Yes, I can. 

The market is horrible. 

Basically, since they are planning on hiring way fewer people, they are also inviting way fewer to the first round interviews.

Which means they are a lot tougher on screening.

Which means that you need an absolutely amazing CV, CL and referral to stand a change. 

I know this is frustrating, especially when you were so close to success the last time. 

But it's out of your control.

You might find it useful to read the following article where I law out what you can actually control for during the application process (especially in the current market conditions):

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejection. In terms of your question:

Q: Can someone maybe help me understand why this is the case and when I could and should reapply again? 

There could be multiple reasons for this:

• Weaker application compared to other candidates. The main reasons might be:
  • CV/Cover not optimal
  • Lack of referral
• Lower intake of BCG compared to the previous year. The main reasons might be:
  • The company overhired in the past
  • The company doesn’t have current needs due to lack of projects

Both reasons might have contributed to the rejection.

You cannot have an impact on the intake, but you can improve your application if needed. You can find some tips below:

▶ How to Get a Consulting Interview Invitation

For BCG specifically, I would recommend waiting until the end of the ban period (usually 12-18 months) before applying again. However, once the possible issues above are fixed, you can apply to other companies in the meantime.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Very likely related to the current market conditions, low demand, and a partial hiring freeze in many offices.

You seem to have improved your CV significantly since the rejection and enough time has passed too. Hence, this would have been treated as a completely new application. with a blank slate. I doubt your previous application played a role here.

The only thing you can do at this point is to look for alternatives and re-apply with further improvements (and ideally with a referral) once the hiring ban expires.

All the best,

Florian

Hi,

Given your prior interview invitations and the additional experience you've gained over the last year, it's unlikely that this is solely a credentials issue. There could be two potential reasons for not receiving an interview invitation this year:

1. Market Conditions: The consulting market is currently more competitive and hiring fewer candidates compared to previous years, leading to a tighter selection process.
2. Previous Interview Performance: It's possible that your performance in the second round of interviews last year was below expectations, which may have impacted the decision not to extend another interview invitation this year.

I recommend reaching out to the recruiter directly. Consider calling them (instead of emailing) to inquire about your application status and ask for constructive feedback on your candidacy.

Best,

Oliver

Hi there,

hiring has considerably slowed which means that competition for each open position is even higher currently. You passed the CV screening once before and have since added new relevant internships. So overall, this suggests that your credentials are consulting material. Keep applying to other firms as well and try to get an internal referral where you can. There is no point in not trying it now, despite the market environment, because this is not within your control. But you also have to probably temper your expectations unfortunately.

Best

Sometimes, background checks can play a significant role in the hiring process. A “failed” background check doesn’t necessarily disqualify a candidate outright. It depends on the nature of the findings.

There's a mix of 3 things:

• Market was strong(er) one year ago. Right now is quite weak. Much harder to get an interview - the bar is much higher.
• The bar is higher for full time interviews than for internships
• If you were rejected on a R2 this may increase your chances but only IF you were very close to getting the job (e.g. you created a good impression but at the end they decided another candidate was better given their number of openings for the internship). But if you trully failed the interview, then most likely is neutral. Of course, is better than failing R1 [by the way, it is much worse if you fail based on fit vs. failing on the case interview part].