By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Will AI replace junior consultants? No, not the role, but yes, much of the old entry-level task list. AI handles the research, data work, and slide drafting that once filled a junior’s first year and built their judgment. Firms still hire juniors, but they expect…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. The impact of AI on consulting is the shift from a people-heavy pyramid, where large cohorts of junior analysts do research, modeling, and slides, toward leaner, AI-augmented teams. AI now handles much of that entry-level production work, which raises the bar on judgment, client skills,…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The 12 items every new management consultant should buy before their start date are a well-fitted suit, dress shoes, a durable carry-on suitcase, a structured laptop bag or backpack, noise-cancelling headphones, a portable charger, an e-reader, a universal travel adapter, a sleep mask and…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 Yes, you can move from a PhD to consulting, and McKinsey, BCG, and Bain actively want you. They recruit advanced-degree candidates through dedicated Advanced Professional Degree (APD) pipelines, and PhDs usually enter at the post-MBA Associate level, not the analyst track. The pipeline is…
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Updated June 2026 | By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant Orphoz is McKinsey & Company‘s implementation and transformation arm: a wholly-owned “McKinsey company” whose consultants execute strategy and deliver measurable results on the ground, rather than only advising on it. If McKinsey designs the plan, Orphoz is often the team that makes it happen.…
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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.
