Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 450,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

ACI position at Bain Middle East

Bain Bain & Company dubai MBB midde east Middle East Recruiting timeline Saudi Arabia Summer Internship
New answer on Nov 19, 2022
5 Answers
824 Views
Darpan asked on Nov 18, 2022

I have applied for the ACI position at Bain but didn't receive a status update yet. I am unsure if it's due to the timeline or some discrepancy in my qualifications. 

Here's my background:

Undergraduate: Duke University & Duke Kunshan University (Dual-degree program) 

Research: Assisted a South Korean professional (now at OECD) in two research projects. Currently working in Duke Sports Analytics. 

Internship: Worked since January on Ringle (a South Korean professional and ESL service). Interned at Oggro Ventures - a dairy-service company in Bangladesh and also at Global China Connections in DC.  

On-campus: I am an RA and have held different student leadership roles. Involved at Duke Investment Club as well. 

Major: Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics & Political Economy with several electives in Mathematics and Statistics 

Language: Multilingual including Chinese 

GPA: 3.6/4.0 

I like working in multicultural areas and working in the ME region would be something new and exciting for me. While challenging, I believe it's where I'll learn the most. 

Am I just late in the recruitment process or am I just not qualified enough? 

 

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 19, 2022
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Darpan,

Q: I have applied for the ACI position at Bain but didn't receive a status update yet. I am unsure if it's due to the timeline or some discrepancy in my qualifications. 

There could be multiple reasons for not hearing back, mainly:

  1. In case of rejection
    1. Lack of referral
    2. Weak CV/Cover compared to other applicants
    3. No need for hiring (full recruiting pipeline / lack of projects)
  2. In case of delay (they may call you later)
    1. No need for hiring (full recruiting pipeline / lack of projects)
    2. Company understaffed to manage applicants flow

If you have been referred, I would ask the person referring you if they have any information. If you have not been referred and applied several weeks ago, it is totally fine to call the office to ask for an update.

Good luck!

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Pedro
Expert
replied on Nov 19, 2022
30% off in April 2024 | Bain | EY-Parthenon | Roland Berger | Market Sizing | DARDEN MBA

Your profile is perfectly acceptable for this role, so that is not the issue. 

But nevermind that. Your mind is playing tricks on you: you didn't get a reply yet and are starting to worry that this is a rejection.

Well, it isn't. It's a “haven't processed your profile yet”. 

If you have been waiting for long, reach out to them. Otherwise, have a bit more patience.

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous replied on Nov 19, 2022

Hi 

frankly, there is no disscrepancy in your profile. On the contrary, from what you have specified It’s a good profile at least on paper. Consulting activity is at its peak in the region so it’s probably just a matter of timeline, recruiting teams in all big firms in the region are overwhelmed with the volume of applications they are receiving. In any case, to make sure I would network with somebody from the office (via good old LinkedIn) and try and understand what might be going on 

good luck

Was this answer helpful?
6
Rushabh
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 19, 2022
Limited Availability | BCG Expert | Middle East Expert | 100+ Mocks Delivered | IESE & NYU MBA | Ex-KPMG Dxb Consultant

Hello Darpan,

Just to add to what others have written, based on my experience recruiting for Bain: 

1- Bain Middle East is a very small practice: they have limited market share with top clients. From my network, I have rarely heard them competing with BCG or Strategy& or Kearney (the top3 in the region)

2- For the summer internship application, I networked with the Middle East office extensively, so did many of my colleagues - but they only rolled out 2 interview invites and 1 offer in my school. For full-time, they rolled out 0 offers I believe (compared to BCG/S& who rolled out 5+ offers each only for Middle East)

3- From what I have seen, my hunch is that they are recruiting specific backgrounds (e.g. tech) fresh out of B-schools

4- They are also doing more lateral hires - consultants that already have 1-2 years experience with top strategy consulting firms post-MBA

Hope this gives you some perspective. Feel free to DM if you need any support.

All the best!

Rushabh

Was this answer helpful?
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Nov 19, 2022
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi Darpan,

Firstly, excellent layout! Too few people focus on delivery - you've done a great job laying out things clearly for us.

In terms of your application, there are a number of things to consider:

1) Out of your control: 

  • Hiring is indeed down
  • Working rights

2) In your control

  • Optimal resume
  • Optimal cover letter
  • Networking (ideally a Partner going to bat for you)
  • Consulting-related experience
Was this answer helpful?
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely