Hey everyone,
I have just started preparing for consulting interviews. I have an Ivy league PhD in engineering and have about 3.5 years of full time work experience.
What's my timeline? Do I network to seek referral now or do I network after a couple of months of preparation?
Best,
K
Hi there, on paper you seem to have the right background and training (in that many MBBs have STEM degrees from leading universities). Perhaps we compartmentalize the steps you see as a sequence into three different processes, as imho they can be managed in parallel.
Networking: the best time to start networking was yesterday, and the next best timing is now. There is no harm in getting to know people and “getting yourself out there” to get an idea of whether you enjoy interacting with the typical personalities you will see in our trade. It takes time to internalise industry terminology too, so don't hold back because of considerations around your case interview readiness.
Case prep: on average you probably need 10-15 cases to get to a good place, provided that each of them are done with intention and methodically (with the right prep, in-the-moment focus areas, and post case reflections). Some might need to do up to 50 cases to feel comfortable. Best to do a case with a case coach to get an early feel of where you fall within the range, instead of forcing an arbitrary timeline and build avoidable stress into the journey.
Recruiting process: your networking / referral hunt and case prep should not be on your critical path to starting the application process. Getting ready to participate in an ultra competitive process is more about your mental readiness, especially now that you are already in the industry. It is now also about weighing the pros and cons of making the transition now vs later in your career (could you gain invaluable experience in line management over large teams that won't be available to you until you are a senior manager in consulting?).
Have a good think about it. The industry will always be there when you are ready. Happy to chat further as a sounding board too.
(edited)
Hi K,
1) What's my timeline?
The question is a bit unclear. If you mean the recruiting timeline, I would recommend checking it on the respective sites. For experienced hires, usually it’s all year round.
If you mean the amount of time to prepare, most candidates need 100h+ to be ready for interviews starting from zero (might be less if you use coaching or good material).
You can find some tips on how to prepare below:
▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview
2) Do I network to seek referral now or do I network after a couple of months of preparation?
I would recommend starting to look for a referral around 1 month before you are planning to apply, so that the person can refer you right away. If you look for a referral several months in advance before you apply, the person might forget/ not reply anymore/not be interested in helping when you do reach out again. You can find some tips on referrals below:
▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation
Good luck!
Francesco
The typical timeline is 2-3 months - in terms of prep.
You should figure out when your target office and firm will be doing their interviews and then adjust the timeline and your preparation intensity based on that.
Start networking and looking for referrals as early in the process as possible. Then keep those connections warm.
Specifically on networking, you might find the following materials useful:
Best,
Cristian
Hi K,
Application timeline
Given your background, the timeline for preparation and application is more flexible than for those without your level of education and professional experience. However, a structured approach can still benefit you.
Now, this leaves you with around 2-3 months of prep time.
Networking
All the best,
Florian
Hi there,
Nice work starting early and thinking about this right!
I recommend 2-3 months of prep. Then, when you're at round 50-70% ready you can start networking, with the aim to actually apply at around 80% ready.
Hi there,
Q1: What's my timeline?
As you will apply as experience hire, recruiting process is usually happening during the whole year. Preparing for MBB interviews usually takes around 2 months, depending on how much time you can commit.
Q2: Do I network to seek referral now or do I network after a couple of months of preparation?
Start networking now because it will take several shots until you get the right person to refer you.
Best,
Alberto
—
Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs
You should have ~100 hours of preparation (and reading books doesn't count) under your belt.
You don't need to wait until you are prepared for interviews to start networking (you should be 80% ready when you apply; but for networking you don't need to be interview-prepared).
It does not hurt to get started early. Usually takes a long time to get traction with networking and building relationships. Plus if you aren't ready and HR reaches out for an interview you can always tell them you need some time to prepare.
