Referral,CV and Case Preparation

Hello,

Here are my thoughts:

1.  CV: You should definitely feel confident in your CV. If you do not feel confident, you will not be able to defend it even in the interviews. A referral does not guarantee an interview, it just guarantees a screening. Thus, if I were you, I would focus on optimising my CV.

2. When should you start preparing: Since the time gap between receiving an interview invite and the actual interview date can be between 1-3 weeks, I would strongly suggest to start preparing for the interviews beforehand. Especially if you have no idea how to run a case and/or have not prepared your fit answers.

3. Delay the referral?: Short answer - No. If someone that you don't know very well has taken the time to refer you internally, you should not take that for granted. Maybe for other companies you should wait until you clear up your schedule, but for this one, since you've already asked for the referral, you should not go back on it.

4. Coaching: I personally recommend that coaching can be used in one of two ways:

1) As a tool to maintain accountability and have constant check-ins (say once a week) as you practice with peers and do drills by yourself. 

OR 

2) Use coaching extensively to substitute for the lack of time available for peer mocks (But there is no replacement to doing drills by yourself)

In case 1, I would suggest to stick with 1 coach as they can see your progress over a period of time and he/she can quickly add value every call. 

In case 2, you should have 1 primary coach for tracking your progress, but feel free to take on more one-off sessions with other coaches to get a variety of practice in lieu of peer mocks.

Hope this was helpful!

Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or are interested in working with me :)

Rushabh

Hi there,

Good questions and the way they're phrased suggests that you haven't yet realized the mountain you'll have to climb. Let me elaborate:

1. I don't think my CV is optimal. Do I need to polish my cv? or the fact that I have referral will suffice? Your CV needs to be perfect in terms of content, form, and format. If something is off, the referral won't help. I strongly suggest professional help if you're unsure how to do this. Expect to spend a couple of days on CV alone and cover letter. Don't share your CV with anyone if it's not spot on, including your referee (he/she might be deterred).

2. Should I start case preparation in the anticipation of getting an interview? Yes, you want to be 80% ready to interview since you may be invited on short notice and must be ready when called upon.

3. Currently, I have other commitments I am working on for the next three months, so I won't be able to adequately prepare or put time into the preparation, so is it good idea to get in touch with the consultant and ask for delay of the referral or inform him about my situation? Yes, you shouldn't start the process when you know you won't be able to prepare for the next few months. Recruiting happens on a rolling basis and it makes no difference from the firms' perspective as to when you apply. If it's all the same to you, give it some time until you can adequately prepare.

4.How many hours will someone need to ace the interview? Is having around  5 session with a coach enough? I can even put more because I know the cost is negligible compared to the salary and the long-term reputation. Lastly how do I choose a coach or is it better to go with different coaches? If you're serious about getting into consulting, I would suggest the equivalent of at least 4-6 weeks of full time preparation (over whichever time period if you can't prepare full time), assuming you start from 0. You may have a number of coaching sessions to make your preparation more effective and efficient, but you should still expect to do a few dozen case interviews with peers on Preplounge or other collaborators. In addition to this, you should invest a few days in fit preparation, which is often neglected but hugely important.

The above advice is very generalized and a successful path looks different for every candidate. However, I hope this provides some good guidance.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• It's always a good idea to have a strong, well-written CV, even if you have a referral. Your CV is often the first thing that a potential employer will see, so it's important to make a good impression. However, a referral can certainly help your chances of getting an interview, so it's definitely worth pursuing.
• It's generally a good idea to start preparing for a case interview as soon as you can, even if you don't have a specific interview scheduled yet. Case interviews can be challenging, and the more prepared you are, the better you'll perform.
• If you have other commitments that are taking up a lot of your time, it might be a good idea to get in touch with the consultant and let them know about your situation. They may be able to delay the referral until you have more time to prepare, or they may have other suggestions for how you can manage your time effectively.
• The amount of time you'll need to prepare for a case interview will depend on your current level of familiarity with case interviews and your natural ability to solve problems. In general, having several sessions with a coach can be helpful, but it's not a guarantee of success. It's also important to practice on your own, using resources such as case interview practice books or online case interview simulations. Who you want to choose as a coach is totally up to you, obviously.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

1. I don't think my CV is optimal. Do I need to polish my cv? or the fact that I have referral will suffice?

Yes - your CV needs to be as good as it can be. No point risking the whole process for a bad CV.

2. Should I start case preparation in the anticipation of getting an interview?

Yes! The earlier you start, the more experience you will get.

3. Currently, I have other commitments I am working on for the next three months, so I won't be able to adequately prepare or put time into the preparation, so is it good idea to get in touch with the consultant and ask for delay of the referral or inform him about my situation?

