate interns and full-time Associates are similar. Interns do what real consultants do, typically the “manual” work of a project, whereas Engagement Managers oversees the big picture. For more in-depth insights, check out this video .

The Associate intern position is an interesting position. Upon their entry, Associate interns are already much more senior than other interns. Hence, even though Associate interns are technically newbies in the McKinsey world, the company will make sure they enter senior positions very shortly .

Specifically, McKinsey does this by assigning more responsibilities to Associate interns: they typically get to lead or semi-lead a workstream . One common practice is that the Engagement Manager will assign another lower-ranked yet senior employee , e.g. a Business Analyst , to help show the McKinsey way around. Throughout the project, Associate interns report directly to Engagement Managers.

Six steps to land a McKinsey internship

Now that you have grasped the key information about McKinsey Internships, let’s dive straight into the 6 steps you can take to land one of these lucrative offers.

Step 1: Build up skills, experiences, and qualifications

Here’s the cold hard truth – you need to be the “creme-de-la-creme” to even have the slightest chance at the top consulting firms. This is ESPECIALLY true at McKinsey, a firm often considered a league of its own even among the Big Three consulting firms (MBB) .

Apply only when you’re ready! McKinsey, like many other consulting firms, has a 2-year ban on failing candidates. That’s why it’s important to start early and devise a strategy to maximize your chances beforehand.

Prepare as early as possible

Consulting prep is ideally a long process. You may spend a year or even more learning the fundamental skills and embracing the mindset, and at least 2-3 months preparing for the resume screening , the tests and case interviews.

I’ve had customers who passed the recruitment process with very little preparation, but that’s more the exception than the norm. So if you are running out of time, you might still have a chance – by quickly learning the “killer tips” offered in the Case Interview End-to-End Program . But in general, it’s always good to start early.

To equip yourself with the most well-rounded skill set for consulting, read up and practice on the following topics:

• Management Consulting : Job, firms, industry and culture (especially the firms you target)
• Consulting Math: Math in business context, mental math, and chart-reading
• Tests: McKinsey PST , BCG Potential Test , Bain Online Test , etc.
• Case Interviews: Interviewer-led and candidate-led case, tips and techniques
• Fit Interviews: stories to suggest your outstanding, consulting-fit qualities

Devise a strategy to maximize your chances

Top consulting firms often recruit from the big brand name educational institutions such as the Ivy League in the US or the equivalent in other countries, and McKinsey is not an exception.

Recruiters like big names under the assumption that only super high achievers get into the top schools. More importantly, big names impress clients.

Now what does this imply? It means if you’re from one of the target schools, congrats, your chances are already much higher than the people who aren’t. However, if you’re from a regular school, it means you have to put extra effort into networking and practice . That said, even if you come from a target school, consulting prep is always a challenging process.

There is no official statement from any firm about their target schools, but we can make fairly good guesses. Below is a list of top schools contributing significant percentages of consultants at McKinsey – according to a 2018 analysis of Wall Street Oasis users.

Percentage of McKinsey consultants by Universities/Colleges

Source: Wall Street Oasis

Why is networking early on so important?

A big part of the McKinsey internship selection process involves case interviews conducted by managers – these interviews are expensive because they take away revenue-generating hours from said managers.

To make the most out of these expensive interviews, consulting firms highly favor candidates with positive reviews from inside the firm or the alumni network – hence the importance of networking in the initial rounds. If you can find a mentor – a current/former consultant at your target firm – all the better, because besides the referral, he/she can provide you with invaluable insider advice.

Now you can find a mentor here at MConsultingPrep with our coaching service. You can have a personal meeting with veteran coaches who will tell you about their own experience at consulting firms and give you sound advice on how to get a McKinsey internship. Let’s find your own coach!

When to start networking?

So when should you start networking? As early as possible – relationships take time to build.

If you’re still in school, network a year before career events to be one step ahead of the competition, then try to get referrals. Referrals increase the chances of your CV being reviewed by recruiters in the first place.

Who to network with?

Anyone from any practice can refer you, so don’t worry too much about applying for one practice while being referred by people from other practices.

What really matters is the seniority of your contacts. Often, one referral from a Partner is equivalent to multiple referrals from non-partners. So the bottom line is: if you can’t get a referral from a Partner, be sure many non-partners in that office are willing to vouch for you.

How to network for a McKinsey internship?

Now, how do you go about networking?

Often overlooked, the most effective way to network is to build connections with alumni at your school’s consulting clubs, who got into McKinsey. Connections made through this channel are easy to access and quite personal, giving you good chances of getting mentorship and referral.

• Networking through acquaintances: Start with the consultants you know, followed by anyone your colleagues, friends and family can introduce. The biggest limitation is accessibility – you might not find any potential lead.
• Networking through events: This method is most convenient for applicants from target schools. Consultants here are complete strangers, but they do expect applicants to approach them after the events, so you do have a higher chance than the next method.
• Cold-emailing/Cold-calling: The least effective, but the most scalable method. You find them through LinkedIn or similar means, send emails to establish contact and request for a meeting. Most of the time, you will be rejected, but if you play the cards right, you will get someone on your side.

Whatever you choose, once you set up an appointment, you need to be concrete about when and where to meet, what you want out of a meeting, and how you will get it (i.e.: what you will ask). Being explicit with your contact will increase the chance of them saying yes to you, and make a good first impression ( consulting culture values being explicit).

After networking (or you might bypass this step and apply through online portals – which is more convenient, but much more competitive), the next step is to prepare for all the parts of the consulting recruitment process.

Read the full guides here: Consulting Resume / Consulting Cover Letter

The first step in the McKinsey internship recruitment process is resume screening, and even this early, your resume and cover letter must be written in the consulting style. In both of these papers, explicitly but objectively show off your consulting attributes: leadership , achieving and problem-solving .

The content

Whatever stories you tell in your resume and cover letter, they must emphasize the three attributes – they must either be about leading and influencing people, doing analytical work, achieving the extraordinary, or any combination. More importantly, you must be  highly specific and result-oriented . Instead of rambling on with your list of experiences, show the screener quantifiable results of your work, which shows you are the best.

For example, even if you flipped burgers, say something like “Set the new speed record for flipping burgers, surpassing the previous record by 50%”. Specific statements are thoroughly more impressive and more trustworthy – even outside the consulting industry.

The presentation

Format-wise, there is no other option but black-and-white . Keep it absolutely formal and professional. Fancy-looking resumes might get you creative jobs, but will get you cold rejections in the conservative consulting industry . Same goes for the cover letters.

Structure-wise, every bullet point in your resume must contain similar parts. The language of these bullets must be totally formal as well. Communication must be top-down, both in resumes and cover letters.

Step 4: Pass the McKinsey PST Test

Read the full guide here: McKinsey PST Ultimate Guide / McKinsey Imbellus Game Guide

What is the McKinsey PST Test?

The Problem Solving Test (or PST) is a paper-based test used at McKinsey & Company to select candidates for the case interviews. The PST is conducted after resume screening and assesses candidates on data interpretation, mental calculations as well as verbal, numerical and logical reasoning.

How to prepare for the McKinsey PST Test?

The key to preparing for the McKinsey PST Test is to break down the question types and learn how to answer each type individually. Do this while reinforcing your verbal, numerical and logical reasoning skills.

Breaking down the question types helps you learn quickly and efficiently, while skill training ensures long-term flexibility should the test format be changed (which is unlikely in management consulting – a highly conservative industry).

After you have practiced thoroughly with each question type, the next step is to do mock tests to self-assess and develop a test strategy. I would advise you to select mock tests harder than the actual tests – if you can do them well, the real ones will be a breeze.

These are the same approaches taught in all of my test-related products – McKinsey PST Comprehensive and BCG Potential Test Comprehensive .

How to prepare for the McKinsey Problem-Solving Game?

