By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated October 2026 Yes, you can join McKinsey, BCG, or Bain as an experienced hire, and a large, growing share of every office is exactly that. You apply laterally, outside the campus cycle, and you enter at a level set by your experience: roughly the post-MBA Consultant…
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Updated September 2026 | By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The McKinsey Solve Red Rock Game is a 35-minute digital assessment that tests how you collect, filter, and analyze data under time pressure. It replaced the old Problem Solving Test and now sits as the first game in McKinsey’s Solve suite. Most candidates fail…
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The McKinsey Project Magnolia is reportedly planning to eliminate around 2,000 jobs, marking one of the firm’s biggest rounds of cuts ever. According to Bloomberg, the move is expected to focus on support staff in roles that don’t have direct contact with clients, as McKinsey looks to restructure how it organizes its support teams and…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated November 2026 The Pyramid Principle is a top-down communication method created by Barbara Minto at McKinsey: you lead with your main answer (the governing thought), support it with three or four grouped arguments, and back each argument with evidence. Instead of walking the listener through your…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated September 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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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.
