I AM SCHEDULED FOR A COFFE CHAT, PLEASE WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS DO I EXPECT?

Hey,

My answer is no, you still have a good chance of applying for this job and I have 2 reasons for your:

1. My personal experience: I never got invited to any coffee chat, company event (small scale ones which invite candidates to offices) when I applied to Bain and the reason given was exactly the same as yours i.e. limited capacity. However they still invited me for interview and eventually gave me an offer. This is same for McKinsey as well.

2. There are normally more spaces for interview than small scale events. For example if they are looking to hire 20 associates this year, they normally will invite 400 people for first round and around 100 people for second round. This is much more than the number of people they can invite for the company event. It might be the case that your CV is not ranked the very top of their list, but you still can be invited to interview. Also bear in mind, once you started interview, your CV doesn't really matter that much any more!

If you want to learn more about how companies select their candidates, please also PM me.

Hi there,

Events and standard applications are two separate channels, so it could well be you are rejected for events and invited for interviews when you apply.

Events sometimes have very limited capacity, so although it seems strange that may be even more selective than invitations for interviews.

Having said that, if you have some friends in consulting definitely ask their opinion on your CV to see if there are any improvements.

Best,

Francesco

I wouldn't worry! The coffee chats are more of an informal event that isn't part of the selection process. Consultants will only share feedback to recruiters if something stands out; unless its an ethical conern, the impact will be marginal.

(edited)

Please take this exclusively from my personal experience and perspective. Before getting an interview offer, having a single 1:1 connection is more than enough. If you ask for more it feels over-reaching. However I think is acceptable to:

• ask to refer to someone else to have a different perspective
• touchbase asking if they are coming to many:many on campus events so that you can briefly say hi
• ask for a 1:1 follow up once you receive interview offer to get tips/suggestions.

Hope it helps,

Andrea

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• It's generally a good idea to wait until after the holiday break to send in your application, as you mentioned. This will give them time to review and process all of the applications that have come in, and it will also give you the opportunity to make sure that your application is as strong as possible.
• As for the coffee chat, it's generally a good idea to follow the instructions that were provided in the email you received from the firm. If the email indicated that coffee chats will be held after the holiday break, then it would be a good idea to wait until that time to reach out and request a coffee chat. If the email did not specify a timeline for the coffee chats, then you could consider reaching out to the firm to inquire about the availability of slots.
• Keep in mind that consulting firms are typically very busy, and it may take some time to coordinate a coffee chat with a specific individual. It's also possible that all of the slots for coffee chats may be taken, in which case you may need to wait until a later date to request one.
• In any case, it's generally a good idea to be patient and to follow the instructions provided by the firm. This will help ensure that your request for a coffee chat is handled smoothly and efficiently.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

No need to overthink this..honest mistake and it happens. Not a big deal. Agree with Ken and Henning.

Hi there,

Not sure what the problem is. Are you worried your message gets lost if you reply now? It won't.

My advice is to stop guessing when people may be in or out and just reply as if it weren't the end of the year. Keep the conversation going on your end and let them be the bottleneck, to avoid the risk that you're it.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi, I confirm it is not an issue. Feel free to stay in touch with them to know next steps and application windows

Best,
Antonello

Agree with Ken. This is unfortunate, and the message will probably have made it to the recruiting team, but I also don't think that this will be a reason to not invite your for your office. Besides: Recruiting files are probably accessing the same database, so I don't think just by sending your application to a different office you'll be starting with a clean sheet.

This is very funny.

I was accepted to the BCG summer discovery program and then rejected from BCG.

I didn't apply or attend Bain / McKinsey programs but got interviews / offer there.

Virtual coffee chat correlation with application rejeciton? Dubious.

Hi Jordan,

Your nervousness is completely normal, and I've definitely felt it before going for coffee chats too :) Here are some tips of mine on how to overcome / mitigate this:

- Firstly, you might want to prepare a list of "backup" questions in advance, so that you can ask them whenever your mind goes blank, or when you start feeling awkward and stumble during your conversation. Do bear in mind not to let this disrupt the natural flow of your conversation!

- Next, be a good listener. Instead of being the person who talks, let the consultant talk more about his/her experiences, hobbies, interests etc. In this way, you'll have to talk less and you'll start feeling less nervous over time as you get to know more about the other party. Also, it has been proven that people enjoy sharing about themselves, and so I am sure the consultant will enjoy this experience too, especially if you are a good listener.

- Lastly, just remember that you are an awesome person! Which is probably why the consultant agreed to the coffee chat in the first place. Have confidence in yourself, your achievements, and let that shine through during the conversation.

