Question stated above, if so, I'm assuming more junior consultants would be more open to it however, I know they have less time. Any insight is much appreciated!
It very much depends on the company. At McKinsey, we were told that we shouldn't be casing with prospective hires unless we were officially partnered with them as a 'case buddy' during the application process. Of course, many people still did case practice with people in their network - that was just the official line.
Depending on your relationship with the consultants, they might be willing to lend a hand, but it will vary from person to person.
Do consider reaching out to a coach - you're likely to get better case practice and better feedback that way, since junior consultants don't tend to have interviewing experience.
Hi Aidan, in my mind there’s not much harm in asking junior consultants, but never as a first question, probably better as one of the last questions. If they aren’t allowed to or are not keen, they will just say so and you can then thank them and leave it at that. Would encourage you to word your question politely and caveat that you understand that they’re very busy with other priorities. Hope that helps.
Honestly, unless they offer it or they seem particularly keen, I wouldn't ask.
I remember jumping on a lot of calls with prospective candidates and doing so despite having a full calendar because I wanted to help. But at the same time, I wouldn't have had the capacity to run full cases.
That's when it makes more sense to actually try and get a coach who is a former consultant and who is now dedicated to this and has developed a methodology for training candidates for these interviews.
Best,
Cristian
Hi Aidan,
Definitely. I have done it and it was very useful. If they can’t for some reason, you can ask if they can match you with someone who is in the process or have gotten an offer recently.
Good luck,
Mari
It is... if in the meantime you are able to establish a meaningful connection. For example, if they mention they want to give you a referral, they may be willing to help you case as well.
There are better ways to approach this. You should ask about their experience in finding case partners... they may take the hint and offer to help.
You should definitely ask - if you want it.
It is for them to accept or decline the request to case you.
Doesn't harm you if you ask and they decline.
Hey there 🙂
Yes, it’s totally fine, especially if you've already had a good initial networking chat. You’re right that junior consultants might be more open, as they remember the process well and often want to give back. At the same time, they might be busier, so the key is how you ask: keep it low-pressure, offer flexibility, and show appreciation for their time. For example, you can say something like “If you ever have 30 minutes for a quick case or to give feedback, I’d really appreciate it, no worries at all if not.”
best, Alessa 🙂
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