McKinsey rolled out the new Imbellus Problem-Solving Game in 2020.

This test works as follows. First, it collects data about a candidate’s skills and behaviors throughout the testing process to build a profile. Second, it compares the profile to that of employees in the firm – the more similar a candidate is to the best employees, the more likely he/she is selected.

This is a game-changing move because the emphasis is no longer on getting the right answers, but to look like a consultant in the process. However, the basic approach remains the same – decipher the mechanisms and identify efficient strategies, while also working on improving your consulting skill set.

Step 5: Pass the McKinsey PEI Interview/ Fit Interview

Read the full guide here: McKinsey Case Interview

McKinsey interviews usually consist of two parts:

• The PEI or Personal Experience Interview (10 minutes)

Back when I first joined McKinsey, fit interviews were not that important. Now the game has changed – even though case interviews are still the key to an offer, you must also excel in PEIs, to show that you’re a good fit.

What do they ask in the McKinsey PEI?

As suggested by its name, the Personal Experience Interview is about “that one time in your life” when you did something extraordinary.

In the 10-minute PEI, the interviewer will ask you to tell one story, then drill down to extract insights about your soft skills and personal traits.

• Tell me about a time when you overcame a significant challenge
• Tell me about a time when you convinced people to change their viewpoints
• Tell me about a time when you resolved an important disagreement with your teammates
• Tell me about a time when you lead your team through extraordinary hardship
• Tell me about a time when you successfully handled conflict within your team

Variants of the question “Why consulting/Why McKinsey?” might also come up. You don’t need a story for these, just give them a valid and authentic reason. Do research, understand the industry, the company, and how they fit with your own values and capabilities – that’s how you get the best answers for these questions.

How to prepare for the McKinsey PEI?

Sometimes, each question type above will be used for the same kind of story. This means that, even if you draft 10-12 stories, 2-3 for each question type, you may only use only one story for every question.

Instead of preparing on a question-answer basis, a more efficient approach would be to focus on the stories. My take on the PEIs is to prepare three to five stories  and make them as detailed, all-rounded, well-presented as possible. View them from every possible angle, each corresponding to a trait required by McKinsey , or to one of your personal values.

With such an approach, you also gain flexibility – with well-developed stories, you can respond to ANY kinds of questions, even the unexpected ones, and you’ll have more stories per question type (3-5).

How can you prepare such stories? Spend your efforts on three layers of a story – the content base, the plot, and the style

For best practice, let’s do fit questions with consulting experts. At MConsultingPrep, you can choose from a selection of former consultants. These coaches will reveal must-know answers to fit questions that help you overcome McKinsey PEI.  Get yourself personal coaching today!

What are case interviews?

Case interviews are job interviews where the candidate is asked to solve a business case or problem. At McKinsey, case interviews often last 30-45 minutes each, and candidates often go through 2 to 4 case interviews.

What are McKinsey case interviews like?

McKinsey case interviews are often interviewer-led. At the most extreme of this format, the interviewer “leads” the problem-solving process by asking separate questions related to the case context. The candidate cannot decide how to approach the problem. In actual cases, however, the candidate may be given some autonomy depending on the interviewer.

McKinsey case interview questions

Case interviews in McKinsey internship recruitment can be methodically prepared for by arranging the possible questions into the following 8 predictable categories. 

• Framework/issue tree questions
• Market-sizing and guesstimate questions
• Brain teasers
• Chart insight questions
• Value proposition questions
• Information questions
• Math problems
• Solution-finding questions

I have written a detailed guide on these question types – you may want to check out that article for more insights. For each type of question, there is one example – suggestions and answers are at the end of this section, but try to answer them on your own first!

How to prepare for McKinsey case interviews?

To prepare for McKinsey Case Interviews, I recommend following this track:

#1: Familiarize with interviewer-led case examples

To grasp how McKinsey cases “flow”, I encourage you to go out there and find as many examples of interviewer-led cases as possible. There are four such examples on the McKinsey website with suggested answers.

• Diconsa Case
• Electro-Light Case
• GlobaPharm Case
• National Education Case

Here at MConsultingPrep, we also have a few interviewer-led case examples in our Case Interview E2E Secret Program , complete with detailed feedback on every aspect from content to presentation, all in video format.

#2: Practice consulting math

Consultants work with quantitative data dozens of times a day. It simply takes too long to pull out a calculator every time they need to calculate something, and doing so in negotiations looks really bad. This is why interviewers place such high emphasis on the  mental math skills of prospective consultants.

In the beginning, consulting math can be difficult for some; nonetheless, I have a few tips for you to ease the process and still practice effectively: 

• Use Your Head: Do all your daily calculations mentally unless an EXACT answer is required.
• Flatten the Learning Curve: At the start, a piece of scratch paper and a 5% margin of error really help; once you are confident, discard the paper and narrow down the margin.
• Establish a Routine: Allocate some time for daily practice this may seem hard at first, but once you’ve overcome the inertia, you can literally feel the improvement.

#3: Develop business intuition

Having business intuition significantly sharpens your performance in case interviews.

Working on any kind of intuition is a gradual process that takes practice every day. You can improve your business intuition in two ways:

• Written Sources: I suggest reading business papers daily; you can also visit McKinsey, Bain, and BCG websites for their excellent articles. Beware though – it’s not the pages you read that count, but the insights you draw from them.
• First-hand Experience and Observations: Don’t just come to your workplace to work; try to examine what senior managers are doing – what’s the rationale for their decision, and how has it impacted the organization?

#4: Learn the case interview question types

The key to conquering interviewer-led cases is in methodically mastering each and every basic question type; then you will be ready to tackle the more complex and less predictable ones.

For each type, there are always tips and techniques to deliver an ideal answer; you can refer to the previous section, or check out an even more comprehensive guide in our Case Interview Questions .

The key takeaway is to treat interviewer-led questions like mini-cases, and take a structured, MECE approach to each.

#5: Perform mock interviews

The best way to train on something is to do it.

Well, you CAN’T simply come to McKinsey and ask them for a case interview, but you CAN find a partner to conduct mock interviews for you. It’s better if you can find a former consultant to do it – they’ve been through countless case interviews, both mock and real.

Make the best of every mock interview you do by recording them, then replay again, and again, and again. You’ll realize a lot of mistakes you made, and how you can fix them.

Just a few years at McKinsey completely changed who I am, both personally and professionally. In a positive way, that is. I also see it changing the lives of almost all the colleagues I ever know. I sincerely believe you can and you should do it. Nobody said you have to stay there forever. But the lessons, the toughness, the desire, the structured mindset, etc. will remain.

It’s ridiculously difficult to even get your foot in the doors of the top management consulting firms . Most applicants don’t even get to see the interviewers, and the few that do must undergo the most strenuous, high-stake job interviews existing on this planet.

However, with systematic and careful preparation – in the same manner that consultants approach their projects – I believe anyone can make it to consulting.

Are you a believer?

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Experienced hires are preferred for expert and implementation roles, while opportunities for freshers are available for positions requiring less expertise"

Landing a McKinsey Internship: What You Need to Know

Learn how to break into this consulting giant

Management consulting isn’t just for MBA grads or accounting majors. In recent years, consulting firms have looked to hire interns from diverse educational backgrounds who can solve difficult problems for their clients, advising them on major milestones like an acquisition, entry into a foreign market or corporate downsizing. 

McKinsey & Company falls within 'MBB,' a popular acronym for McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. These consulting firms are often considered the most prestigious in the world. With 30,000 employees and offices in 130 cities, McKinsey is the largest of the three. 

Aside from the door-opening clout of the McKinsey name on your resume, a summer internship at the firm offers the opportunity for first-hand experience as an analyst. Current and former interns report an unusually high level of autonomy and are entrusted with important work, such as co-hosting a 20+ person client workshop and working directly with the client on a diversity hiring strategy. Summer internships typically last 10 weeks, while shorter internships are available at some offices in the spring and fall. 

