Interview Rescheduling for more time to prep? (Beginner in Case)

Hi there,

There is absolutely no problem is asking to reschedule, just do it in a courteous way by explaining your motivation (you feel the need to practice more, you want to ace this interview, etc.)

You can also ask if they can offer you a coach to prepare for the upcoming interviews. I saw McKinsey offering this to many candidates.

Do not hesitate to reach out if you want to discuss this further.

All the best,

Mehdi

Hi Anonymous,

Definitely no issue at all to reschedule. Pre-covid times I even had candidates sent back home from their on-site interviews after flying in, as they were not 100% healthy and thus certainly not in the ideal state to show their best during interviews.

From a consulting firm, it would be a huge waste of money, brains and time to have several highly paid consultants interviewing view, when it's already mostly clear upfront that you won't make it as you did not prepare enough. So really don't worry about that, it's daily business for HR.

However, re-scheduling for a week looks a bit risky to me - rather push it further down the road to ensure you are really ready at that point in time!

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

Robert

Hi there,

I agree with Giulia, there is no penalty if you ask to reschedule. The worst that could happen is that the recruiter will say that’s not possible.

If you are unsure about the amount of prep you still need, my suggestion is not to propose one week only but ask at least 2 weeks, so that you have some buffer time.

In terms of coaches and peers to practice in the next weeks, you can find a large list here on PrepLounge.

Best,
Francesco

Dear A,

I would say, that time preparation highly depends on the person - it's background, it's commitment, time available for preparation.

Some of my mentees achieved perfect results if 2-3 weeks time and was proposed with offer. So, if you are not sure in your level of preparation, I would recommend you take a session with a coach and reality check feedback. After that you can decide how much time you might need and whether it's needed at all.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out.

Best,

André

Hello!

I am actually Exhibit A for this question, since a very similar happened ot me.

I decided to come to HR and tell them the truth:

• This McK interview was really really important to me
• I had not had the time to prepare for it properly
• I did you want to loose my only chance

Hence, I asked for more time and they gave it. Months even.

That decision was probably the most important one I made in the whole recruiting period.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi,

There is absolutely no issue with rescheduling. However, 1 week will definitely not be enough in your case. Please take more time!

Best

Hi, there are no problems in asking for it, it is a very standard request. It is crucial to arrive at your best the day of the interview, simply tell them it is your career priority and you need more time.
To boost your preparation I recommend working with some of your friends in consulting or with a coach/former consultant. More senior feedback is essential to understand how interviewers assess candidates.

Best,
Antonello

Hi there,

Ideally you have a month at a minimum.

You can (and should) 100% ask for additional time. However, I would ask them to delay by one month (to end of October) to give yourself the most time to prepare.

They are very open with this and would appreciate you wanting to get more prepared. Just ask in a curteous way and explain that you have not had the time yet to reach the high level you hold yourself to :)

It is totally okay to ask for reschedule.

Don't go in without proper preparation - you would just waste the chance.

Good luck!

As others have suggested it is okay to reschedule. There is a chance that the later rounds have fewer spots available as people fill up spots sooner but it is much better to be well prepared vs interview early and not be as prepared.

In terms of how to meet people to prep - aside from others on this community or coaches, reach out to others in your university that are looking for case prep partners. Often the easiest is to join a consulting club and leverage resources there alongside your careers center to prepare for the interviews.

All the best!

Udayan