Will Preplounge ever launch a ranking of coaches based on different criteria? Because I have seen a post for one coach on social media that the most reliable coach is who has reached at least AP level at MBB, and his student has also reached AP(or at least EM level) and conducted dozens of recruitment interviews for the firm.
How to evaluate whether the coach can be good?
First, a disclaimer - I reached the Principal level, and was responsible for leading recruiting (and training interviewers) in my office.
Short answer: there is truth to that claim, and it is a relevant criteria, but it not a mandatory requirement and you should take other factors into account.
Why is this a relevant criteria? Well, someone who reached a higher level is more likely to have become an experienced interviewer, to have a good understanding of recruiting, and a strong domain of consulting skills. A two year analyst / consultant is likely to have none of this.
And to be very straightforward, there is an issue in the “case interview preparation” industry - a lot of the available preparation materials are of low quality, reflectling precisely the fact that they have been prepared by these unexperienced consultants. [Some ex-consultants think that they used a good approach because they were able to pass the interview, and try to teach others that same approach. The problem is that sometimes they didn't get their offer because of their approach, but despite their approach.]
But just because one got to do interviews, it doesn't mean s/he is prepared to coach others. You see, a recruiter should be good at evaluating performance - but doesn't need to know to “teach” others on how to reach a high performance level in interviews. They know the difference between a good performance and a bad one - they know what good looks like, but that's it.
But then again, being able to “teach” is critical to be a good coach. And I have to be fair: after two years of reading answers from other coaches here at Preplounge, I can confidently say that there are non-EM level coaches that “know their stuff” very well.
This means there are other criteria that one should use. More important than having a coach that was experienced… in consulting, is to have a coach that is experienced in… coaching! That has good qualitative reviews. That writes value-add answers. That has a “mentoring” approach (and not just interview simulations).
How to you evaluate? Read their self-presentation and approach. Read their answers. See how many sessions they've given out. Read their reviews. Reach out to them and have a short conversation.
Who is the best soccer player? The best soccer coach/manager? The best politician? The best CEO?
Please remember that this is a subjective question! It is also definitely not as simple as ONE metric (like that social media post you mention).
The real answer is that it depends (on your criteria and what you need).
A few thoughts:
Message the coaches that catch your eye, ask them to talk through their approach/methodology, and pick the one that works best for you! Assess them based on how well they seem to understand the process (and what's needed), how prepared they are (supporting material + plan), and whether they seem like a good teacher based on your style of learning.
There was a prior Q&A with a bunch of great questions. Listed here:
Q: If so, is the recommendation rate then: # of people who gave feedback/ # of meeting?
It is actually the rating from the subset of those who provided reviews. So, if a coach has coached 100 people, and 50 provide reviews, it's based on their reviews. If 49 gave 5 stars, and 1 gave 4 stars, the coach would obviously have a very high rate!
Two caveats:
Q: How do we know that anonymous reviewers are legit and not just some fake persona? (I compared the writing style of the comments and the "my approach" writing of one coach and it looks very similar; I don't know if it's a coincidence.)
A: They are definitely not fake! While I mentioned the Amazon effect, there is absolutely no way to purchase reviews here. They are all 100% genuine!
Free Q&A: How do I pick the right coach?
A: Ask them for a call :) Message a few that look promising, and ask them these same pointed questions you've asked here! (e.g. what is your coaching style, what resources do you have, what's your success rate, what's your plan for ME).
Good luck in your search!
Coach quality while only ~1 year at MBB (or other firms) | PrepLounge.com
Hi,
one way to get a feel for how well received a coach is, is to look at their reviews from other candidates on here. Read through what they wrote they liked or disliked about the coach and how well prepared they ended up being for their recruiting process. Then make a judgement on what criteria matter to you the most. Many coaches on here will also do a free intro call so you can test the chemistry with them as well.
“The best coach” sounds very subjective since the whole coaching thing is not a hard science but a soft skill anyway. Many coaches will tell you that they are the “number 1 coach for this or that” but it really depends on the angle from which you look at the whole thing and what you are trying to accomplish. In the end, you will have to pass the interviews yourself.
Getting a coach who has first hand experience with recruiting for the firm you are interested in joining will likely be helpful to you when your goal is to be optimally prepared for the interviews with that firm.
Hope this perspective helps a bit
Hi!
There is a ranking already that is based on how many sessions the coaches conduct, their involvement in the Q&A section, articles published, cases, etc.
If you want something beyond that, I'd actually recommend you to reach out to them for intro calls. This way you can get a more personal feel of who they are and how they operate.
Best,
Cristian
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Practicing for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> CodeWave
Hi there,
Best way to select a coach is talking with several of them. Most of us offer a 15 min free intro call to get to know each other and check if there is a match.
Happy to keep talking about this in private, just send me a message.
Best,
Alberto
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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs
Hi,
I'd probably take an analogy from sports here. A good player doesn't necessarily make a good coach. There are many great soccer coaches, for example, that were never really great players themselves.
There are plenty of metrics/factors that Preplounge has to help you make a decision, but ultimately what is the most useful is to get on a call with various coaches and understanding what they bring to the table and what suits you the best.
All the best!
Hi there, as many oversell (consultants are good at it ;-)), I'd recommend get in touch over a free coffee chat and ask for other coachee introductions to get REAL feedback. Warm regards, Freddy
