Updated June 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant If you have a McKinsey final round coming up, you have probably seen the headlines. McKinsey is adding an AI interview, and half the internet is telling you to drop everything and learn prompt engineering. That advice is mostly wrong, and following it can…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated July 2026 Case interview success is not decided by how many hours you log or how many cases you grind. It is decided by how you prepare and how you think. Every recruiting season, two candidates put in identical hours, read the same books, and run…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Most candidates fail case interviews for one reason: they prepared for the wrong test. Not because they are not smart enough, and not because they did not work hard enough. After five years at McKinsey, where I evaluated candidates, and 2,200+ coaching sessions since, I…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated July 2026 The case interview mindset that actually earns offers is calm, structured composure under pressure. Not raw brainpower, and not bluffing. You have drilled dozens of cases, memorized the math shortcuts, and can recite every framework in your sleep. Then the interview starts and your…
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Updated September 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant One mistake in a case interview will not cost you the offer at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain. Interviewers expect slips under pressure. What they actually score is how calmly and quickly you recover, because resilience and coachability matter more than a flawless answer. Perfectionism…
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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.
