By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 15, 2026 “Walk me through your resume” sounds like a softball, so candidates read their resume top to bottom and bore the interviewer into a weak first impression. That is a wasted opening. To answer it well, give a 2 to 3 minute chronological story:…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 McKinsey’s values are organized in three commitments: adhere to the highest professional standards, improve clients’ performance significantly, and create an unrivaled environment for exceptional people, backed by 17 specific values. Its stated purpose is “to help create positive, enduring change in the world.” And…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 12, 2026 A second-round case interview is the final, partner-led round of consulting recruiting, and it is not harder than your first round. The case standards, the skills tested, and the evaluation criteria stay the same. What changes is who sits across from you, what…
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Updated May 2026 | By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant Roughly half of consultants at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain don’t have a business or finance background. Engineers, lawyers, doctors, military officers, and academics together make up the majority of MBB hires once you set MBA recruiting aside. Firms aren’t reluctantly accepting non-traditional candidates —…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 15, 2026 The strengths and weaknesses questions feel easy, so candidates answer them lazily, with a generic strength and a fake weakness like “I’m a perfectionist.” That answer quietly costs them. In a consulting interview, this is a self-awareness and authenticity screen: name one relevant…
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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.
