How long till I can reapply BCG?

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:

• The recruitment process and policies for consulting firms can vary, and it's important to note that strategy consulting companies generally do not indicate a specific time when a candidate can reapply again in a rejection email. However, it is common for consulting firms to have a waiting period ban of 1-1.5 years for reapplying after a rejection, depending on how much progress a candidate has made regarding their experience, which can be seen in the CV.
• The best way to confirm if there is a waiting period for reapplying to your home office is to reach out to the firm directly and inquire about their policies. You can contact the recruiting team at your home office, or reach out to a current employee or alumni of the firm who may be able to provide more information.
• It's also worth noting that having a referral can increase your chances of getting an interview, and if you already have a referral that could help your case.
• It's important to keep in mind that consulting firms receive a high volume of applications and have strict hiring criteria, so even if there is no waiting period, it's possible that you may still not be selected for the role. If you are not selected, it's important to take the feedback as an opportunity to improve your skills and qualifications and to apply again in the future.
• It is important to note that the waiting period ban of 1-1.5 years is not an absolute rule, some offices can consider candidates that reapply before the end of the waiting period if they have made enough progress in their career and have updated their resume and CV accordingly.

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

Hello! 

For BCG application, there are no real “Application Ban” - this applies more to the “Interview” (e.g. if you were invited to interviews and didn't pass - then you would have to wait ~12 months). 

For applications, you can resubmit when you choose, but the main point is did you manage to significantly improve your profile / CV / etc. to change their decision upon review? 

I would be happy to discuss how to make such improvement to your profile to increase your chances at getting invited for an interview! (Then a whole other piece starts!). 

Good luck! 

Hi there,

Q: In the email notifying me of this there was no mention of a waiting period for my next application and I was planning on applying to my home office with a referral. However, I came some threads from Preplounge stating there is a waiting period ban of 1-2 years. So, I'm a little confused if I'm allowed to reapply?

When you are rejected in consulting you normally have a global ban of 12-24 months - that’s because there is no reason for them to screen again your application right away. The exception is if you are applying for different positions (eg intern vs full time), in that case some companies allow to apply again sooner.

If you want to apply again, you have basically two options:

1. Wait until the end of the ban
2. Find someone that can refer you for the new position, mention explicitly the previous rejection, and see if they can help, ideally having them interact first with HR. There are no guarantees this will work though. With this second option you normally have to:
   • Show relevant improvements in your CV that justify the earlier application
   • Wait a minimum amount of time anyway (I would wait at least 6 months)

You can find more on referrals below:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

▶ The Exact Steps to Get a Referral

Best,

Francesco

Hi there, 

Not all firms and not all offices express it in such a direct way in their rejection email. However, most exercise indeed a 12 month freeze period. 

The thing is rather that this timeline is not fixed. They are rather setting it as a time in which you should have accumulated enough additional experience to make it worth interviewing you. It's doubtful from their perspective that any sort of professional experience of less than 12 months will have had a transformation effect on you. 

My suggestion would be to apply anyway - you don't stand to lose much. Most offices don't even have an integrated database on candidates, so they might not even know you were rejected a few months ago by an office in a different location.

Best,

Cristian

Hello, can you please let us know how long you have waited to be able to reapply to BCG? Did you do an interview on your first time or only did the Casey online assessment?

Hi there,

Were you actually interviewed? If not, there may not be a ban and you could technically re-apply tomorrow. However, the key is to add meaningful experience to your CV. If you can manage to do so in 6 months, you could convince them to interview you again.

If you were actually interviewed, the situation is a little different and you might be banned. The period can vary and you should clarify with your recruiting contact. It's always a good idea to establish yourself as a candidate that doesn't give up and is ready to do what it takes to try again and succeed next time! Just beware that here, too, you need to actually add something to your CV and not stand still during the wait.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Hello,

BCG generally has a 1.5 year waiting time for re-applying following a rejection. To make sure the timing is appropriate, I would e-mail the local office HR team to ensure I am within the appropriate window to succesfully re-apply.

Best of luck in the process,

Petros

Hi there,

I'd ignore the “allowed” and think more about “should”.

You shouldn't re-apply within the next 12 months because, unless there's a flurry of events, you are not going to be a different candidate than you are right now.

Over the next 12 months hear what you should do (before applying):

1. Get more impressive experience (promotion, job, consulting-related work, skills, etc.)
2. Improve your resume (design, formatting, bullet points, etc.)
3. Network extensively (aiming for referral)

Hi there,

Usually, the ban is applicable for 12 to 24 months and you would need to demonstrate significant improvements in your resume to get reinvited.

A strong referral and networking can help reduce this time!

Cheers,

Florian

There's no specific ban if you didn't get an interview, but you should wait a few months (at least 6) otherwise they are unlikely to even look at your CV.