I got a BCG offer while working full time and with non-work commitments. I managed to squeeze in 1.5hrs/day (early AM) for  2 week days + 6hrs on the weekend for two months. If you feel you can't prepare - absolutely do postpone / ask when the referral “expires”.

4.How many hours will someone need to ace the interview? Is having around  5 session with a coach enough? I can even put more because I know the cost is negligible compared to the salary and the long-term reputation. Lastly how do I choose a coach or is it better to go with different coaches? Thank you very much and so sorry for asking all those questions. Be blessed 

I would recommend 30+ cases at least. This will get you comfortable. I would advise to stick to one coach as they will be able to track your progress over time. 5 sessions, spread out with some solo practice in-between, should be enough!

I would try and have a few intro calls with coaches to see who you click with and who can best help you. I am happy to do a FREE intro call but would advise you to look around as well. Plenty of great coaches on this platform.

Hi there, 

Let me take your questions one by one.

1. I don't think my CV is optimal. Do I need to polish my cv? or the fact that I have referral will suffice?

If you think it's not optimal, then it very likely isn't. Yes, do try and polish it. The referral does not guarantee you pass the screening, it only increases your chances. See if that consultant you know is willing to help you improve the CV or otherwise consider booking a coach for it. I can help you with a few examples of CVs that passed MBB screenings so you understand what great looks like, should you decide to work together. 

Also, aim to apply to multiple firms, not only one. Apply in batches, starting with firms you least prefer. Use the application process as a way of improving your skills and learning about the process and the job. In short, have an applications strategy. A coach can help you put that together if you're struggling with it. 

2. Should I start case preparation in the anticipation of getting an interview?

Yes! Don't leave to the last moment, otherwise you will either try to squeeze everything in last minute or you'll have to postpone the interview (or try to convince yourself that you stand a chance when you clearly don't). 

3. Currently, I have other commitments I am working on for the next three months, so I won't be able to adequately prepare or put time into the preparation, so is it good idea to get in touch with the consultant and ask for delay of the referral or inform him about my situation?

Yes. Tell him when you'd want to send the referral. Then use the time in between to start practicing, even if it's just a little every other day. 

4.How many hours will someone need to ace the interview? Is having around  5 session with a coach enough? I can even put more because I know the cost is negligible compared to the salary and the long-term reputation. Lastly how do I choose a coach or is it better to go with different coaches? Thank you very much and so sorry for asking all those questions. Be blessed 

I would say the average successful candidate practices somewhere between 30 and 100 cases. The range is huge because everybody has a different background and different skills - as you might expect, somebody with a strong business or quantitative background will ramp up faster than somebody who studied music. 

In terms of number of sessions, if you use them right, for the average candidates, five is an ok number. If you want to optimize for cost, what matters is not the number of sessions, but the quality of the feedback (i.e., the coach) and especially your ability to implement the feedback (i.e., you). Getting a great coach who provides proper feedback, has a very clear idea about how to take you to the next level and has a track record of doing so is crucial. It's also important that you follow the advice that you're given - I've seen candidates ramp up in 4 sessions as much as others have done in 12.

Happy to connect over a quick call if you have more questions. And best of luck with all that's ahead! It's a treacherous but fun journey.

Cristian

1. You definitely need to polish your CV. Your CV is your business card, and HR and interviewers will form their first opinion on you from your CV (content and form)

2. Yes. 2 months usually are needed to be prepared (on average)

3. Yes. 

4. It depends on the coach. 5 sessions with a coach are enough, usually. But use senior coaches (i.e., people who have significant experience as managers or principals). Feel free to contact me, beyond me, I can refer to other two I strongly recommend. I recommend having two coaches. 

Best

Quick answers below

1. CV - Yes 100% you need a very polished and we written CV to impress anyone that is looking at your profile
2. Maybe - the reality is that for off cycle hiring you can typically interview 1-2 months after passing the HR screen so there is no need to rush especially given your schedule
3. You can do that - 3 months is a long time so if you do do that make sure you maintain contact with the person till you are ready to apply and prepare
4. Coaching sessions are not the best proxy for effort. 99% of the effort happens outside of coaching. A coach is there to teach and guide you on how to prepare and how to shape your answers but the practice and effort comes outside of the coaching calls. 5 calls for case coaching sounds reasonable if you have a good starting point

Best,

Udayan

Hi there,

Well done on securing the referral. In terms of your questions:

1) I don't think my CV is optimal. Do I need to polish my cv? or the fact that I have referral will suffice?

If you know there are improvements, please work on them. I would not recommend to risk a rejection for something you know you can fix.

