How to overcome failure!?

Failure or rejection is part of the process. Pretty much everyone faces this! Every rejection only gets you closer to where you should really be. Neither are you a good fit for every company nor is every company a good fit for you.

Various situations in your life can either be used to make yourself stronger and better or you can sit and feel sorry for yourself. This is the choice you have.

All the good things we have are somehow easily forgotten. We get too busy worrying all the time. So, pause whenever you can and be thankful for all the fantastic things in life- education, safety, good health, family, friends etc. It’s a great privilege and opportunity which millions around the world don’t have, unfortunately. 

Get back into preparing harder & stronger based on everything you have learnt so far. Take breaks & celebrate the mini successes (no matter how small). Focus on giving your best and let things happen. 

All the best!

“Now I know I won't pass to the Big 3 either”

Please never think this way!

Someone in the MBA had 10 interviews…failed the first 9…got the 10th one…and it was McKinsey.

This may sound tough, but if you're giving up after 1 interview at a boutique, you're not fit for consulting….meaning…change your attitude and become fit for consulting!

I can't tell you how many times I've failed. How many times friends have failed.

Pick yourself back up.

Figure out what went wrong.

And fix it.

Hi!

If you did not pass the interview for the boutique does not mean you will not be hired by MBB! I know plenty of similar stories. 

My best advice is to remain focused, learn from your mistakes, and do your best on interview day. Remember: business case performance is only a part of the interview's success!

Hope this helps.

Best,

Anto

Hey there,

Don't let it get you down, reframe and use it as a motivational boost instead.

Since you passed McKinsey and Bain's first rounds, you definitely have what it takes. Keep that in mind.

There are a few things you can do in the short term to overcome to work on that:

1. Remember that the interviewers want you to succeed and believe already that you have what it takes (since you made it to the interviews and cleared the first round). They are your allies in this process
2. Remember that you have what it takes from your experience with a. coaches, b. peers, and c. in the first round. You would not have made it otherwise
3. Use positive visualizations of how the interviews are going well just like Olympic athletes visualizing them winning the race. Use Google for more on good visualization techniques
4. The best interview performances usually happen in the flow state. Read about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book on that and how to achieve this state
5. Add meditations and sports to your prep regime, frees the mind, and help you get calmer and more focused

All the best,

Florian

Hello,

I want to echo Adi's point that failure and rejection is part of the process, so don't let one rejection get you down. Don't fall into a trap of negative thinking - you can always learn from mistakes and improve your skills and mindset.

First, remember that the vast majority of candidates will see some rejections over the course of the recruiting cycle. Yes, there are examples of candidates that secure an offer from every single firm they apply to, but getting some rejections + some offers is far more common. In some cases this won't feel logical - I see many strong candidates send out the exact same cover letter to many firms and get different responses. Luck, fit, and factors that you have little control over are part of the process too (e.g. who read your application, what kind of profile are they looking for this year, etc.). So don't feel demotivated by one rejection, it is a perfectly natural parts of the process.

That being said, learn from what went wrong. You mentioned that you made mistakes on things - what part of the case in particular led you to stumble? Was it the pressure of being in an interview, or working under timed conditions? You could target that by practicing mock interviews with a coach or case partner, and specifically working on the areas you weren't so secure in during the interview.

Finally, stress management is crucial for successful performance in an interview. The way you phrased your question ("I feel blocked", “I feel demotivated and sad”) makes me wonder if your mindset or level of stress is an issue here. If so, working on this is just as important as drilling math or brainteaser questions. If you freeze up in an interview, you could try doing practices that best approximate the real interview format (e.g. with a coach you haven't worked with before, or even going to a different space in business formal clothes to do the mock interview), read up on your interviewer's profile and map out the office space so that you feel well-prepared on the day, and making sure to get a good night of sleep and relax the day before. Feel free to message me about this - I have seen many candidates burn out during recruiting cycles, and know that managing your stress is key to a successful interview performance.

If you read about any successful person in any field and see how they got there, you will always find that their path is littered with many failures, some small and some big. Every failure is an opportunity for you to re-examine your goals, your preparation and the areas to focus on. 

If you did not do well in the interview, take time to truly reflect on why that is. For example, did you get stressed because it was a real interview and not a mock? Did you not listen well to the questions? Did you take sufficient time to answer? Often times interviews go badly because we bring external stressors into the environment that have nothing to do with the actual interview. 

Don't be disheartened, many people have even been rejected by MBB first and then gotten in later, you will be fine given the prep you are doing.

Best,

Udayan