By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 14, 2026. Management consulting pros and cons are a steep learning curve, top pay from day one, an elite network, and exit options that open almost any door while working 55 to 80-hour weeks with heavy travel, relentless deadline pressure, and little control over your own…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Entry-level consultants spend most of their week on four repeating tasks: collecting data, analyzing it, turning the answer into slides, and presenting it to clients. Almost everything else is a variation on that loop. You accepted the offer, and now you’re not quite sure what…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant If you are still in school (penultimate undergraduate year or first year of an MBA), apply for the consulting internship, not the full-time role. The math is unambiguous: MBB internship offer rates run 3-5% versus ~1% for full-time direct hires, and the return-offer conversion…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant A failed consulting interview at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain is not a verdict, it is information. Roughly 20% of current MBB consultants landed their offer on the second attempt, after addressing the specific gap that caused their initial rejection. The candidates who succeed on…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Your first year in consulting is judged less on raw intelligence than on four things: how visible you are, how much ownership you take, how error-free your work is, and how fast you learn. Get those right and you will do well at McKinsey, BCG,…
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Florian spent five years at McKinsey as a Senior Consultant and is a highly experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach. Having conducted interviews with hundreds of candidates, he understands exactly what top-tier firms look for in successful applicants.
He founded StrategyCase.com to make top consulting careers more accessible by providing tailored, up-to-date insights into the recruiting process. Recognized as the most successful case and fit interview coach, Florian has helped his clients secure 700+ offers at MBB, Tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms over the past four years.
He is the author of “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview,” “The 1%: Case Interview Workbook,” and “Consulting Career Secrets”, all available on Amazon.