Types of Internships McKinsey Offers

McKinsey offers internships for undergraduates (juniors and seniors only), MBA candidates and those pursuing a graduate degree in a non-business field. Non-business majors can be considered for the same roles as those pursuing business degrees. Base requirements include excellent academic performance, leadership abilities and experience working on or off campus. All internships are currently virtual due to COVID-19.

Undergraduate internship

Interns in their junior year of college can choose between generalist consulting and practice consulting, which is focused on a specific function (i.e. digital operations) or industry (i.e. financial services). If you’re pursuing a degree in a technical field, you can select a technology role, such as data scientist, data engineer, software engineer, project manager, designer, agile coach or digital marketer.

In a generalist consulting role (AKA business analyst intern), you’ll be placed with a team of 3-5 consultants to work on projects in a variety of functions and industries. Interns play an active role in projects and are essentially given the responsibility of first year analysts. Duties include gathering and analyzing information, formulating and testing hypotheses and developing recommendations. You’ll also have an opportunity to present results to client management and work alongside client teams to implement recommendations.

If you're a sophomore...

Sophomores can apply for the Sophomore Diversity Leaders Internship (US and Canada only), which lasts 8-10 weeks. Outstanding interns may receive an offer to return to the firm as a summer business analyst or as a full-time business analyst after completing their degree. 

MBA candidate internship

Nearly half of incoming McKinsey consultants have MBAs, so if you’re interested in a full-time offer, consider business school. MBA candidates join the company as associates and typically serve on analytics, digital or other technology teams. Like undergrads, they can choose between generalist consulting, practice consulting and technology roles.

Formal mentorship is a key benefit of the post-grad McKinsey internship program: a Partner is assigned to you to help guide your career and provide formal training in your first few weeks. 

Advanced professional degree internship

Non-business majors bring a wealth of perspective to consulting firms like McKinsey. The firm is hungry for those with industry expertise, such as doctors who can work on healthcare reform or data analysts who can interpret BI data. However, they also considers candidates who don’t have specific functional expertise and are interested in learning more before choosing a specialization. ‘Make Your Own McKinsey’ is one of the firm’s mottos, which refers to consultants being free to shape their own career paths and work on projects that interest them. 

The internship program begins with a broad focus -- a conscious strategy on McKinsey’s part to ensure that graduate students with non-business backgrounds can thrive in the role -- but interns have the opportunity to develop an area of focus and industry expertise as they progress. 

Candidates without a business background will receive business training through a program called Business Essentials to equip client-facing roles with foundational business knowledge they need to participate in team and client discussions.

The Perks of Every Internship

What is the salary for an intern?

McKinsey interns are well-compensated. Undergraduate interns in the US stand to earn $15,000 during their 10-week internship, while MBA candidates and those pursuing a non-business advanced degree take home $32,000. Salary outside the US varies by location and is commensurate with cost of living. 

What do former interns say about the McKinsey internship?

Positive feedback includes the ability to work on exciting projects, ample professional development opportunities and lots of autonomy. Many interns also raved about their McKinsey colleagues, deeming them brilliant, supportive, strong mentors.

Negative aspects include long work hours and poor work/life balance. In some offices, interns deemed the culture high-stress or overly competitive.

Getting a McKinsey Internship

What do hiring managers look for?

As one of the best organizations in their field, McKinsey has room to be picky. Hiring managers look for a number of traits in potential candidates: 

• Intellectual curiosity -- A willingness to challenge assumptions and test hypotheses
• Leadership abilities -- Initiative, communication skills, decisiveness and teamwork. A strong record of leadership positions will certainly help.
• Exceptional academic performance -- A GPA of 3.6 or above helps you clear the resume screen, but if you’re closer to a 3.2, you can still qualify if you can prove strong contributions in other areas
• Willingness to travel -- Pre-COVID, interns could spend a week at a time in a different city working directly with a client.

What is the interview process at McKinsey?

Resume and cover letter screen.

Always include a cover letter with your application, even though this step is optional. A well-written cover letter proves you have communication skills and provides an opportunity to clarify an aspect of your work history or application, like why you requested to intern at a McKinsey office in another country. 

Problem-solving test

Successful candidates will be invited to take a 26-question math and logic test based on real McKinsey client cases. The aptitude test tests your ability to solve business problems using deductive, inductive and quantitative reasoning and is often likened to a mini SAT or GMAT. You’ll have 60 minutes to answer as many multiple choice questions as possible. For each case study, you’ll be presented with information in the form of text or exhibits (a diagram, chart or table). 

Give yourself time to absorb the case study so you can answer the questions correctly. Data is a big part of the test, but only some of the questions involve simple math (a calculator is not allowed). The test is designed so that candidates from a non-business background can still ace it. McKinsey publishes practice tests online. Here are the top tips from   McKinsey on how to ace the test.

First-round interview

The first round of interviews typically consists of two 45-minute one-on-one interviews, centered around casing and designed to test your problem-solving skills. You’ll be presented with a case study about a company facing an issue, and you’ll be expected to analyze the situation and develop a recommendation. For example, should a beverage company launch a new sports drink? Case interviews take a lot of preparation-- learn how to tackle them as soon as possible and check out resources like Case in Point to get you started. 

The second part of the interview is a behavioral section designed to evaluate your soft skills. Although case interviews seem the most daunting, designate some time to prep for the Personal Experience Interview. This behavioral portion of the interview is designed to hone in on cultural fit and communication skills. Candidates are asked to share a previous personal or professional experience where they demonstrated leadership capabilities. But this isn’t the standard format where you present a problem, solution and outcome and then move on to the next question. Whatever scenario you provide, your interviewer will ask 10-15 follow-up questions to elicit more information.

The initial question could be one of the following:

• Tell me about the most significant accomplishment of your career.
• Tell me about a time you convinced a colleague to take an alternative approach.
• Tell me about a time you overcame a significant challenge at work.
• Tell me about a time you solved an important disagreement with a colleague.
• Tell me about a time you demonstrated exceptional leadership.

You’ll then answer follow-up questions, such as “Why did you decide to pursue that idea even when others said it wouldn’t work?” or “How did you respond when so-and-so said XYZ?”

To ace this portion of the interview, you’ll need to prepare at least 5-7 stories and examine them in-depth. Anticipate what questions a recruiter might ask to fill information gaps. Provide background about the experience, describe the challenge you faced and overcame and discuss the impact of your actions. 

Final-round interview

Each office and specific practice has a slightly different approach to final-round interviews, but don’t worry about being caught off-guard. You’ll receive a detailed description of what to expect prior to interview day.

The final round typically consists of 2-3 interviews, each lasting an hour. You’ll encounter the same four types of questions in your first round of interviews, including case studies, the Personal Experience Interview and questions like “Why consulting?” and “Why McKinsey?” Your interviewers will be more senior people in this round, and they’ll be looking at factors like whether you’re coachable and easy to work with, whether you ask engaging questions and how well you walk the interviewer through your thought process.

You can also expect role plays where you are given a scenario and the interviewer poses as a hypothetical client. The interviewer assesses you based on the quality of your recommendations and communication with the client.

Common interview questions

• Why are you interested in consulting?
• Why do you want to work at McKinsey?
• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your expectations from us?
• What are your extracurricular activities on campus?
• Tell me something about yourself that is not on your resume.
• What has been your most significant achievement in life?
• Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
• Describe your biggest challenge to date and how you overcame it?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?

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The information provided herein is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and should not be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security by Candor, its employees and affiliates, or any third-party. Any expressions of opinion or assumptions are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results and the opinions presented herein should not be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Investing in securities involves risk. Loss of principal is possible.

Third-party data has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however, its accuracy, completeness, or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Candor does not receive compensation to promote or discuss any particular Company; however, Candor, its employees and affiliates, and/or its clients may hold positions in securities of the Companies discussed.

