Are interviews in the Middle East still going ahead?

Question

I was wondering if consulting firms are still interviewing candidates in the Middle East? If not, is it likely they will resume interviews soon?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

For sure! Though the majority of MBB interviews are planned for September. Please note that OW and some other Tier2 companies may have postponed their hiring effort.

Best,

Anton

Answer 2

Most companies are currently in a wait and watch mode. So no hard decisions on stopping the interviews altogether, but there is a clear and strong decline in interview calls being rolled out and capacity expansion being put on freeze. This is also a direct result of a decline in consultants leaving for other roles.

How long will this continue - to be honest, this is a million-dollar question and no one knows for sure. Expect recruitment to be slow till the end of Ramadan. Post that, as the virus situation develops, we should see an uptick in hiring activity

Answer 3

Hi there,

MBBs are processing their current candidates' pipeline, slower than the usual pace (not sure if they are accepting new candidates now though) - Also the majority of the final rounds are on hold because they want to have them face to face.

N.B. this info applies mainly for the Dubai offices - I would think if you are applying to Riyadh or Qatar or Kuwait, the process would be faster since they are in more need for consultants over there.

Best of luck in the process.

Khaled

Answer 4

Hi there,

It's really complicated to be honest: There's a lot of companies, a lot of offices, with a lot of different timelines.

I recommend you reach out to the recruiters of the offices + companies in which you are interested! This can also be a way to be put in touch with a potential referee!

By the way, if anyone is interested in trying out cases that deal with other impacts of COVID-19, check out these two cases:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/brain-teaser/beginner/coronavirus-times-194

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/chinese-chess-191

Answer 5

Hello!

Indeed Middle East is one of the regions most impacted (in recruiting terms) geographies in consulting. For instance, Strategy& or MBBs are in the "wait and see" strategy.

The issue here is that none really knows when we will have more visibility or when recruiting will be active again. Sorry I don´t have better news...

Hope it helps!

Best,

Clara

Answer 6

Dear A,

Yes. Some companies still continue to recruit. For example, most recently I have helped couple of mentees to get the offers from BCG, Strategy& and now I'm also helping a candidate for AlixPartners. In general, since COVID -19 is almost over, I expect the recruiting to pick up in the Middle East after Ramadan and EID week is over.

If you need any help to secure your interviews, drop me a line.

Best,

André