OW rejection and reapply

Question

Hello everyone,

Recently, I was rejected from OW for the Senior Consultant position in the private capital group after the last round.

I asked HR if I can apply for the generalist track and I got the below mentioned answer:

Hello XXX,

Given that you have just interviewed with us and have been unsuccessful, I am afraid we can’t consider your application for another role for the time being. We don’t have a specific timeframe but I would say to wait for a a few months until you reapply.

Apologies about that.

Thank you,
XXX

Questions:

1 - I had applied via a referral and got the interview. Do I still need to apply via referral?

2 - From the language of HR, it seems there was a close call between me and the other candidate which is why she asked me to apply in a couple of months. Do you think I will get the interview again or HR replies like this to everyone.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear about this!

I'm going to “ignore” your 2 questions because they are far too narrow in scope/thinking. Here is what you actually need to do (and what you're really asking):

Wait a few months, even possibly 6
Build up your resume in the meantime (aim for a promotion, take courses in Tableau, Alteryx, etc., jump on some pro bono consulting projects)
Network and aim to get another referral
Improve your resume
Get a coach and figure out what went wrong in your case/interview - work to fix your weaknesses before you even apply!
Reach out to HR so see if it's ok to apply now, then apply!

Good luck to you!

Answer 2

Dear candidate,

well done. In fact it is not a given that you are allowed to apply after a few months. So this is a positive sign, usually it is at least a six months waiting time. Were you applying in one of the high growth offices, like Middle East? In any case it seems to indicate that they see potential in you. Use the time to grow and consider also other firms. If you like OW, use the time to network a bit more as well and reapply after a few months, once you feel that you have reached another level in your interview prep. I am not suggesting that you absolutely need to grow your skills - you have done really well and it is probably bad luck. BUT it really raises your chances if they see that you have reached an even higher level, it speaks for you being very committed and very eager to learn and give your best. hence it is a good idea.

best regards

Answer 3

You could also consider applying to a different office. Sometimes the offices do not share information with one another as it relates to who was interviewed.

The fact that you can re-interview in a few months is a great sign and once you are in the door, you are in so do not see why you would need to rely on a referral once again.

Daniel.

Answer 4

Hi there,

This is standard practice. Most consulting firms have a freeze period of 18-24 months, 12 months at the very least. The idea is for you to show some real progress, which is hard to do in just a couple of months.

That being said, there are ways to circumvent the ban, which is a strong referral i.e. Partner or application to another office. The latter is not because offices don't share information, but rather that the same candidate may rank much higher in locations where talent is not as abundant e.g. developing countries. In that case, the office where you apply next will ask for a waiver of the freeze and it's typically granted.

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!