How to communicate with recruiters to ask about the right time and position to apply?

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, given that you have an MBA, there is no need to discuss the role, as the right one for you would be an Associate/Consultant/Consultant (at McKinsey/BCG/Bain). I have never heard of candidates' chances increasing by voluntarily entering a lower role, besides that there are strict guidelines with all major consulting firms.
• Moreover, since you are applying in the Middle East, hiring takes place all year round, so again, there is no need to discuss this.
• Lastly, however, especially given your potentially weaker candidacy, I would strongly advise you to secure a strong referral from an Engagement Manager/Project Leader/Manager (at McKinsey/BCG/Bain). I would also strongly advise you to work with an experienced coach like me to perfect your application files and maximize your chances of passing the screening phase.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best

Hagen

Hello there!

1. You can check the website for the desired positions as you’re an experienced hire, meaning recruiting happens as spots open. Feel free to reach out to HR to know if there are official coffee chats / informational sessions scheduled that you can participate to get to know more about the company.

2. You can cold message consultants via LinkedIn and ask them to have a conversation about their experience in this industry. It helps if these people have something in common with you: same university/background/etc. feel free to ask for a referral at the end of the session - but prepare for it so it sounds like a natural thing to do.

3. If you have work experience and is a PhD, it is unlikely that you’ll be considered for a lower position, regardless of your school. The key thing here is to have a great CV that showcase the good things you have achieved.

If you need help to prepare a strong consulting-like CV, let me know. Most candidates get it wrong and is the most important thing at this stage. I can share some success stories that may help you understand the importance of this step.

Best,

Mari

Hi,

HR does not impact your application and can help you to give a first indication of the starting position and application window. During the interviews, they will further refine the starting position. Starting at a bit lower level can help you to get up to speed and get used to the specific way of working at consulting; and will help you on the longer term. 

Feel free to reach out for further questions.

Mattijs

Hi there!

It's great that you want to have these conversations, to begin with. Lots of people just send the applications directly. 

In short, have a 10-minute call with the recruiter. Clarify with them what role you should apply for, whether they are actively recruiting and what is the deadline for that role. 

That's about it. 

Then they know you, and you know that you can apply being certain that the application will be actively reviewed.

You might find this guide useful in terms of how to build a comprehensive application strategy:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy
  Best,
  Cristian

Hi,

Since you have an interesting background, it really makes sense for you to make sure you enter in the right role.

All of your suggestions are good:

• Yes - Email the official recruiter of the office: Ask them if there are recruiting sessions you can join, Ask them what positions and teams are there; it doesnt matter if you are asking "dumb questions" that make you seem as if you dont know much about the office - this is the point of a recruiting team
• Yes - Reach out to the consultants at the firsts to get first hand experiences. 

Then do your own research:

• REach out to your schools career team: ask them to put you in touch with alums who have joined consulting firms that you're interested in. Ask them if consulting firms are hosting recruiting information sessions. they normally do (I found out about mck during a mba school recruiting info session)

Finally:

Do not discredit yourself to get into an MBB. You have multiple degrees, you have work experience, you are clearly intelligent. Any exprienced hires usually enter McK as an Associate. Aim for this role.   

Good luck and happy to chat

1. Yes, reach out to a recruiter, but just one. Pick the office you believe you will prefer and have a conversation with them. Validate whether or not it is the best office to apply to. If not, ask them to connect with the next office recruiting team.

2. This will not impact your application

3. Don't do this, because you will be devaluing yourself, without any advantage. They will consider you to the Post-MBA role (Consultant), so applying to a lower rank will not be of any help.

Hey - as other coaches have said:

Speak to a recruiter and try and get a referral from a consultant

Best of luck!