By Dr. Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated November 2026 Consulting firm tiers work like this: Tier 1 is McKinsey, BCG, and Bain (MBB); Tier 2 is the strategy firms just below them, such as Oliver Wyman, L.E.K., Kearney, Roland Berger, and the Big 4 strategy arms (in some cases); and the full-service Big…
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Updated July 2026. By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Companies hire management consultants to rent expertise, senior problem-solving capacity, and an unbiased outside view they can’t build fast enough in-house. Not because their own people aren’t smart. Why companies hire management consultants is often misunderstood. In five years at McKinsey, I never once saw…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated July 2026 Kicking off a consulting project well comes down to one thing: turning a fuzzy scope and a room of strangers into a team with a plan, in under two weeks. That is the whole job of a consulting project kickoff. Your first project is…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 14, 2026. Consulting projects are staffed like an internal job market: a staffing coordinator or staffing team matches available consultants to incoming client projects based on skills, availability, and development needs, while the partner running the project lobbies for the people they want on their team.…
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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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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.
