Final round interview

Question

i had a very strange experience in my first interview of the final round. The interview was rescheduled multiple times, ended up doing it at 7:30 pm.

the interviewer indeed looked overwhelmed and exhausted, he mentioned earlier that it’s been hectic at work.

He was always challenging of everything that i say in terms of personal questions.

in the case he was giving me the information really quick, the numbers specially. i was given 5 years data in a single shot, and really fast, not in a normal-conversation-pace.

i was provided the data at the very end of the case and was stressing me while doing the math, to do a lot of math within 5 minutes.

like: we are running out of time i want your recommendation, i don’t care how you get the numbers i need the answer. and sighing every once in a while.

i got all the numbers and the recommendation right. The framework was okay And covered all the points.
however i believe i missed to ask an important question at the beginning which was provided later in the interview. this was my only downfall i believe.

in my previous interviews the experience was completely different.
is this normal? Should i be worried? I was told after this interview they will decide whether to move to the last 2 interviews.

also one question - previously, i asked for the interviewers email addresses to send a thank you email, they didn’t provide me with it the recruiter said we will pass on the note.

would it be rude or unprofessional to send a text to the interviewer to thank them for taking the time to meet on a very busy day on their personal cell (since he called me directly from his cell phone), or should i just wait for the feedback from the recruiter?

Answer 1

Hi there! First of all, congratulations on making it to the final round - this is already a testament to your exceptional performance.

Unfortunately, it is not rare for partners to reschedule meetings even with fellow junior colleagues - I remember how disappointing it felt when I prepared for a meeting and looked forward to it only for it to get postponed. And postponed again. And again. Some of my 1-to-1 s with partners got postponed 4 times. So it's normal, I wouldn't worry about that.

Regarding the pace of the interview: everyone's personality is different, and different seniors have different approaches to testing a candidate's fit: some choose to do so by putting him/her in a stressful situation, to simulate a potential client scenario.

Lastly, if you want to send a message to the interviewer, I wouldn't sweat it too much and would go ahead and do so, since it was them that provided the phone number to you. I would keep a message to 1 line and not include any requests, but just thank them again for their time, Ultimately, this shows proactivity and courage in interacting with seniors, something that a consultant, and more so a project leader, require as a skill.

Answer 2

Hi there,

So, first of all you do need to get this concept of “normal” out of your head! Anything can happen in an interview so you need to make sure to be ready/prepared to adjust to whatever happens.

That said, clearly this interviewer was overworked, burned out, and extremely stressed and took it out on you. In the future, if a case feels “hurried” you need to just “roll with it”. Practice these time pressure situations (the problem with casing with peers is they give you way too much time).

I'm sorry to hear about your interview - that is not a pleasant experience and you had a very normal reaction (it's a hard situation to be put in).

I would not text the interviewer. I would wait for the results and cross your fingers. If they say no, try to call the recruiter and explain the situation. Very politely/neutrally try to get across the concept that your interviewer may have been “compromised” so to speak.

Answer 3

Hi there,

Sorry to hear the experience in the interview was not great. Unfortunately you may occasionally have stress interviews in consulting. It is always difficult to predict the outcome as you naturally feel the interviewer didn’t agree with you – that’s in the end how they structure a stress interview, challenging most of your answers.

I had one stress interview in my final round at BCG. I was pretty sure I bombed it as the interviewer challenged any single assumption I had. Instead, it turned out to be fine.

I would not send a message to his phone. Instead, as mentioned by Ian, in case you don’t progress you may call the recruiter, thank them for the opportunity, and explain that the last interviewer happened in a “particular setting”. It is unlikely to change things, but you would not have anything to lose at that stage.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 4

Hey there,

From my perspective you actually did very well! Don't be too bummed out about it!

Partners can run interviews any way they want. Is it fair to candidates preparing for weeks? Absolutely not, but they run the show and that's it. You're certainly not the first person to experience this.

In my final round with an MBB, I was given notice that I would have the interview 2 hrs in advance (which is crazy enough). I got myself ready, sprinted to the office, just to find a completely distracted Partner connected to Zoom (while driving a car) on the HR person's iphone. The following interview was awful and I thought I completely bombed it. However, I actually got through and got an offer.

Stay positive! Keeping our fingers crossed!

Answer 5

Dear candidate,

exellently done for having done the case well even in this situation, Few would have succeeded. Do not worry at all. Overall this was well done. Do not send a message to the phone. Accept that the recruiting team will pass on the note. Simply wait and see the result, but feel confident, since you managed to solve the case. Also this can happen - often they have deadlines from other projects that they need to adhere to, so do not worry while for you it may be a different experience, for them it might be normal. But of course I wish you that all your next meetings go better. In such an interview, always stay upbeat, positive and professional.

Best regards,

Charlotte Von

Answer 6

Hey,

I wont repeat what other coaches have already mentioned. But some additional tips:

Its possible that perhaps the interviewer is having a bad day, or they are not friendly at all or it’s just not your day. Regardless, don’t make things too personal or take things too seriously. This is not a matter of life & death and all you can really do is to remain focused and give your best. You can’t control outside situations or dictate the interviewer’s behavior. Neither is every interview going to be great nor is every interview going to be bad. But you can try & ensure that you continue to be present and try as much as you can. If you give up too easily or fall short of giving your best, regret & anxiety will follow.

Have a look at this detailed article I have written on the subject of interview nerves/anxiety/stress- https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/job-interview-stress

All the best!

Answer 7

It's important to provide a genuine response that aligns with your personal values and professional goals. Here's a s... (read entire answer)

It's important to provide a genuine response that aligns with your personal values and professional goals. Here's a structured approach :Reflect on Personal ValuesRelate to Prof... (read entire answer)