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McKinsey cover letter examples

Did you know that McKinsey receives 200,000 applications a year from professionals who want to join the business?

That’s some pretty big competition.

So if you want to stand out and make it through to the interview stage, your application needs to be pretty spectacular.

Find out how to make an impression using our detailed guide and McKinsey cover letter examples below.

CV templates 

McKinsey cover letter example 1

McKinsey cover letter example 2

McKinsey cover letter example 3

The example cover letters here should give you a good general idea on how your McKinsey cover letter should be formatted and written.

The rest of this guide gives more specific guidance on how to create your own cover letter in this format, and even includes some templates you can copy and paste.

How to write a McKinsey cover letter

Here’s a simple process to write your own interview-winning cover letter.

Write your cover letter in the body of an email/message

When writing your McKinsey cover letter, it’s best to type the content into the body of your email (or the job site messaging system) and not to attach the cover letter as a separate document.

This ensures that your cover letter gets seen as soon as a recruiter or employer opens your message.

If you attach the cover letter as a document, you’re making the reader go through an unnecessary step of opening the document before reading it.

If it’s in the body of the message itself, it will be seen instantly, which hugely increases the chances of it being read.

Start with a friendly greeting

Start you cover letter with a greeting that is professional but friendly.

This will build rapport with the recruiter whilst showing your professionalism.

• Hi, hope you’re well
• Hi [insert recruiter name]
• Hi [insert department/team name]

Avoid overly formal greetings like “Dear sir/madam ” unless applying to very traditional companies.

How to find the contact’s name?

Addressing the recruitment contact by name is an excellent way to start building a strong relationship. If it is not listed in the job advert, try these methods to find it.

• Check out the company website and look at their  About page. If you see a hiring manager, HR person or internal recruiter, use their name. You could also try to figure out who would be your manager in the role and use their name.
• Head to LinkedIn , search for the company and scan through the list of employees. Most professionals are on LinkedIn these days, so this is a good bet.

Identify the role you are applying for

After you have greeted the recruiter, it’s important to state the job you are applying to.

Recruiters are often managing multiple vacancies, so they need to know exactly which job you are referring to.

Be as specific as possible and use a reference number if you can find one.

Here are some examples you can use;

• I am interested in applying for the role of admin assistant with your organisation.
• I would like to apply for the role of Sales assistant (Ref: 4057393)
• I would like to express my interest in the customer service vacancy within your retail department
• I saw your advertisement for a trainee project manager on Reed and would like to apply for the role.

See also: CV examples – how to write a CV – CV profiles

Highlight your suitability

The bulk of your cover letter should be focused around highlighting your suitability for the job you are applying to.

Doing this will show the recruiter that you are suitable candidate and encourage them to open your CV.

The best way to do this, is by studying the job advert you are applying to, and find out what the most important skills and knowledge are.

Once you know the most important requirements, you then need to highlight your matching skills to the recruiter. In a few sentences, tell them exactly why you are a good fit for the job and what you can offer the company.

Keep it short and sharp

When sending a job application to a recruiter or hiring manager, it is important to remember that they will normally be very busy and pushed for time.

Therefore, you need to get you message across to them quickly (in a matter of seconds ideally). So, keep your cover letter short and to-the-point. A long waffling cover letter will overwhelm recruiters when they are running through hundreds of emails in there inbox, but a concise one will get their attention.

So, keep your cover letter to just a few sentences long, and save the extensive detail for your CV.

Sign off professionally

To round of your cover letter, add a professional signature to the bottom, giving recruiters your vital contact information.

This not only gives various means of contacting you, it also looks really professional and shows that you know how to communicate in the workplace.

Include the following points;

• A friendly sign off – e.g. “Warm regards”
• Your full name
• Phone number (one you can answer quickly)
• Email address
• Profession title
• Professional social network – e.g. LinkedIn

Here is an example signature;

Warm regards,

Gerald Baker Senior Accountant 07887500404 [email protected] LinkedIn

Quick tip : To save yourself from having to write your signature every time you send a job application email, you can save it within your email drafts, or on a separate document that you could copy in.

What to include in your McKinsey cover letter

Your McKinsey cover letter will be unique to your situation, but there are certain content guidelines you should stick to for best results.

To attract and entice recruiters, stick with the following key subjects in your cover letter – adapting them to fit your profession and target jobs.

• Your professional experience – Employers will be keen to know if your experience is suitable for the job you are applying to, so provide a good summary of it in your cover letter.
• Your qualifications and education – Highlight your most relevant and high-level of qualification, especially if they are essential to the job.
• The positive impact you have made – Employers love to hear about the benefits you can bring to them, so shout about anything impressive you have done, such as saving money or improving processes.
• Your reasons for leaving – Use a few words of your cover letter to explain why you are leaving your current job and ensure you avoid any negative reasons.
• Your availability – Let recruiters know when you can start a new job . Are you immediately available, or do you have a month notice period?

McKinsey cover letter templates

Copy and paste these McKinsey cover letter templates to get a head start on your own.

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Growth and Sales Associate position at McKinsey. With over 12 years of experience working in business development, I am confident in my ability to drive revenue growth and establish strategic partnerships.

During my tenure at Tanto, I led market research efforts that identified and pursued new revenue opportunities, resulting in a remarkable 19% increase in revenue through the acquisition of five new enterprise clients. Additionally, my implementation of a strategic-partner sales strategy contributed to a substantial 12% increase in the company’s average deal size. Furthermore, my ability to build and manage relationships with key stakeholders, as showcased in my work at Tanto and Crystal Consulting, has led to successful partnerships and a remarkable 30% increase in the sales pipeline. As a PMI-Certified Project Management Professional with a BSc in Finance, I possess excellent communication and negotiation skills, consistently exceeding KPIs.

I am eager to bring my expertise to McKinsey and contribute to the firm’s continued success. I am available for an interview at your earliest convenience to discuss how my skills align with the goals of the company.

Marco Terrano

Hey Michael,

I am thrilled to apply for the Management Consultant role at McKinsey. As a seasoned Business Consultant with a track record of delivering tangible improvements in the financial sector, my expertise in data-driven solutions and process enhancement sets me apart.

In my current role at Arcadia Business Solutions, I excel in analysing clients’ operations and devising risk management frameworks, reducing operational risk by 15% for a leading investment bank in 2019. Moreover, my strategic planning initiative boosted revenue by 10% over three years for a financial services firm. During my tenure at TRC Ltd, I collaborated with senior consultants on business planning and achieved a 20% sales increase through a successful product launch strategy for a healthcare company. As a certified Agile Practitioner and Business Analysis Professional, I possess strong project management and mentoring skills and, at Monzo, I employed Agile methodologies to provide valuable insights and foster efficient workflows while adapting products to customer needs.

I am eager to discuss how my expertise can fuel McKinsey’s success and an interview at your convenience would be highly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Mathilde DuPont

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to apply for the Automation Engineer position at McKinsey.

With 25+ years of experience as a detail-oriented Automation Tester, I possess a strong track record of optimising resources and streamlining performance testing strategies. At TechPro Lyd, I executed automated test scripts using Selenium WebDriver, Java, and TestNG, resulting in improved software stability and a 40% boost in application response time through a reverse-order performance testing strategy. During my tenure at KeyTech, I implemented an automated testing framework for mobile applications, reducing time-to-market for new features by 22%.

Throughout my career I regularly conducted end-to-end user testing, ensuring quality and timely delivery of the Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC). As an Agile Certified Practitioner, I am proficient in programming languages like Python, Java, Perl, and C#, and adept at using automation tools such as Jenkins, Maven, Docker, and Kubernetes.

I am available for an interview at your convenience to discuss how my skills can benefit McKinsey’s automation initiatives.

Nigel Sampson

Writing an impressive cover letter is a crucial step in landing a job at McKinsey, so taking the time to perfect it is well worth while.

