Tips for re-applying?

Question

Hi,

I got interviews with MBB but didn't make it past the first round.Other than waiting 1-2 years, what else would people recommend so I get another chance?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I didn't have the experience of applying for a second time but as a Partner that led recruiting for McKinsey's Boston office and can tell you what I saw and looked for. I didn't hesitate to look for candidates that reapplied. I did have a record of their first application and all of the notes of why they were a turndown in the first place. This included:

Strength of resume
Interaction with recruiters and consultants
Notes of their 1st / 2nd round interview performance (if they had one)
Office preferences

For their “rebound”, I looked at the following:

Growth: What has the candidate done in the previous years to improve upon their skills that would be helpful as a consultant?
Company / Position: What was the company / firm they worked for? Was it a Fortune Global 500 company? Was it a highly entrepreneurial company? Did the candidate have a highly visible position?
Drive/Achieving: Has the candidate shown significant drive / achieving attributes that warrant an interview?
Interest: Has the candidate networked and stayed in touch with the consulting ecosystem?
Goals: Why does the candidate want to leave her/his position to join consulting? And, is she/he willing to start over at the junior level as an Associate?