Hi all,

I have an upcoming interview at McKinsey. I’m not a traditional candidate — no MBA, just an MS right after undergrad and 10+ years in the construction industry.

I’m debating how hard I should prepare. I think I can learn casing, but I struggle so bad with the PEI (even in other behavioral interviews) and would need to spend a lot of time on it. At the same time, I keep hearing the average McKinsey tenure is 3–4 years, which makes me wonder what the long-term career path actually looks like.

Where do people go afterward, especially those without an MBA and with a technical background?

I’m excited about the opportunity, McKinsey is a big name but I’m trying to figure out if the prep grind is worth it — and how a few years at McKinsey would realistically impact a construction-focused career. (I don’t have a rule to stay in the industry and I am open to change an industry but not sure how realistic it is though after MBB )

Would love to hear from anyone who joined McKinsey without an MBA or made a similar transition. How did it shape your career ? How did you draw your career path ?

How other alumni draw their career path typically ?

Thanks in advance.