By following the tips and examples above you will be able to create an eye-catching cover letter that will wow recruiters and ensure your CV gets read – leading to more job interviews for you.

Good luck with your job search!

4 ways to start your McKinsey cover letter, according to recruiters and a former McKinsey manager

• A consulting job at McKinsey is hard to get but comes with a salary that can reach the high six figures. 
• Your cover letter is key to getting your foot in the door, recruiters and a former McKinsey manager said.
• They recommended demonstrating problem-solving skills and leadership abilities, and keeping your letter short.

McKinsey and Company is tough to break into but well worth the effort when it comes to salary. Partner salaries average more than $800,000 in total pay, according to job-review site Glassdoor.

One of your first chances to prove your value to this uber-competitive management consulting firm is through a cover letter. As stated on McKinsey's website : "Your application (i.e., cover letter, CV/resume) is our first and primary evidence of your written communication skills, so present it in a thoughtful and compelling manner."

While the company's website notes that a cover letter isn't required in an online application "unless you wish to alert [McKinsey] to an unusual circumstance or to provide information on a reapplication," recruiters emphasized that it's still an important part of the hiring process.

"McKinsey recruiters expect to see applicants with elite problem-solving and leadership abilities who can articulate their achievements, accomplishments, and diverse experiences concisely," said Caroline Stokes, the CEO of executive search and coaching firm  FORWARD , who has experience recruiting and coaching job seekers for many top firms, including McKinsey. "A person's leadership style and executive presence can be determined from this letter alone, so it needs to fully represent how the person would operate in this management consultancy environment with other high-performing talent and clients."

Portia Kibble Smith, an executive recruiter at  Karat  who has four decades of corporate experience and has placed many candidates at McKinsey, added: "The single biggest reason for a cover letter is that when I talk to hiring managers, they're probably reviewing each resume for 10 to 30 seconds. They're shuffling through them so quickly that you need some way to make the strongest part of your resume pop. That's what a cover letter is for." 

These experts and others shared their best tips for writing a letter that gets a hiring manager's attention.

Emphasize leadership, entrepreneurial drive, and passion for client-facing work

Smith said you should first make it clear that you're interested in working with clients — not just interested in working for McKinsey. 

"Demonstrate your passion for client-facing roles, and that you have the tools to hit the ground running on day one," Smith said.

Second, Smith pointed out that the cover letter is your opportunity to pull out the single-most impressive part of your resume and bring it to life. 

"Draw them in with a compelling story so they know your resume is worth more than half a minute of their time," she said. "One example of this is from a candidate that I helped place, who went into detail about their experience leading teams in the telecommunications industry and the value they helped create in a client-facing role."

Lastly, she advised not shying away from your background, but instead leaning into it. 

"If your MBA is from KU [University of Kansas] and not Harvard, the hiring manager already knows this, so there's no need to hide it," Smith said. "What opportunities did you have in Lawrence that may not have been available in Cambridge? Is there a unique perspective you're going to offer to the clients that they can't find anywhere else? That will get you noticed." 

Will Bachman spent four years at McKinsey after business school as an engagement manager, plus another year at the firm during his pre-MBA tenure. Within his management role, he was involved in recruiting for the firm — specifically vetting prospective MBA students and conducting interviews — before he left to cofound Umbrex , a global community connecting top-tier independent management consultants.

Bachman emphasized that McKinsey evaluates applicants on four dimensions: personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, problem-solving skills, and leadership abilities. As a result of this focus, he said that all successful candidates must meet the high bar on all four dimensions, and need to be absolutely distinctive on at least one of those four — which should come out in your cover letter.

"McKinsey consultants are taught to 'lead with the answer' when creating a presentation, and applicants ought to do the same in a cover letter, opening with a powerful anecdote that illustrates one of those four qualities where the candidate is most exceptional," Bachman said.

He also advised not diluting your message by trying to demonstrate competence on all four; instead, you should wow the reader with a story that shows how you are amazing on one of these dimensions.

(Finally, he shared that at McKinsey, the consultants like to capitalize the word "firm" when referring to "the Firm," so for extra credit, you can adopt that practice in your cover letter.)

Keep it short and don't just rehash your resume

Atta Tarki is founder and CEO of ECA , an executive search firm in which 10 out of their 11 managing directors are former consultants themselves with experience at McKinsey and other top consulting firms, and formerly spent six years as a management consultant at LEK Consulting . As such, Tarki works with hundreds of McKinsey consultants aiming to transition out of the firm a year, and has placed consultants with eight out of the top 10 strategy consulting firms.

Tarki advised focusing on something unique in your cover letter that's not in your resume to make your note stand out. 

Related stories

"Most cover letters are just checking the box and rehashing the resume," he said. "In the extremely rare event that someone looks at it, that [approach] won't help you, and instead it should try to highlight some of your hobbies or things that make you interesting as a person/for the role."  

Tarki added that in the age of Twitter, less is more, whether you're talking about your cover letter, resume, or other communications related to your McKinsey application. He also hammered the point that it's important to get the basics right when applying, such as keeping your emails to HR brief and professional, not having any typos in your cover letter or other parts of your application, and being very responsive when communicating with the firm. 

"Within hours is great and within the hour is excellent," Tarki said. "Within 24 hours is acceptable. Anything slower than that raises yellow flags."

He also emphasized making sure every single sentence in your application adds value. "Don't replace quality with quantity," he said.

These experts offered some examples of great cover letter lines

Bachman suggested that your cover letter to McKinsey could begin with something like this opener, which he wrote himself:

[Partner's first name],

I'm interested in joining the [name of practice] as an experienced hire.

Recognizing the value the Firm places on entrepreneurial drive, I thought I'd share the story of how I conceived of a new revenue stream for my current employer, developed the business case on my own time, managed to gain alignment among senior managers to approve funding, and then, as the head of this new service line, built a $50 million annual revenue business with a 22% EBITDA margin ...

Here's another example of an opening paragraph of the kinds of notes that stood out to him when vetting candidates:

Recognizing the value the Firm places on personal impact, I thought I'd share the story of how I built a nonprofit that has distributed a free interview suit and interview coaching to 3,000 low-income residents in my city ...

If you know a partner at the firm, then your cover letter should be addressed to that person. Bachman suggested that in this case, your cover letter could begin like this:

I've thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know you and your colleagues over the past several months, and as we discussed at [venue] on [date], I'd like to be considered as a candidate to join the [name of practice] in the [desired city] office …

Smith also shared the following cover letter template that she uses to help her candidates craft their introductions to McKinsey:

Delivering exceptional results for clients isn't rocket science — it's a lot harder. 

It takes a genuine desire to understand a client's business and goals, from both a granular and big-picture perspective. It takes insight into the client's business trajectory, products, market trends, untapped opportunities, and competitors. It takes critical thinking, robust analytical skills, leadership, and a passion for strategic problem-solving. 

It takes someone who can partner with clients and colleagues to find innovative approaches to problems and work as a key member of the team to develop impactful recommendations. 

These are the things I truly enjoy doing. I use a systematic approach to problem solving that includes analyzing the issue, defining desired outcomes, asking the right questions, looking at the challenge from both creative and strategic viewpoints, and brainstorming in a team environment to form possible solutions. A brief example of my success in problem solving is [example, including results for company or clients].

As a recent graduate of [school] with a [degree] in [major], I am eager to work with an organization like McKinsey, where my education and experience in [area of experience] will add value to both clients and the firm. 

It would be a privilege to speak with you about a consulting role with McKinsey, my qualifications, and a potential match. My resume is attached for your review, and I look forward to the next steps in the selection process. Thank you for your consideration.

[Your name]

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Applications

Applying to mckinsey & company: cvs, cover letters and interviews.

Jacky Barrett

24 Nov 2023, 22:30

The McKinsey application process consist of a CV and optional covering letter online application, a problem solving assessment and typically two rounds of interviews.

