Hello everybody,
I applied in various consulting firms last year in March/April randomly and did not polish my CV as I did not know about the consulting firms back then. Now after researching the companies and consulting industry in general, I would like to apply again but not sure if the cooling period is over or not.
What should I do?
Hi,
One year should be OK if you got a CV rejection. However, polishing your resume is not enough. You should demonstrate some career progress:
In any case, I also recommend getting a referral. There are certain criteria for the referral:
The conversion to reference will be higher among consultant / manager level people who are still interested in the referral bonus. The basic idea is to ask these people for a mock interview.
Here are some tips on how you can do that:
1) Leverage your own network - find friends or friends of friends who can practice cases with you or make you a reference.
2) Attend company events. Consulting companies do a lot of events both for graduates and experienced hires. Find the social network groups related to consulting or websites, subscribe to newsletters and stay tuned. Also, check if they have events in your University since you are a PHD.
While some of the events will be open to everyone, others will require a resume and a cover letter, so make sure to prep.
3) Talk to people on the events and send Thank You notes. After each event, there is a Q&A session where you can talk to consultants 1 on 1 or in a group. Ask for contact info or send a thank you note after the event ("I just wanted to thank you for visiting our University... It was especially interesting to hear about... Would be happy to keep in touch and apply in the nearest future.). Alternatively, you may use linkedin for that. If you are an experienced hire I strongly suggest to ask for a 1 on 1 meeting in a thank you note.
4) 1 on 1 meetings. All people like giving an advice. So don't hesitate to ask consultants for a career advice. Tell your story and ask how consulting fits into it
5) Mock interview Depending on where you are in your prep process you may ask a consultant for a mock interview. Consultants are very much opened to help even if it is a cold call e-mail. The main problem is a lack of time on their side. So don't be afraid to remind about yourself if the consultant has already committed but finds it hard to find the time
6) Talking to partners If you are an experienced hire I suggest to talk directly to the partners in your industry or the partner responsible for experienced hires (in consulting partners also have additional roles). Get an intro from the HR or from your friends working there. Partners care a lot about experienced hires with relevant industry expertise. Chances to get referral are much lower though. They also will not be interested in giving mock interviews.
7) If you are an MBA graduate Just talk to your section mates and ask for a reference or a mock interview - they will be happy to help. Make sure you attend all the consulting events.
Good luck!
Best
Hi there,
Your best bet would be to get a referral or connect with HR to understand how long is the ban period for their office.
I hope this helps!
Mehdi
Dear A,
Usually ban period lasts 12-18 months, but you can check your specific situation with HR.
For the next time I would strongly recommend you to apply with referral and significantly improved CV.
If you need any further help or advice, feel free to reach out.
Best,
André
Hi,
In your case I would suggest talking to recruiters and passing on your CV to them directly.
You can do so via LinkedIn connections or visiting recruitment events.
Good luck with your application!
Hi Anonymous,
The best way to proceed is grabbing your phone and calling your HR contact.to discuss your specific situation. Generally the lower end is 12 months waiting period, more likely is 18 to 24 months.
The underlying question is if you can convince recruiting that your profile is now already much better so that it's worth again considering you.
Bonus idea: you might want to think of networking your way into the respective firm(s) - that would definitely increase your chances.
Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind to give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!
Robert
Reach out to Recruiters and ask them directly. i would not tell them that you just applied randomly, but that you have had a great achievement or a new experience since then that would change your profile and you'd want to align with them on whether it makes sense to re-apply.
Whoops!
You live you learn I suppose.
Next time, make sure you:
1) Make your Resume top-notch
2) Write a killer Cover Letter
3) Network beforehand (ideally with a referral).
In terms of the cooling off period, it depends on the company. You need to write/call HR AND network with people inside the company!
Hi there,
The ban is usually 12-24 months. The best thing you can do is to find a referral, explain the situation and let him/her verify with HR – this should maximize the chances that they accept the new application.
You can find more on referrals here:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176
Best,
Francesco
Hi there,
The length of the freeze period does vary by office. You cannot actually reapply earlier than the ban is over. You can ask HR about the cooling period exactly in the office where you would like to reapply.
I would recommend you use this time for upgrading your profile significantly, getting relevant work experience, and building relationships within the targeted company. This way you'll make things work when reapplying next time.
Hiring an experienced coach to get guidance would be a great option to maximize your chances.
Do you need any further help?
All the best,
GB
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