Hi Tabitha,

I will give my input based on my experience giving final rounds at a tier 2 firm as well as my own experience moving to MBB.

First of all it's important to take official feedbacks with a grain of salt.

(1) For legal and marketing reasons firms are very careful regarding the feedback they provide. I've been part of final round discussions with partners were we discussed interviewee's attire, the fact they have spouses or not, age, ... for obvious reasons we won't say that we didnt hire someone because you wore the wrong sweater.

(2) Depending on the season/office/position you apply the demand for new hires will be different and that will impact the threshold for giving an offer. A common myth is to think MBB will always hire regardless of their needs. I've discuss with a MBB partner that putted very blunt "at this period in the year we have reach our target quota, anyone can still apply but they will only be hired if they are a superstart, otherwise waiting until January is better."

Now, this is not to say that you should disregard your feedback. You have mention a specific point that you could focus on.

If I was in your shoes I would do the following:

1) Status quo. What other firms are you currently in process, what firms could you potential still apply and what is the timeline to do so

2) Honest assessment. Get an unbiased opinion on where you currently stand today. This means, PEI, case, Q&A, ...you only know how much work do you need to do if you know where you stand

3) Develop a "work plan" for the remaining of your time taking into account the feedback you received

Happy to discuss this on a call if you would like

(edited)

Hi Tabitha,

I agree with Jamie that there may be additional reasons besides the PEI performance.

For all the elements related to communication (body language, your way of interacting with the interviewer, tone of voice, general presence) it is quite unlikely the interviewer is going to give you direct feedback.

On the other hand, it could well be that the issue was purely in your PEI performance.

In terms of how to improve your impact story, it would be important to see what exactly you said in the interview.

One general mistake candidates do is not to provide details in their action part (in your case – how you influence the other people in practical terms to change their mind).

It seems this was the main issue in your case, thus I would try to be more specific and help the interviewer to visualize it.

There may be other elements though that could have influenced the interviewer. In order to improve, I would recommend to find an experienced candidate/current consultant/coach and get direct feedback from him/her for the PEI and fit part.

Best,
Francesco

Dear Tabitha,

I would recommend you to ask for more detail feedback, what is the specific reason for your rejection. This details will help you to strengthen your weak sides in the future. Other than that, simply keep on practicing cases and personal fitting parts in order to succeed in the future.

If you need any help, feel free to reach out.

Best,
André

Hi,

The only way is to have a dedicated fir interview session with a current consultant / Alumni / coach.

Best

…

(edited)

Hello!

On top of the insights already shared in the post, next week will be pusblished in PrepLounge´s Shop material related.

In concrete, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB". It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Here I leave you the link > https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes!

Hope you find it useful!

Best,

Clara

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about that! However, rejection is also an experience. Use the time given to significantly upgrade your profile and to maximize your chances next year!

- Relevant work experience. Have you applied somewhere else? Tier 2 consulting firms could be a great start and give you the needed experience that would be of great advantage in the future and make you a better fit for the desired company.

- Preparation. Solve different types of cases, prepare for the fit part carefully, improve your feeling of confidence.

- Networking. I would strongly recommend finding some contacts within the targeted firm to understand how it is from the inside, have a better idea of your position here in the future.

Maybe even think of the guidance of an experienced coach.

Do you need any further help?

​Good luck!

​GB