Ban period?

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• Most strategy consulting firms have a ban period of 1-1.5 years for reapplying after a rejection, depending on the candidate's progress in terms of experience, which is reflected in his/her CV. This typically applies to both applicants who were immediately rejected and those who did not make it through a step in the recruiting process.
• To confirm the specific ban period for a particular company, I would advise you to contact the recruiting team for clarification.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

In case of McKinsey, you're not banned if you got rejected without interviewing. However, you're expected to add significant experience to your resume. This cannot happen in a week, but it doesn't have to be 2 years either.

Bottom line - focus on developing yourself and there's a way forward!

The above is a very condensed version of reality. Happy to discuss further, if needed.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

You should be ok to apply in 1 year.

However, you need to have demonstrated real progress in your candidacy.

Make sure you're improving your resume with internships, experiential consulting programs, etc.

Make sure to network so as to have a referral and improve your chances.

Good luck in the next round!

The ‘ban’ technically applies to all rejections as it is not just an indication of your ability to interview but your overall readiness as a candidate. 

Typically if you do not make it to interview stage you should be able to apply in a year's time with a recommendation. The other alternative is to join an MBA program at a top 10 school, which allows you to bypass this ban altogether.

(edited)

Hi there,

The question is a bit too general to give a definitive answer. There are differences across firms and even within firms across offices.

1. Generally, bans for full-time applications are valid for 18-24 months, and for internships 12 months.
2. Bans are relevant both for candidates who fail screening or the interviews

Bans can be shortened through significant improvements in your resume + referrals.

All the best,

Florian

Hi there,

Q: If I apply to MBB's and tier 2's and I don't get invited for the interview. does the one year or two year apply? Or is it applicable to those who get invited for interview and don't pass? 

Normally you still have a ban if you are rejected before interviews. Some companies for example ask to wait 12-18 months after failing the screening test in their rejection email before applying again for the same position. This makes sense because there is no reason for them to interview again right away.

If you have doubts, you can contact HR to clarify that for the specific company you applied to.

Best,

Francesco

Hi,

the ban is 12-18 months in most cases. This applies to both, rejection based on CV screening or rejection due to performance in the interview process.

The firm basically concludes that you are not a fit for them at that point in time. In order to realistically have a chance of changing that, a candidate will need time to grow. Such growth is usually not possible within just a few months.

And yes, you could argue that you almost made it through the interview process if it hadn't been for this one tiny situation where you made a math error or had a weird interviewer or something like that which ended up costing you the offer. But it is what it is and the same rules typically apply for all (with the caveat of a subsequent MBA campus recruiting situation as addressed in a different post in the forum)

It's usually one year. Can't say for every firm, but usually if it was just your CV you are not banned for a year, but at the same time you are expected to significantly improve your CV, which is hard to do in just a few months…

Hello,

• One or two years depends on the firm (and sometimes office)
• At BCG, this applied to anyone who got rejected (whether invited for interview or not)
• One way to ‘reset’ this is if you make it to a target MBA during your ban period - normally recruiters will make an exception for this

Hope this helps!