Delayed starting date again… Asking for suggestions

hey!

first of all congrats on the offer! Great achievement! 

I would suggest reaching out to HR again asking them why they moved your start! That's the easiest way to do it. Also, ask them if they can ensure your start at the consultancy in January (I am sure they can). Then you can have a clear mind! 

I know the situation from recruiting colleagues:  when applicants were open to having a later start, they were contacted asking if it is possible to move their start since it is interfering with other candidates who are not able to start later. This is not a case of preference rather than administrative. 

During summer I would suggest doing some freelance consulting projects (e.g., your former university consultancy) or just enjoying your summer and working on some personal projects! 

Best, 

Alessa

Hi there,

Congrats on your contract. 
Postponing start dates is something firms utilize, for example, when their financial outlook for the current year is not that good. It happened a lot during Covid as well. Consulting firms make money when they can staff their employees on billable client projects. If the project pipeline for your new firm doesn’t look as strong for the remainder of the year, they might try to reduce the number of people on their payroll who would not be revenue generating. So overall this is not unusual.

I understand your concern about this potentially being only the initial delay which then results in a further delay or even a rescinded offer. If your contract includes a signing bonus, I would request that this be paid out to you in 2024 already - to also “compensate” you for lost income you were counting on in the same year. In addition, you would have some security on the firm being serious about actually hiring you (even if it ends up being in 2025) because they already spent money on you.

Best of luck 

Hi there,

Q1: How worried should I be regarding this issue? 

This is a huge delay! Call your recruiting contact for an explanation. Try to negotiate for an earlier start date. 

Q2: Will there be a possibility of my offer being rescinded? Any suggestions on what I should do over this period of time?

If you have signed a contract, you should be relatively confident they will stick to it. 

Considering the deferral, I suggest you apply to other job positions to have a back plan.

Best,

Alberto

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Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

• First of all, I wouldn't jump to conclusions about your offer being rescinded. Delays in start dates, especially in uncertain times, can happen for various reasons, many of which are not related to your candidacy.
• Moreover, still, I would highly advise you to clarify this with the recruiter, as this behavior seems to understandably irritate you.
• Lastly, consider using this time to gain relevant experience, whether through internships, volunteer work, or freelance projects. This not only enriches your profile but also keeps you engaged and prepared for your future role.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming role, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

You can find the DACH consulting salaries report 2024 here!

Hi there,

1) How worried should I be regarding this issue? Will there be a possibility of my offer being rescinded?

If you signed the contract it is unlikely that the offer will be rescinded. However, they might postpone further the starting date.

2) Any suggestions on what I should do over this period of time?

Assuming you don’t want to apply to other companies as a backup, you might consider the following: 

1. Prepare for the GMAT (in case you want to do an MBA later on)
2. Improve your skills with Excel and PowerPoint
3. Freelance based on a skill you know/want to learn
4. Do an internship in a position that can help you long-term (eg sales)
5. Launch a website you can easily automate
6. Learn a new language

Best,

Francesco

I'd suggest you ask the recruiter this question. 

But first of all, sorry to hear. It's a terrible time, seemingly. 

I would tell you to continue applying just so you have a safety net, but the reality is that the overall market is contracting. 

Additionally, I would reach out to the recruiter and tell them that you're concerned about how the start date is getting postponed, and that you're wondering whether you should be applying with other firms. Also, tell them whether it would be possible to get any sort of guarantee that you're actually going to start. Position it as a problem-solving question.

Best,
Cristian

Consulting firms (MBB and T2) are very unlikely to withdraw offers. 

But at the same time, you don't really want to be there finding yourself waiting again if they postpone once more. I would work on a backup plan.