2) Should I start case preparation in the anticipation of getting an interview?

Yes. Most candidates need at least 50-100 hours starting from scratch to be offer-ready. Better to start in advance. Even if this application doesn’t work out, you are most likely applying to other companies, so the time should not be wasted.

3) Currently, I have other commitments I am working on for the next three months, so I won't be able to adequately prepare or put time into the preparation, so is it good idea to get in touch with the consultant and ask for delay of the referral or inform him about my situation?

I would delay the interview rather than the referral if you have a chance to be referred now. There is always the risk the person won’t respond in a few weeks/months when you reach out, unless you know him well. Most companies are flexible in delaying the interview by a few weeks.

On the other hand, you might want to ask to the person referring you if it is fine to apply now or if it is better to wait a bit according to the hiring situation in that particular office.

4) How many hours will someone need to ace the interview? Is having around  5 session with a coach enough? I can even put more because I know the cost is negligible compared to the salary and the long-term reputation. 

Doing 5 sessions with a coach could be enough, however doing only sessions with a coach is not enough. You will need to put your own effort besides the coaching. Most candidates need at least 50-100 hours starting from scratch to be offer-ready.

With my candidates, I always share a prep plan on the exact areas to work on after the first session so that they can plan in advance and structure the timeline accordingly.

5) Lastly how do I choose a coach or is it better to go with different coaches?

It depends if you want to simply do mocks or a full program. For mocks only, you could try different coaches and see which one works best. For a program, most likely you will need to choose one coach. 

If you want to check mine, you can find it below:

▶ GYM Program

I can also share with you real questions for your target office (I have a db with 1.500+ questions asked in 60+ offices you won't find anywhere else - you can check on my profile if I cover your particular office).

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Good luck!

Francesco

1. Definitely polish. The person referring you is putting their reputation on the line internally. Give them the best you’ve got to work with 
2. You should allow yourself sufficient lead time (2-3 months) so you can actually digest and retain the material and methods you are practicing 
3. Yes. You should feel ready to interview by the time your referral is submitted because things could happen quickly from there on out
4. You can’t really pick a number - everyone is different. It really depends on how much you prepare outside of coaching sessions. For some people it’s enough to do a few mock cases with a coach to fine-tune and polish. Others need more comprehensive and more frequent support. Best to develop an initial game plan to start with and revisit/adjust along the way. You might want to talk to a few coaches whose profile you like to see where you feel the right chemistry. Hourly rates are of course a factor too. Where do you get the biggest bang for your buck?
    

1. I don't think my CV is optimal. Do I need to polish my cv? or the fact that I have referral will suffice?

If your CV is not a 10/10, yes you need to polish it. It should be the best possible resume you can create.

2. Should I start case preparation in the anticipation of getting an interview?

Yes. You generally need 2 months of prep.

3. Currently, I have other commitments I am working on for the next three months, so I won't be able to adequately prepare or put time into the preparation, so is it good idea to get in touch with the consultant and ask for delay of the referral or inform him about my situation?

This is situational and based on many more factors - cannot advise here unless you are my candidate and I know more.

4.How many hours will someone need to ace the interview? Is having around  5 session with a coach enough? I can even put more because I know the cost is negligible compared to the salary and the long-term reputation. Lastly how do I choose a coach or is it better to go with different coaches? Thank you very much and so sorry for asking all those questions. Be blessed 

It completely depends on the individual! Some naturally adept/capable individuals have gotten ready in 1 week with 3 sessions (starting from 0). Others have taken 3 months with 20 sessions. It depends on you.

You should generally pick 1 coach (max 2). Look at their profiles and ask them for an intro call! You truly should pick the coach that you think will best help you (It's not a one size-fits-all) :)

Here's some reading for your prep: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

Hey there,

Congrats on the first step!

1. Yes, you definitely should. Your resume is your main selling point during the screening stage (where already 75% of applicants are eliminated). You do not want to leave anything to chance here.
2. Yes, from screening to invite, it might only be two weeks so you should be almost ready for the interviews once you send your application documents. Of course, this might vary as some offices are flexible with the interview dates and allow you more time to prepare. I would clarify that with your contact.
3. See point two. Ask them what makes the most sense. In any case, I would start prepping now to get a head start even if it is just a few hours per week → Compound effect.
4. The role of a coach is just to show you the way and give you the right tools. You need to pick up those tools and learn to work with them on your own (through effective drills and peer case practice). I believe 5 sessions with a coach is more than enough IF you invest time in-between sessions on the things I discussed. Depending on your starting position and skills I would recommend 30 - 100 hours (the latter for complete beginners).

All the best,

Florian