Got rejected after a Third final interview, what should i work on?

Question

Hello Everyone!

I have interviewed for internship role at S& ME office and it supposed to be only 2 interviews but they called me to do a third one. I did get rejection eventually and when I asked about specific feedback they said I was good and needed more practice in general but there wasn't any specifics. So, I wanted to ask in my situation do you think since I made it to a third interview, would it be actually needed to practice more? or should I just keep interviewing for other companies ( all MBBs, OW lined up ) and consider the mistakes I did as bad day and learn from the new ones without having to go back to practice with peers because I'm bored of practicing with peers and I feel the added value at this point is minimal compared to the hours I put to be interviewer etc?

Answer 1

You had 2 interview process. They thought you specifically needed a third round. You failed the third round.

In other words, you had 3 interviews and only had 1 strong performance. If you had a good performance on the 2nd round you wouldn't need a 3rd round. If you had a good performance on the 3rd round, you would have got the job.

All in all, this was not a bad day. They gave you a second chance so that they could rule out “bad day” and… you failed. Seems more likely that you had a good day on your first round. In any case, your performance is simply not there yet - not strong enough, not consistent enough.

By the way, S& “bar” won't be higher than at MBB or T2 companies. If anything, it will be lower. So this doesn't get any easier.

If the feedback you have from the company, your peers or your own understanding doesn't allow you to know what is wrong with your performance, then you really need qualified help to improve.

Either someone who has experience interviewing candidates, or… a case interview coach.

Answer 2

Hello!

If they have not specifically highlighted any major red flags - that is a good sign.

But this means that across the board you were just falling short of their expectations. Thus, pushing yourself to go from a 8.5/10 to a 10/10 is what needs to be done - whether its quant skills, case leadership, structuring, or communication.

There are two ways to do this:

1- Practicing drills by yourself - this can be especially helpful for quant.

2- Get help from a coach or experienced interviewers - they can identify blind spots in your performance which you may not be aware of and help you perfect your interviewing skills.

Hope this helps and All the best!

Rushabh

Answer 3

Hi

you are right. just move on reflect on where you might have fell short during the final interview and try to work on it. You reached the third round so it’s just a matter of refining your skills. Might even be best to have 1-2 sessions with a coach to give you specific feedback on where you might have scope for improvement

Reach out to me offline and I can give you specific input on what might have actually happened during the interview with S&

good luck

Answer 4

Hey there,

The issue with consulting firm interviewer feedback is always the same. It is super unspecific and not actionable at all.

I always tell my coachees to ask for specific feedback between rounds. For instance, if the interviewer tells them, your structure could have been a bit broader, their follow-up question should be: “Do you have a concrete example and how would you practice this?”).

Now that you don't know exactly what went wrong, you can continue practicing on your own (and identify potentially what your weaknesses are) or hire a coach, who in one session can tell you exactly what works and what needs improvement.

All the best!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 5

It’s unfortunate that you weren’t given more specific feedback - I suspect that you were a bit low on your performance across the board rather than there being one specific area. When you’re giving feedback it’s always easier to say ‘be more structured’ if this was the issue rather than just ‘improve your ability to case’.

If you know what you fell down on then it’s great as you know what to work on. If you don’t then it may be worth doing a session with someone who can give you more targeted and honest feedback. It’s really up to you how much more time you want to put into casing - it sounds like you’re a little burnt out so my first piece of advice is to take some time out, do things you really enjoy and come back to it with a clear head.

Good luck!

Answer 6

This is actually a good situation to do some spot checks with a coach.

At this point, there is limited value in just doing more peer-to-peer case interviews (although you shouldn't take the risk of getting rusty either).

The consulting firm will not give you specific feedback (this is also for them to protect themselves against potential suits - so you will hardly ever get a play-by-play breakdown of your performance in case of rejection). Do a mock interview with a coach to get actionable feedback and then just keep applying if your goal is still to pursue a career in consulting.

Best of luck

Answer 7

Hi there,

Get a coach.

1 session = $200-$400.

1 offer = $200,000

If a coach can identify the weaknesses (and actually give good feedback + materials, not “generic” feedback that companies give), and then increase your odds, then you've just made the highest ROI investment of your lifetime.

Answer 8

My plan would be: to continue to practice, build off on your S& performance, and train with a coach.