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I requested Michael to speak to me before my McKinsey interview.
So, one day before the interview he tried to find time but could not accommodate me. At about 9:00pm, my phone rings and least of all I am expecting to hear Michael’s voice on the other side;
I am surprised as hell, because Michael is available on Skype only.
In his characteristic tone he says, “[Redacted] how are you”? And then goes on to say some of the most simple but profoundly motivating words for me. He says,
“[Redacted], good luck for tomorrow. You have it in you and you can make it, you just need to believe in yourself. If you were one of the mediocre candidates then I would have said, have a good time at the interview, we will teach you the networking skills and attempt to get you another interview next year.
But, you have the intellectual rigor needed for a McKinsey interview. All you need to go in is with extreme levels of self-confidence. And please do me a favor – Don’t talk to and listen to your friends, because they don’t know anything about what McKinsey wants in a candidate.
And that’s why I don’t have many friends, because I don’t listen to them. Go in the interview and demonstrate your rich experience, your unique family background, and the way you speak, and you will do fine. If you run in the interview, then they will chase you. So, don’t run, just believe in yourself.”
Next day, I went in to the interview thinking about Michael’s words. Michael is truly gifted and has a super worth ethic; this is an explosive combination. I love him as a mentor.
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