ACI position at Bain Middle East

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

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

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

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.

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