MBB Selectivity based on Timing and Geography

Hi there, 

Let me take your questions one by one. 

1. Is there any advice on whether interviewing in Q4 2022 vs. Q1 2023 would make any difference? 

Theoretically not, but from my experience I would say that most firms approach their hiring targets towards the end of the year and become more selective. 

On the other hand, I've also have a couple of candidates, in the US specifically, who were told after passing the screening that they will be invited to the interview, and then soon were informed that the firm decided not to interview any longer since they restricted the number of roles (due to the economic situation). This is unlikely to be different in Q1 next year, but at least if I were you I'd rather interview then and use the time in between to really become a distinctive candidate.

2. Is there a different selectivity in different offices? 
Again, theoretically no :), since MBBs claim to apply the same standards regardless of the office. I would say that in practice you might be in a better position as a German applying in Germany and as a Swiss in Switzerland. 

Best of luck with the prep and the interviews!
Cristian

Hi there,

1. Is there any advice on whether interviewing in Q4 2022 vs. Q1 2023 would make any difference? 
On an individual level, this usually doesn't matter. In any case, even if you interview in Q4 2022, you most likely would start in 2023 anyways, hence, would count towards the 2023 headcount regardless of when you interview. 

2. Is there a different selectivity in different offices?

Acceptance rates usually are the same in DACH. A minor factor you should consider is that in Switzerland they often have a slight preference for Swiss German speakers in Zurich or people who have studied in Switzerland. So depending on your ties to Switzerland, this might be a minor disadvantage. That said I do know quite a few people with looser ties to Zurich who passed the MBB interviews.

In my mind this could be due to e.g. different demographics applying, headcount/application ration, etc.

Thanks!

Hi there,

Congrats on all those interview offers!

1. Is there any advice on whether interviewing in Q4 2022 vs. Q1 2023 would make any difference? 

So, technically (and “officially”) it shouldn't matter. You should really be optimizing for you. As in, when will you be at your best.

That said, I don't love very end of year due a variety of reasons. More specifically, I don't love this end of year as hiring is slowing and pipelines are in flux (interest rate/economic shocks).

2. Is there a different selectivity in different offices? 

Short answer, yes. The US for example has major pushes currently for diversity targets. The UK is seeing a major slump in hiring. Different offices face different situations and will naturally have different hiring outcomes. The “problem” is that there is information asymmetry and it will be hard to “predict” exactly the best office. The way to “fix” this is to apply where YOU fit best and where YOU want to be.

So I recommend looking at the deadline application dates for each of the companies for each of the offices. They all differ and you want to apply before the deadlines. If you're not sure what the deadline is then you may want to drop HR an email introducing yourself and asking what the deadline is. 

There are different levels of competition in different offices. This based on a mixture of how many graduates are in each city, the desirability of living in the city, how well the firm is perceived in that city and what other jobs there are.

Good luck!

Interviewing at the end of the year is always tricky. It may be that they are close to getting to the target of hires for the year. Or it can be that they are still far (more likely) and they are a little bit more in a rush to hire. 
That said, at the moment every firm is quite concerned about the upcoming recession, and some firms in some offices have a hiring freeze. 
To synthesize, I would go for the interview NOW.

Beyond that, if your performance is great, they will hire you even if they don't have a slot at the moment (they'll just postpone your start).

It is very difficult to say if there is a difference in selectivity among offices. 
From my experience, places like Milan, Zurich, NY, and London are a little more selective than Munich, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Amsterdam. But this is just anecdotal.

Good luck!