Applying to BCG London for their summer internship this year. I applied last year for the summer internship. I have noticed people have already gotten to the final round so I fear positions are filling up which will make competition for the remaining positions harder.
Should I apply now or wait a few days for the 12 month ban to pass? I’m not even sure if BCG has a 12 month ban or a 24 month ban.
(editiert)
Hi there,
Q: Should I apply now or wait a few days for the 12 month ban to pass? I’m not even sure if BCG has a 12 month ban or a 24 month ban.
If you have someone who can refer you, I would contact them and ask if they can check with HR for you.
In case you are unable to find a referral, I would check with HR directly.
Good luck!
Francesco
You need to network to figure out what makes most sense for you, your role, your recruiting channel, your profile etc.
Where are you applying from? Is there an application deadline with your uni? Or are you doing off cycle recruiting?
Does networking matter in the U.K.? I have spoken to a few people who work at BCG and am in regular contact with one of them but I find it awkward to ask for a referral. I’d have imagined he’d want to refer me? I’m applying from university. I don’t think it’s like the US. Everyone has one deadline no matter the uni and it’s January 7th - January 27th so all applications within that period have to be posted through. They always open up their internship applications at around this time.
Yes, networking matters EVERYWHERE. Definitely apply before the deadline, irrespective of any “ban”. If it’s rolling apps, apply asap. If it’s “batched” then apply when ready
Thank you Ian! It doesn’t actually say whether BCG is rolling basis or not but I assume if people are receiving final round interviews already then it most likely is. I’ll apply first thing tomorrow morning. However, based on what people have said online, BCG is rolling basis only for experienced hires. I’m just not sure how true that is as someone has already posted they got a BCG final round interview on preplounge today… I’m also not sure how I’ll go about the referral but I’ll shoot the person a message and see what they say. Hopefully can come out of this experience with good news.
Hi there,
The only reliable answer you can trust will be the one from inside the company. Either contact
Those two can get the ball rolling and understand your current situation more than anyone with an outside-in perspective.
After all, that is what HR is for, not just to facilitate interviews but also to provide guidance for applicants during the process.
All the best for your journey!
Cheers,
Florian
HR unfortunately won’t respond to my emails (I’ve waited 2-3 months for them and have also re emailed but nothing. I’ve asked my internal referral contact (although not exactly a referral contact just someone at BCG that I’m pretty close with in a professional level) and sadly he does not know anything about the recruiting process. I don’t want to ask him to ask HR for me. Thank you Florian! I think I’ll just apply and hope for the best.
Thanks for the updated info. Not a good look on the HR. In that case, I would try to reach out via phone if you have a number. All the best, Florian
Hi there,
The 12-month ban is not a fixed period. And I have yet to come across candidates who received a 24-month ban.
Basically, they ask you not to apply within the next year or so because they assume you need around a year to develop the additional skills to make it worth interviewing you.
So if you want to make sure that you are not screened out for this reason (i.e., applying before it's ok to apply), check in directly with the recruiter. This way you'll know for sure.
Best,
Cristian
HR unfortunately won’t respond to my emails (I’ve waited 2-3 months for them and have also re emailed but nothing. I’ve asked my internal referral contact (although not exactly a referral contact just someone at BCG that I’m pretty close with in a professional level) and sadly he does not know anything about the recruiting process. I don’t want to ask him to ask HR for me as I know he’s busy. I think I’ll just apply and hope for the best haha. Thank you Cristian!
Oh, I see. That must be quite frustrating. Yes, then do just apply directly. And send out other applications in the meantime to diversify your risk. Best of luck!
Hi there,
First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejection from BCG in the past!
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
HR unfortunately won’t respond to my emails (I’ve waited 2-3 months for them and have also re emailed but nothing. I’ve asked my internal referral contact (although not exactly a referral contact just someone at BCG that I’m pretty close with in a professional level) and sadly he does not know anything about the recruiting process. I don’t want to ask him to ask HR for me as I know he’s very busy - I’ve sort of asked and he said to email HR. Thank you Florian! I think I’ll just apply and hope for the best.
Hi there, I see. In this case I would try calling HR. Good luck!