Finished Solve, now what?

Hi Mohammad,

I will take your questions one by one.

1) There is no fixed interval after the Solve, and a few days to a couple of weeks is normal. Silence inside that window tells you nothing about how you did.

2) On the video interviews with other firms I am not the best person to help, I do not have visibility on how they handle those timelines.

3) Past 10 days a short, polite note to the recruiting team asking about the status of your application is appropriate.

If you want a pair of external eyes on your specific situation and more tailor made suggestions, feel free to write to me.

Best,

Franco

Hi Mohammad,

Once you’ve completed Solve, I would not over-interpret the waiting time. Recruiting timelines can vary quite a lot depending on the office, role and recruiting batch, and the same applies to HireVue-based processes.

A few things I would keep in mind:

• If they gave you a timeline, follow that first. If they did not, around 7–10 business days after completing the assessment is a reasonable point to follow up. For a standard application with no assessment or update, I would usually wait closer to two weeks.
• Keep the follow-up short and professional, preferably through the recruiter or recruiting contact already associated with your application. One follow-up is enough; there is no need to chase several people internally.
• Do not treat the waiting period as dead time. Keep preparing cases and fit as if the interview could come relatively soon. Consulting processes can stay quiet for a while and then move very quickly.
• You can also continue networking with people in your target offices, not to ask about the status of your application, but to understand the interview format, office dynamics and any firm-specific elements you may want to fine-tune later.
• Most importantly, do not read the response time as a signal of your performance. A slower answer does not mean you failed, and a faster one does not necessarily mean you performed particularly well. In many cases it simply reflects internal recruiting timing.

So after Solve, I would basically keep moving as if the process were still active: prepare, network and follow up once the appropriate amount of time has passed.

Best,
Carlos

Hi there,

The 2 weeks you waited for the Solve invitation tells you more about this process than any standard turnaround would, because a cycle moving at that pace is rolling rather than fixed to a campus calendar, and rolling processes go quiet for a while and then move quickly. I would plan around the second half of that pattern rather than the first.

On the video screens, I would not assume the two run on the same clock. From what candidates tell me, one way video screens are often reviewed in batches rather than one at a time, and this varies by firm and by office, so the waiting logic from Solve does not transfer cleanly.

A few things I would do with the silence:

• Reply inside the existing email thread from the recruiter who sent you the Solve link, not in a fresh email and not on LinkedIn. The thread is already attached to your file, and a message that arrives outside it is easy to lose.
• Write the follow-up so that it carries information rather than requests it. Confirming your availability over the coming weeks gives the recruiter something to act on. Asking for an update does not.
• Send one follow-up, then send a second only when something on your side has genuinely changed, such as a competing deadline that is real. Repeated pings compress into a single impression and it is not the one you want.
• Start first round case preparation now rather than when the invitation lands.

Candidates in this position often manage the recruiter carefully through the silence and then arrive at the first round having done no case work for a month. The invitation is the part you cannot control, and the preparation is the part you can.

Honestly, it could be days or weeks. Don't read too much into the silence.

Same for HireVue and other online assessments. There isn't one universal timeline across firms, offices, roles, and recruiting channels.

On following up, be careful with back-to-back emails! If it's been around two weeks since the last meaningful touchpoint, one polite check-in is fine. I'd reply on the existing recruiter thread rather than starting a new one.

Most importantly, don't put your thinking/effort into just 1 firm (ever!). Keep applying and keep prepping while you wait.

That's how you stop one recruiting process from taking over your life.

Given that you're applying heavily across firms, I'd also use my Application Tracker to keep applications, recruiter contacts, follow-ups and interview preparation organized.

Hi Mohammad,

Congrats on completing solve. Have you checked general guidelines on the timing? Usually they try to communicate them in advance or in a confirmation mail or on the website for the specific application cycle. The structure changes from Office to Office but within they are usually very structured and have the timings clear.

Best,

Vanessa

Hey Mohammad:)

There isn’t really one standard timeline for Solve or HireVue, especially across Middle East offices. I’d give it around 1 to 2 weeks before following up, unless the recruiter gave you a specific timeline. Some offices move much faster than others.

For recruiter follow ups, email is usually the safest option. Keep it short, mention when you applied or completed the assessment, and simply ask whether there is any update on next steps.

Best, Alessa :)

Hi Mohammad! 

Congrats on completing Solve! Typically you hear back within a month, though most candidates hear back earlier than that. If a month has passed and you haven't received an update, it would make sense to follow-up with the recruiter.

Hope you get good news soon!
Cristian