Asking for more time to prepare for the first round of interviews

Hi there,

Regardless, you don't have a choice! Please ask to delay! Make sure to do it in the right way.

If you're not recruiting in a specific recruiting channel, will likely get a few weeks at most (though it's possible you'll get months, please don't count on it).

However, it sounds like you're doing university recruiting, correct? In which case they will not let you postpone because you are interviewing with a cohort.

This is why I always advise people to be 80% ready before they apply!

Now, if you're timeline is short, the #1 thing you can do to get ramped up quickly is hire a coach. They are a time lever and will stop you from making all the mistakes so many candidates make.

Here's some additional reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

Hi there,

1) Would it be ok to ask for more time (a couple of months)?

You can ask for more time, although a couple of months seems quite a bit of time. A few weeks is more typical and usually fine. In any case, I would recommend to call instead of sending an email so that you can discuss live with the recruiter.

2) Would I have to do the test again? (in my country BCG only recruits candidates once per semester)

If you are just postponing by a few weeks they should not ask to do the test again.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hello A,

• It's understandable that you may feel unprepared for the first round of interviews, but it's generally not recommended to ask for several months of delay as it could indicate that you are not serious about the opportunity. Instead, you could ask for a reasonable extension of a few weeks to adequately prepare for the interviews.
• Regarding the test, typically you do not need to retake the entry test once you have passed it, so you should be able to proceed with the first round of interviews without taking the test again. However, this may vary depending on the specific policies of BCG in your country, so it's best to confirm with them directly.

Best of luck!

Victoria

Hi,

you should postpone in this case if you think you would not be successful otherwise. 

However, I would generally recommend to be prepared for case interviews already when you submit your application. While sometimes it might take forever to hear back, there are other times when the interview is actually scheduled very shortly after you get the feedback. You want to be ready for that.

Good luck

Hello,

I wouldn't delay it by “a couple of months”. I think the max that you should ask for reasonably is 1-2 weeks with a justifiable reason. 

Especially if you're recruiting through university, they will have strict timelines for rolling out offers for that university. Additionally, you must already be in a competitive pool of talented candidates.

Best,

Rushabh

Yes it is always good to ask for time if you feel like you need it. The worst case scenario is that they will say no or move your timelines to a later one, but that’s not usually likely. 
 

You will not be asked to take the test again. 

Yes, you can ask for more time. They're fine with it and would rather have you asking for more time than wasting their (and your) time in an interview for which you are not ready. So yes, go ahead, and ask for a bit more time.