All the best Jordan!

It's generally a good idea to wait until after the holidays to reach out about scheduling a coffee chat, as many people take time off during this period. In this case, it sounds like the consultant you spoke with mentioned  they would be returning in Jan, so wait until they are back.

Given they may be busy getting caught up on work after returning from the holidays, it may be more convenient for them to schedule the coffee chat for a later date. Just ask when works for them.

Hello,

No harm in expressing your interest for doing a coffee chat now. Most likely, they will still see your email after the holidays, but if they allocate slots based on first in first out, you would still be better off!

Hope this helps.

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any further questions regarding interviews with BCG Middle East.

All the best!

Rushabh

Hey there,

I believe you are overthinking this a bit and the impact on a future application will be minimal to non-existent. The main benefit/opportunity you lost was to score a referral during the chat.

Even that can be ironed out with some networking efforts.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi Anonymous - well done on landing the coffee chat! This already shows they are still interested in your profile. Use the 30 minutes to tell your story and making sure it is 'WOW'. Take the time to also understand the Senior Partner - their focus area, impact of COVID etc.

At the end of the 30 minutes - mention you are keen to apply again. If your chat has gone well then most likely the senior partner will be supportive and offer to refer you without you having to ask. Try not to focus on what happened 2 years ago - water under the bridge. Fact is they want to speak with you now

That said - I expect you will need to prepare for the interview process rigorously to avoid the mistakes of last time. Highly recommend working with an experienced coach if you are through to interviews

Hi Anonymous,

The main idea of this ~2 years of waiting time is to give you a chance to develop yourself further in that period.

For sure there was 1 or more topics in your previous interview procedure which were not up to the performance level expected by McKinsey at that time.

So the main idea for your current meeting is to prepare accordingly the following key aspects:

• What was not 100% perfect in your previous application?
• What did you do over the last 2 years to address each of those issues specifically - and what are specific examples of that as proof?
• In general: What's your development since 2 years ago and why is consulting/McKinsey right now the logical next step in your career - so have your story-line ready for that.

Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

Hi there, 

For the coffee chat, feel free to write to them already. This has nothing to do with your application per se. Then aim to send the application mid-Jan when certainly everybody will be back in the office. 

Here is an article about how to approach coffee chats. It details out what you should expect and how to best prepare to get the most out of it. 

Best of luck!

Cristian

Hi,

Coffee chats have 2 goals:

1. Learn more about the company, so prepare a broad set of questions for your counterpart
2. Make a good impression on the interviewer and (potentially) secure a referral; so, research the company and prepare your personal fit questions - these chats very very exceptionally include case-related questions 

Hopefully this helps.

Jorn

Hello!

Congrats, that is exactly how it´s done! Really well done in getting the referral. 

Most of the times, is just going to be an informal chat to get to know you a little better. you should be prepared tough for some Motivational questions, one of the four key families from FIT questions. If you want to deep dive on the topic, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

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.

Furthermore, you can find 3 FREE Expert Articles on PreLounge, in a sreies dedicated to preparing for the different parts of FIT:

1. https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/cv-interview-questions

2. https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/motivational-fit-interview-questions

3. https://www.preplounge.com/en/behavioral-interview-questions

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch

Hope it helps! 

Hi there, 

well done! This shows a great initiative. 

I would recommend to send an introduction (killer) email with your CV and ask for a quick chat/coffee. Partners are extremally busy and they may refer you to someone to take it from there. 

 I wouldn't recommend dinner.

Good luck!

Lucie

Was this answer helpful?

Dear A,

Congratulations for that opportunity! Good job!

Well, in general, you need to be lightly person on order to do so you need to google the most relevant information about your partner with whom you are going to talk about his background, his competence and focus, past projects. Maybe, you can even find any publications where he was an author. Through this, try to ask him the questions and find similarities with yourself: maybe you cam from the same school, town, or interested in the same topics. This will help you to establish both profesional and personal link.

Listen more than you speak, be an active listener. Partners normally like those person who are smart and listen to them. So make the partner feel great during this conversation. And I'm pretty sure that afterwards he will be eager to help you to get into the firm, which is your ultimate objective.

Hope it helps you,

If you need further tips, just drop me a message,

Good luck,

André

HI Jordan,

If it will help you a little bit to feel less nervous, I must say that including myself, many people feel the same. There are two key things to do:

1- Be ready. I mean before you go make sure you practiced your introduction speech, you did research a lot about the company and you are already informed, you know what to ask those people to learn more about the company etc...