What to include in your McKinsey CV | Your covering letter | McKinsey experience interview | McKinsey case interview

What recruiters want to see in your McKinsey CV

McKinsey & Company requires an excellent academic record and evidence of leadership, which may be from workplace roles or extracurricular activities. Successful applicants will demonstrate an aptitude for analytics, an interest in business with an entrepreneurial instinct, and an enjoyment of teamwork and problem-solving. McKinsey suggests that you include all work experience, such as full-time jobs and internships, even if they are not in a related field.

CVs for McKinsey should communicate more about your work experience than just the day-to-day responsibilities you performed: McKinsey is interested in ‘why your work mattered’ and the changes you brought about. The firm is looking for evidence of impact, leadership, entrepreneurship, problem solving and an overall orientation towards achievement. Draw attention to positions of leadership and teamwork, especially where they reveal initiative, entrepreneurship or extraordinary commitment. But do not simply describe them: make your achievements, and how they demonstrate your strengths, clear.

Extracurricular involvement and participation in activities outside of university bode well with McKinsey and should be detailed in a similar fashion to your work experience. Strive to provide examples of responsibility in your extracurricular activities and to quantify to the impact of your achievements wherever possible.

Always use language that is clear to any reader; for example, if you are describing your final year engineering project or your university air squadron activities then try to limit any specialist descriptions and technical jargon.

• Find more tips to help with consulting CVs for job-seeking graduates

Optional but recommended: your cover letter for McKinsey and how to pitch it

Unlike the CV, you are not required to submit a cover letter; however, you may find it a way to strengthen your application.

The essential point to remember is to write a unique cover letter for every employer you apply to. McKinsey expects to receive a cover letter that has been constructed with them, and no other firm, in mind – recruiters will be able to tell. Starting from fresh ensures that you will not copy and paste in any other firm’s name, and that everything you include will be relevant, considered and carefully targeted towards McKinsey & Company.

McKinsey has previously stated that the cover letter is a good place to draw attention to:

• Distinctive elements of your application – such as a role as president of a student society: were you elected in favour of other candidates? Has this given you experience of leadership? Of teamwork? Of delivering presentations? Of handling financial spreadsheets? Have you organised events, and on what scale?
• Details regarding a reapplication – such as why you are now a stronger candidate.
• An unusual situation – such as dates you will be unavailable for interview.

You can use your cover letter to demonstrate an understanding of the role of the business analyst at McKinsey & Company, which will involve interviewing clients, delivering presentations, conducting desk research, analysing data and building financial models.

It’s a good idea to spend a paragraph detailing exactly why you want to work for McKinsey & Company in particular . You might like to focus on what differentiates it as an employer by mentioning, for instance, its Global Connect initiative, that provides opportunities to find roles abroad in emerging markets; this suggests McKinsey is committed to global opportunities – does this suit your ambitions? The firm also emphasises that it encourages entrepreneurial spirit in its employers: if relevant, you could pick up on this in your covering letter. It is important not to focus on the benefits the company offers and talk instead about the firm’s values and work.

The best cover letters explain not only why you want to work for that firm, but also why they want you to work for them. Link what you say about McKinsey and its business analyst role back to your own values, achievements, strengths and experiences. Recruiters read hundreds of cover letters: make it easy for them to see why you are different.

• Discover more on what consulting employers look for in covering letters

McKinsey interviews

Applicants usually face two rounds of interviews at McKinsey preceded by the Solve gamified online assessment. Upon passing Solve – for which McKinsey states that there is no need to prepare ­(although you can find FAQs and an informational video for Solve on the McKinsey website) – applicants are invited to the first round of interviews.

The first round comprises two hour-long interviews; both include a case study and personal experience question. See below for more detail on case and experience interview questions.

Applicants successful at this stage are invited to a second and final round of interviews. The final interview round consists of three separate interviews (sometimes four) with more senior members of staff . It is a half-day assessment that follows a similar structure to the first round of interviews and features two hour-long case and experience interviews in addition to an advanced case interview.

McKinsey experience interview

This is a discussion of the candidate's CV, particularly extracurricular activities or work experience that showcase soft skills required of a consultant. Ultimately the interviewer is looking for someone who is client-safe. It's a good idea to watch the video on the firm's website which talks through what candidates can expect from each type of interview, and gives advice on the best way to approach the questions.

It is important to remember that a lot of the interview should form a two-way conversation. The interviewers want to connect with you so it is important to engage with them, allowing them to get to know you. McKinsey relies on behavioural questions to assess candidate-fit. Previous McKinsey experience interview questions are reported to include:

• Describe a situation when you had to deal with a difficult team member.
• In terms of culture and fit, what are the three most important aspects of an organisation to you?
• Name a time you resolved a conflict.
• Share an example of when you effectively worked with people from different backgrounds.
• Tell me about an experience not included on your resume that you are most proud of.
• What extracurricular experience are you most proud of?

McKinsey case interview

This discussion of a typical McKinsey business case doesn't require client knowledge. Instead it demands the application of logic, estimation and quantitative skills to identify and process relevant data and use it to solve a commercial problem – the sort of work a McKinsey business analyst does every day. You can try a few examples on the firm's website, which also provides examples of the best responses for each question, and read our advice on case study interviews . Previous McKinsey case questions are reported to include:

• What is the future value of an investment in building a hospital with 'x' capital and 'y' internal rate of return?
• Should company 'x' grow the business or cut costs?

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Find extra help for online applications and interviews for graduate consulting roles here.

Get the insights and skills you need to shape your career journey with Pathways. We’ll show you exactly what goes into a convincing cover letter, so you can give yourself the best chance of getting to the next stage of the application process.

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A Consulting Cover Letter that Lands Interviews: Our Complete Guide

• Last Updated January, 2024

Rebecca Smith-Allen

Former McKinsey Engagement Manager

The recruiting season is approaching fast, and there’s one thing you’ll need to get your foot in the door for an interview at a top-tier consulting firm: an impressive cover letter.

What should you talk about in your consulting cover letter?

How do you distinguish yourself from the tons of other candidates applying to Bain, BCG, McKinsey, and other top consulting firms this year?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, don’t worry! 

In this complete guide to writing a consulting cover letter, we’ll tell you exactly what points you need to address in your cover letter to put your best foot forward and land that interview.

We’ll discuss:

• What a cover letter is
• The RIGHT way to structure one
• The Red Flags that get candidates rejected and how to overcome them
• 5 Tips on writing an effective consulting cover letter

We’ll  also share:

• 2 cover letter examples that landed candidates interviews at the top firms.

Let’s get started!

Consulting Cover Letter – Why It Matters

What is a consulting cover letter.

The consulting cover letter is a separate document from your resume; it puts the work experience you outline on your resume into context to show why you’re a great candidate.

The WRONG Way to Structure Your Management Consulting Cover Letter

Most of the Internet articles on writing a cover letter talk about structuring them with the following sections:

• Why are you interested in consulting?
• Why are you interested in the firm you’re applying to?
• What makes you a good fit?

This is not the best way to approach writing your consulting cover letter. My Consulting Offer has helped hundreds of clients land interviews and get offers with top management consulting firms like BCG, Bain, and McKinsey.

We’ve even helped people who faced extra hurdles because they had low GPAs, majored in subjects other than economics or business, or attended non-core schools.

Our clients received interview invitations and job offers because our cover letter process works.

The RIGHT Way to Structure Your Management Consulting Cover Letter

Want to know the best way to structure a cover letter that has statistically been shown to get more interviews?

Watch this video before proceeding.

Now that you watched the video (Watch now if you haven’t yet because the impact of the rest of the article is only 10% of what it could be if you watch it). 

As you found in the video, the best  way to structure your cover letter is to Google the characteristics the consulting firm you want to work for seeks in consulting candidates and then show you have those characteristics .

