By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Up or out in consulting is the principle that you either get promoted to the next level within a set window, usually two to three years, or you leave the firm. It sounds brutal, and the phrase scares almost every new joiner at McKinsey, BCG,…
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Updated August 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant Bain & Company has six career levels: Associate Consultant, Consultant, Manager, Associate Partner, Partner, and Senior Partner. A first-year Associate Consultant in the US earns roughly $140,000 total compensation in 2026, climbing to $230,000 as a post-MBA Consultant, $360,000 as an Associate Partner, and…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 A case interview is a job interview, used by consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, in which you solve a realistic business problem out loud while the interviewer scores your structuring, problem-solving, analytics, math, business judgment, and communication. A single case runs about…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated July 2026 The Bain SOVA test is Bain & Company’s online aptitude assessment: a screen you clear after the resume review and before the case interviews, used mainly in its European and Middle Eastern offices. Miss the mark and your application stops there, no matter how…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated September 24, 2026. Ask anyone to name the top consulting firms and you get the same three back: McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. Yet most candidates cannot say what truly separates them, and that gap shows up in their applications and their interview answers. The Big 3 consulting…
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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.