2- Be yourself. Remember those people were in your shoes and feeling the same. They understand you. Nothing is abnormal.

Cheers
Serhat

Hi,

I use the following strategy:

• Trying to discuss during the first coffee chat an opportunity to meet again in the future
• Follow up with the e-mail
• Give an idea of how you can be helpful (easier for associates and people with prior background)

I use the following template to follow up:

"Hi...,

I just wanted to thank you again for today’s coffee chat. I’ve learnt a lot about ... and I'm excited by...

You’ve mentioned you could help with... I would appreciate a chance to meet with you to...

I would also be happy to be a resource for you, now or in the future for any expertise in.."

Best,

Vlad

(edited)

The coffee chat thing is something you can contact them about whenever. Send it now and they'll get back to you whenever they can. It's less of a process than the application so I wouldn't worry about perfect timing in conjunction with year-end shutdown.

Hello Rana,

Don't be stressed about this, it's just a chance to know HR and the work environment and will not influence your possibility to enter BCG in a significant way. Just prepare a good story about yourself, be nice and try to seem motivated.

In addition, prepare some smart and unconventional questions that you can ask whenever you have the chance to steer the conversation.

Good luck!
Luca

Why do you want to network up to 3 times per consultant? How does this improve your chances of getting the Offer? My advice is to limit yourself to activities that positively impact your chances of getting an offer. Chasing 3 meetings for the sake of it sounds unusual.

It will also come off as weird. When you consider that most consultants are too busy to have even one coffee chat and will turn down the majority of candidates who ask them for one, seeking up to three will ring weird: it could communicate that you lack confidence, signal that you have too much time on your own hands (which is not particularly a good thing), or it could be mis-read as a super-awkward romantic interest.

Unless the consultant has dropped some earth-shattering insights that simply cannot be fully explored in a single session, then the single session you're offered should suffice! :-)

Hey! 

I would suggest introduce yourself and ask for 10 min coffee chat where you can quickly ask him for advice !  would avoid asking lunch / dinner at this stage 

Hope this helps!

Hey anonymous,

I think you're seeing things using the wrong angle, you shouldn't focus on what questions to expect, but actually on what which questions to prepare (based on information you want to gather and clarify, image you want to convey) in order to have an fruitful coffee chat.

Bain representative is not going to be there to interview and you should aim to lead the conversation.

Best

Bruno

Hi!

From what you described it seems like the consultant liked your profile so you're already on a good track.

I would use this conversation to understand the process in the office you're applying to, his view on the office and on the company overal. These three topics will help you understand practical details but also more qualitative info that would be harder to get from an HR person for instance.

Expect this interaction to be an informal conversation which means that you will probably also get some questions (I would ask them if I was him). I suggest that you browse the corporate website for the culture pillars and the vision 2020. Understanding the culture can help you understand/answer how you can be a fit and the vision will help you understand/answer why ATK is attractive.

Best regards,

Francisco

Sorry, it doesn't work like that. It's not about asking, but about earning it.

First, you don't need to bring it up. They know they can refer you.

Second, does asking for it increase your chances? No, not at all, and can actually lower your chances.

Third, what increases your chances? Having a meaningful conversation. In a meaningful conversation you share unique, interesting things about you, and you learn about the personal experience of your counterpart. Sometimes you discuss an interesting business problem and are able to bring up some value add to the discussion.

Hello Rachel,

Congrats for making it into the final round!
As Udayan mentioned, it is a good signal which means that your profile is very attractive to the Firm and they wish to convince you to accept the offer should they decide to extend it and provide the opportunity to address any remaining concerns and questions you might had that prevents you from being fully convinced to join the Firm as of now.

My suggestion is to make the opportunities to the fullest, asking any elements that are still a mystery to you and you are very keen to know before deciding to commit yourself to the role.
Additionally, this is the opportunity to establish a relationship with the 2 analyst, so if and when you decide to join the Firm, you would already have 2 network ready to help you.

Hope it helps,

Kind regards,
Nathan

The chats are non evaluative - you would have to do something completely terrible to mess up.

The main reasons we had coffee chats and other sessions was actually to 'sell' McKinsey to the most desirable candidates so you're actually at an advantage here. Prepare a list of genuine and thoughtful questions that you want answers to (e.g., how staffing works or how mentoring works in the office etc.) and you'll be more than fine.

All the best,

Udayan

(edited)

All of us feel the same way! Just remember it's a temporary situation

In addition to all the good points raised by Francisco, I would just advise you to be relaxed and friendly. The coffee chats are one way to size up the 'fit' of the candidate as well.