Applications to Middle East offices

Hi there, 

Great to hear that you're ramping up quickly for the interviews. 

The only office that I know which has a freeze in ME is Bain for generalist consultants specifically in the Dubai office. This can change rather quickly however, so I wouldn't devise my application strategy around this. 

I wrote a guide on how to maximize your chances in the application process specifically during an economic downturn. You can access it here:

• How to get a job in consulting during an economic downturn

Best of luck!
Cristian

Hi there,

Q: Do you have information or recommendation about the freezing processes?

The best thing to do would be to find a referral and check internally, as the situation is quite fluid and company-dependent. From my candidates, I know that some MBB and Tier 2 are still hiring in the Middle East but this might change in the future.

You can find a few tips on referrals below:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

▶ The Exact Steps to Get a Referral

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, while the current tight economic situation has led to a recruiting slowdown and sometimes a freeze in strategy consulting, the Middle East is doing incredibly well, and many strategy consulting companies in the region are expanding dramatically.
• Still, in order to be sure whether this also applies to your target companies, offices, and roles you applied for, I would highly advise you to directly reach out to the recruiting team or consulting staff to know for certain.
• Lastly, in order to maximize your chances to get invited to the interviews, I would advise you to consider reaching out to an experienced coach to review your application files, and to secure a strong referral.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

In general, Middle East still seems to be quite active (more than other regions). That said, it's going to be different by company and role.

The #1 thing you need to do is network. From that, you'll find out for your specific role + office if ADL is hiring if OW is hiring, etc.

Again, they will all be different :)

From my side, I can confirm I have candidates actively interviewing with Middle East Kearney and some of the MBBs

Hello! 

That's great to hear that you've been practicing cases regularly.

As for your question about the freezing process, there are currently no freezes in the Middle East region for consulting firms (at least the big ones), but most offices have definitely slowed down their hiring process. 

I would suggest that you secure a strong referral and go on with your applications.

Best of luck!

Hello,

I've also seen candidates interviewing for ME offices right now, but as Ian pointed out, the situation will be specific to the office and role you are applying for. I definitely echo his advice to try to network to find out specific information. Reach out to recruiters and employees of the offices you are interested in applying to.