Yes, you read that right. Go to the Bain Careers page and read about what they’re looking for in candidates. You’ll find it on this page . 

Every consulting firm has values they take very seriously, and that drive the candidates they target, so you will want to know what they are for each firm you apply to. 

As an example, Bain wants consultants with:

• Problem-solving skills
• The ability to lead
• Results delivered

You will use each of these to develop a paragraph or section of your consulting cover letter.

For each, choose a specific time from your professional or personal experiences that shows you possess that characteristic. 

If you have more than one experience that shows you exemplifying a characteristic, pick the strongest example.

Then, create a story that briefly explains the context around your example, describes the action(s) you took, and shows concrete results. 

Quantify the results of your actions whenever possible.

• Results delivered – When I took over as the leader of my sorority’s annual fundraising event for a local food bank, I wanted to make it even more successful than in prior years. Each year, we threw an event and asked people to bring packaged food products or a donation. I went beyond that by asking the college’s academic departments to collect donations from faculty and staff as well. Packaged goods contributions to the food bank increased by 50%, and financial donations increased by over 300%.

Join our FREE Webinar:

How 800+ candidates have landed consulting offers at mckinsey, bain, and bcg.

Proof the My Consulting Offer Cover Letter Structure Works

This strategy of showing how you’ve exemplified the characteristics the firm is looking for in applicants works particularly well if you are applying to management consulting firms from a non-traditional background. 

If you’re a student with a liberal arts major, in a non-MBA master’s degree or doctorate, or attending a non-core school, you should definitely use our approach. It shows the reader that you’d be an asset to their team and have what it takes to be a successful consultant at their firm. This makes them focus less on your non-traditional background.

One of our early clients was an undergraduate who’d spent his summers interning in Michelin-star restaurants in New York City because he aspired to run a Michelin-star restaurant as a career. 

He didn’t have high-level positions in these internships; he worked in the kitchens. He cut the tomatoes for the tomato soup and did similar food prep.

He wasn’t even in charge of making the tomato soup!

As graduation approached, he decided that while he knew all about the kitchen side of the restaurant business, he wanted to learn about running the front of the house. To do that, he looked into consulting jobs.

But he had no business experience.

In his cover letter, we developed stories about:

• Managing the kitchen effectively, even on hectic Saturday nights
• Managing chefs with many years more experience than he had himself
• Landing jobs at top-rated restaurants by showing up at the restaurants before they opened and networking his way in with perseverance

These stories showed he had the leadership experience, people skills, and drive needed in consulting, things that wouldn’t have been clear from his resume alone.

Why My Consulting Offer’s Approach to Writing Consulting Cover Letters Is So Effective

My Consulting Offer’s approach highlights the characteristics consulting firms value in applicants to develop your cover letter.

• You don’t need to explain “Why McKinsey/Bain/BCG?” because you’ve taken your bullet points from their firm career pages .
• Your stories explain why you’re a good fit.
• You can cover the question “Why consulting?” in just a sentence or 2 because you’ve demonstrated you understand what consulting firms look for in candidates through your stories. This question is especially important for applicants with non-traditional backgrounds or experienced hires. 

Just add a short opening, 1-2 sentences on “Why consulting?” and a short conclusion to these paragraphs, and your cover letter will be ready to submit. 

Mistakes People Make with Their Consulting Cover Letters that Lead to Rejection

There are red flags that can get applicants’ resumes placed in the “no” pile. These are:

• A gap in their work history.

A low GPA  can be a problem because management consulting firms target people who can solve tough business problems. But if your GPA  is low due to extenuating circumstances, such as a problem with your own or a family member’s health, or if you needed to work many hours each week to finance your education, firms will often overlook this.

Small offices at top consulting firms often have a problem. People choose them because they think they’ll have a better shot at getting an offer from the firm. But later, these same people want to move to a different office, leaving that office understaffed. 

If you’re applying to an office because you genuinely want to live in that city, tell the recruiters why you want to live there (examples: near family, proximity to outdoor activities, etc.) They need to see that you are not planning to try to transfer to another office or they won’t want to invest in you.

If you have a gap in your work history, a consulting firm might think you were fired and had difficulty finding another job. If health or another issue was the cause of the gap in your work history, it’s important to explain that.

If you have any of these or other red flags in your consulting application, take the time to explain them in your cover letter so that they don’t derail you from getting an interview.

Writing Your Management Consulting Cover Letter – A Step-by-Step Guide

• Opening – keep it short and sweet. Just introduce yourself and express interest in working for the firm you’re applying to, mentioning the specific position you want. Include your 1-2 sentences on “Why consulting?” here.
• Central paragraph 1  – As explained above, find what the firm is looking for in consultants from their Careers page and dedicate one paragraph to each characteristic.
• Central paragraph 2 – Create a story from your experience that shows you have that characteristic. You should include 3-4 stories in your cover letter.
• Central paragraph 3 – Quantify results whenever possible.
• Central paragraph 4 – Order these stories in the way that works to your advantage, with the strongest story first, the second-strongest last, and weaker (but still good) stories in the middle.
• Address any red flags.
• Express your interest again and close the letter.

That’s it! You now have an impressive cover letter.

5 Tips for Writing a Cover Letter that Lands the Interview

• Tip #1 – Start with the characteristics valued by the consulting firm you’re most interested in. You should tailor the cover letter for each firm to the characteristics they list on their Career page. You’ll find, however, that you can re-use stories because all consulting firms value leadership, drive, teamwork, and creating impact.
• Tips #2 – Pick the most compelling stories from your experience. You probably have multiple stories you could use for some values. Choose just one story. If in doubt, the one where you solved the biggest problem or where you had the biggest impact is probably the best. Don’t worry if you have another great story, you’ll get to talk about it in your consulting interviews.
• Tips #3 – Quantify results wherever possible. Showing that you increased revenue/ attendance/ donations by x% quickly and effectively displays you can get things done. Same with cost reductions or reduced time/effort to get work done.
• Tip #4 – Tighten your language to show your point as efficiently as possible. Never say more than you need to in order to make your point. Recruiters screen thousands of applications, and they appreciate communications that get right to the point. Consulting partners will also appreciate this skill once you’re on their team and drafting PowerPoint slides for client meetings. Keep your cover letter to one page. 
• Tip #5 -Use Fiverr or another service to ensure you have no grammatical or spelling mistakes. You only get one chance to make a good impression. Don’t send out a letter with a big mistake, especially if you can prevent it with $5. 

Consulting Cover Letter Examples

The best way to get a sense of what an effective management cover letter looks like is to read one. 

We’ve got 2 examples of letters that helped My Consulting Offer clients land interviews: one from an undergraduate student’s application to McKinsey and one from an experienced-hire candidate’s application to Bain.

Successful Consulting Cover Letter Example 1

Undergraduate consulting cover letter example, why is this undergraduate consulting cover letter sample effective.

This consulting industry cover letter written by an undergraduate is effective because it addresses key characteristics that McKinsey looks for in their applicants, as you can see   on their careers page :

• Personal impact
• Entrepreneurial drive

While it only calls out 2 of the 4 characteristics McKinsey is looking for, entrepreneurial drive and problems solving, these stories also showcase the candidate’s personal impact. 

The 3rd characteristic the cover letter calls out, teamwork/ collaboration, is also highly valued by McKinsey and other consulting firms. 

The entrepreneurial drive paragraph is effective because it shows this candidate works hard and overcomes obstacles that would stand in the way of other candidates.

The problem-solving paragraph is effective because it shows the candidate’s structured approach to solving a problem. It also shows this approach worked.

The collaborative story works because it shows that this candidate was able to make strong personal connections from a very young age and that they respect people from all walks of life.

The candidate makes clear with his/her stories that they understand what McKinsey is looking for and that they’ve demonstrated those characteristics.

Successful Consulting Cover Letter Example 2

Experienced hire consulting cover letter example, why is this experienced hire consulting cover letter sample effective.

