MBB final rounds, no offer.

Hi there,

I completely agree with Udayan - you can't beat yourself up over this.

Remember, you're in the (vast) majority here. That's especially true this year where there's just less demand/hiring happening.

Also remember that the greatest accomplishments come from temporary defeat. I was rejected from BCG in undergrad, only to whiz through 6 years later. I know people who failed 9 interviews, only to get their 10th.

You have other offers! That already puts you in a MUCH better situation than most.

What to do next:

1. Feel bad for yourself for a minute, then get over it, put your head up, and go ace this final interview
2. Hire a coach to do a final assessment of your performance, just to make sure you're good to go
3. Do a worst case scenario "playout" in your head. When you do this, you'll realize it's not all doom and gloom.

Good luck!

Hi there, 

Really sorry to hear that, and unfortunately, the HRs rarely provide you with detailed feedback. 

The faster you accept it, the easier it will be for you to move on. Remember that even those who work in consulting now were rejected at some point in their lives, and it also took them some courage to move on.  

The rejection rate for everything in the world is 98%. You're not the only one, and that's okay - we don't have control over everything. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fun. 

Chin up and rock it on your next interview!

GB

Hi, I'm sorry for the experience but congrats on the offers! Unfortunately, very often the negative feedback are quick and vague, in order to not enter in the details of the valuation grids and avoid discussions

Best
Antonello

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that.

I would consider the following:

1. Ask if you can have detailed feedback if possible
2. Practice with the best part you can have for your next MBB interview (a coach, current consultant or at least a very good peer)
3. If you fail again, it is not the end of the world. You can apply again in 2 years
4. If you fail again after 2 years, it won’t still be the end of the world. Identify the next best possible path to your long-term goal. Most people stay in consulting 2-3 years then move to something else. It could well be there are other ways to reach what you want - maybe even faster. Consulting may accelerate your progress but it is unlikely to be the only option. Most of the smartest and wealthiest people in the world never worked at MBB

Best,

Francesco

Hello!

Sorry to hear about that, I know the feeling. 

However, this is a race full of obstacles, and also full of learning!

Instead of thinking that it was all for nothing, try to monetize all the learning and experience you gained in the prior interviews for the final MBB one. You have done in the right order, so don´t break here! 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Many candidates I have coached have been rejected by some MBB firms only to be accepted by others. Things happen in the final round that are outside your control sometimes. However do also make sure you do a very honest self diagnosis on the final rounds and truly see what caused them to reject you vs hire someone else. Use that knowledge for the last interview you have.

Don't take rejection personally - it is only a reflection of your performance on that day not of your skills and capabilites as a whole

All the best,

Udayan

I d make sure to get some very hands-on, no-nonsense feedback from someone whose opinion you respect. Getting dinged 2 times in the 2R could be either due to tally random factors (this is just how partners are and conduct their interviews sometimes), something structural from their side (i.e. that specific office does not really recruit but just keeps conducting interviews not to lose face among prospective candidates) or something structural from your side (partners are good at uncovering issues and red flags, putting their fingers into wounds). Focus on getting some feedback now that helps you to prepare for the last MBB interview as well as potential interview prep in the future. 

Best,
Denis 

Hey there,

Here is my todo list:

1. Did you get any specific feedback on your weaknesses? If not, where did you feel weakest? 
2. Get a professional case coach (who worked at the last firm you will be interviewing with) to evaluate your performance and teach you (builds skill + confidence)
3. Practice 1. with specific exercises and 2. in a few case coaching sessions
4. If all fails, take the best offer you have, work hard for 2 years, and then re-apply at MBB.

Cheers,
Florian

 

Hey, 

Sorry to hear this! Sounds like you were very close. But I hope you understand rejection is part of the process and pretty much everyone faces what you are experiencing. There can be many reasons behind the scenes for getting rejected, which are not in your control and you will have no visibility to. Most consulting companies are really bad in providing detailed, constructive feedback. So I am empathise with you.

Just accept this and move on. Every rejection gets you closer to where you really need to be :). So things happen for good reason.

You might have a strong feeling already about your weak spots. So keep practicising & dont loose momentum. Hire a good coach of your choice for 2-3 sessions and see how that helps.

Good luck.

Hi there,

Let me just add a couple of points to the great answers out there.

1) There are many ways into MBB.  This is not your only chance.  They are hiring more and more experienced hires.  So if it doesn't work out now, it can definitely work out in the future.  Don't sweat it. 

2) Often, if you can get a recruiter on the phone, they will tell you more than what they'll write in an email, so try to do that.  They want you to have a good experience and an important part of that is you feel that they made a good decision b/c if they didn't give you an offer, they provided a solid reason.  As long as you ask professionally, they should react positively.  

Hope this helps,

Allen