"Make your own McKinsey: Exciting work that makes a difference. Colleagues and mentors at the top of their fields. Endless opportunities to take what you know, develop your skills, and grow with a group that takes on the world's toughest challenges. That's life at McKinsey. It could be for you."

Every employer should know how each staff member is best motivated, and McKinsey and Company understands motivation contributes significantly to job satisfaction, employee tenure, and productivity. A career-minded professional focused on accomplishing their goals and furthering their development will spend time understanding what motivates them and drives their productivity.

This question goes beyond being driven and self-motivated. The interviewers want to understand how external motivators have factored into your job search and what drew you to apply for their position. How you answer this question will inform them of how realistic your expectations are and whether they can meet them. Research their culture and working environment. Familiarize yourself with their culture, and see how it meets what you are looking for and how their model will help you overachieve and give your all.

"Our culture, your life: You work hard--and we want you to pursue what you love outside the office. Raise a family, travel for fun, write that novel or screenplay, or help your community: a career at McKinsey makes it possible and practical to pursue your working life and your life's work.

Work-life flexibility: We encourage a culture of flexibility and offer specific programs that support career success. Take Time gives consultants the option to take an extra 5 to 10 weeks off between projects. Pace enables consultants to stay in their current role longer, thus reducing the pressure to fulfill requirements for their next role. And our commitment to parents includes extensive leave benefits for mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents; coaching and support provided by a dedicated mothers' network manager; and a "phase back" option that helps consultants transition back to work after maternity leave.

Entrepreneurship: What does entrepreneurship look like inside McKinsey? It's finding new ways to solve business problems for our projects, our teams, and our clients. A great idea could change the way we work or spark a brand-new initiative. We have practice entrepreneurs, geographic entrepreneurs, and new-business leaders. Their great ideas influence McKinsey and our clients, and they spark new initiatives for our alumni.

Connections for life: The people you meet at McKinsey will be your coworkers, colleagues, mentors, peers-and because of the collaborative, supportive nature of the culture, people here make friends for life. From your first team to our 30,000-member alumni network, the connections you make and the experiences you share will last the rest of your career, wherever it takes you."