• Problem-solving skills (addressed in Passion for Results and Lasting Impact.)
• The ability to lead (addressed in all 3 stories.)
• Results delivered (addressed in Passion for Results with quantified impact.)
• Passion (addressed in Drive & Character)

Each of the 3 stories in this cover letter presents the applicant as someone who has the characteristics top management consulting firms look for. 

Moreover, the 3 stories together demonstrate that he or she has “the whole package.” He or she isn’t smart but a poor team player or good at problem-solving but lacking the passion needed to get things done in a difficult, real-world environment.

The fact that the applicant could speak to all of the things Bain looks for helped them land interviews and then offers with multiple top firms.

What About Firms Like McKinsey, Which Don’t Require a Cover Letter?

Some management consulting firms, such as McKinsey & Company, have made submitting a cover letter optional. 

Should you bother to spend the time to write one if they don’t seem to care?

If your resume clearly shows you are a good fit for the consulting firm,  you don’t need to submit a cover letter. Things that would make you look like a good fit include:

• Attendance at or a degree from a core school where the firm recruits through on-campus interviews and hires consultants every year
• An undergraduate degree in business or economics or an MBA
• Leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills clearly demonstrated through work and volunteer experience on your resume

If your resume doesn’t clearly communicate that you’re a good fit for the management consulting industry and their firm, in particular, your application will be strengthened by including a cover letter. 

You should also submit a cover letter if you have been previously rejected from that firm so that they know you have taken steps to improve your application since last applying.

You’ll want to think about stories to use in your behavioral interviews   anyway, so if you’re unsure whether you need a cover letter, it’s safest to write one.

To see the power of an improved cover letter, watch this video on how My Consulting Offer helped Cynthia get invited for an interview at every consulting company she applied to.

Are you ready to write your management consulting cover letter?

We bet you are since you now know:

• What a consulting cover letter is
• The red flags that get candidates rejected and how to overcome them
• Our 5 Tips on writing an effective consulting cover letter
• Plus, you’ve seen 2 Consulting cover letter examples that worked

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about writing effective consulting cover letters, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s former MBB recruiters will answer them.

Other people who were writing their cover letter found the following pages helpful:

• Consulting Resumes
• BCG Cover Letter
• Consulting Networking
• Case Interview Prep : The Ultimate Guide
• Our List of  Top Consulting Firms and their company values
• The Non-MBA Master’s Student’s Guide to Landing a Consulting Job

Do You Need Help Writing a Perfect Consulting Cover Letter?

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on writing your cover letter. We’ve helped over 700 people get offers in consulting and 89.6% of My Consulting Offer clients land  interviews and offers with a consulting firm. Most land more than one. We want you to get that opportunity to interview with McKinsey, Bain, BCG and other top firms!

For example, here is how we helped Tao land interviews at Bain, BCG, and McKinsey.

How 800+ Candidates Have Landed Consulting Offers At McKinsey, Bain And BCG

2 thoughts on “everything you need to know about the consulting cover letter”.

Thank you Davis for this powerful tool you shared. Really, I havent thought of cover letters telling stories or narrating how you used the needed skills and the value you added using them in your past roles. No wonder I have been getting rejections based on my red flags – not having to work with the big 4s or having multinational experience. All these does not matter as long you can demonstrate the skill set you used to add value in your previous roles which must be inline with what the prospective role needs. I really aporeciate this exposure and I look forward to getting calls from recruiters going forward as I apply your strategy to my cover letters subsequently. Thanks a lot. Esther.

Hey, Esther, We’re so glad the tips we discussed about writing your consulting cover letter were helpful! Good luck in your job search!

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McKinsey’s online application FAQs

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If you cannot find your school, please enter “Other (Country of your school)” and manually type in the name of your school in the text box. For example, if you went to the College of Charleston in South Carolina, you would select Other United States , then fill in your school (i.e. College of Charleston ) in the text box.

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If you have not already done so, please proceed with submitting your application. When complete, email our application support team and attach the documents. Our team will ensure they are attached to your application if they were not already.

Sample cover letter for Internship position at McKinsey

Business analyst.

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to request an interview for a business analyst intern position at McKinsey. I enjoyed learning about your company from website, newspapers and publications. In particular, I have been impressed by the mission outlined in your website, realizing how McKinsey’s unique positioning in the consulting industry has been reached thanks to a client-driven approach.

I have a strong ambition to pursue a career in the business consulting world as a member of McKinsey. Your company offers a unique opportunity to interact with leading global companies and provide solid contributions to their results. Given my analytical and quantitative knowledge, combined with my experiences, I believe that I have all the skills to perform successfully in the role of a business analyst intern.

Last September I graduated with a Bachelor in Finance and Economics from XXX University with a final score of 110 out of 110 cum laude. During the spring semester I also attended a five months Exchange Program organized by my University with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

I am currently enrolled in the M.Sc. in Finance, which is considered the most prestigious and challenging course taught at XXX.

Furthermore, in summer 2012 I attended a ten week internship in the Investment Banking department of XXX, an Italian independent investment bank, that allowed me to work on field: I was part of a team and I assisted the companies evaluation process, preparation of pitches and information memorandum.

Discussing with my superiors about different companies belonging to various sectors made me develop a strong analytical way of thinking and a more strategic view. During this experience I developed different types of skills: I have been able to work in group, learning how to relate with people in a team, I strengthened my attention to details and my ability to take decisions quickly.

I have applied to McKinsey’s business analyst summer internship because I am convinced this kind of job would make me able to mix my passion for business strategy and corporate valuation.

Moreover, McKinsey covers several industries such as Healthcare and Oil & Gas and as a consequence would allow me to gain a deep knowledge of companies involved in different activities.

I would therefore strongly enlarge my knowledge in a very short-time period and I consider it fundamental to start my career with a job in which the learning curve is very steep.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my experience further in a personal interview. I remain available for further information you may need and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

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Is a cover letter really necessary for mckinsey.

McKinsey appears to discourage writing one on their application website by saying "not needed", and "only to explain special circumstances or clarify issues or gaps in the CV". Yet here on prepLounge it is being recommended. Does it just depend on each individual McKinsey office that one applies for? Or is it something that's seen as not necessary but generally still helpful? Thanks!

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No, McKinsey does not really read the cover letteres. Sometimes they may refer to your cover letter if you are really one of those "borderline cases", but as far as I know that rarely happens.

That being said, if you really have the time or if you already have a high-quality cover letter written for a different consulting firm, it does not hurt to create one for McKinsey.

Hope this helps.

Cover letters are not mandatory to apply to McKinsey but definitely they can help you to stand out among hundreds or other applicants. 

Hi there, as the others have mentioned in my experience it is not necessary. However, sometimes they might ask for it later. Having said that, there is no reason to prepare it initially.

Hi Anonymous,

when I applied to McKinsey it was not compulsory to attach one; however the consultant who referred me said that if I had one ready I could send it as well to strengthen the application. Thus if you have a good one ready (which you probably have since other companies require it) and just have to customize it for McKinsey it could help to include it as well.

Even if the particular office says ''not necessary'', personally I always include one. It can't hurt, the worst thing that can happen is that they don't read it at all ;)

generally no, I would rather go through referral!

The recruiting team does not read cover letters. If you have something ready, no harm in including it. But I would not spend time preparing a cover letter. That time would be better used in interview preparation.

For most applications, a CL is not needed. However, you might need it to clarify certain aspects. E.g. if you're applying to a country where you have not lived previously (not in your CV), you might need to clarify why you're applying to that office.

Usually no, only if you apply online.

I would recommend you add it only if you're for 100% sure that's good CL.

Do you need any further help?

All the best,

I would use the CL:

• If you are applying yourself via the website it's part of the application
• If you apply via referral - it's not required at first but once you are invited to the interviews, they'll ask you to submit one anyway

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