MBB - Application Sequence

Question

As a full time worker applying to experience hire role, I'm wondering what would be the best sequence / period to apply to the 3 firms (MBB). I am planning to apply 1 firm a month, starting from the least preferred to the most preferred.

My thought is to diversify the risk and have more time to focus 1 firm at a time. The downside is that if I get an offer at the first two firms I apply, I might not be able to interview with my dream firm.

Would this be a good approach? Or, applying all firms at the same time would be a better strategy? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hi there,

Ultimately you need to weight the risk and pros/cons here.

That said, the advice I tend to give candidates is to “go the path of least resistance”.

X Company is reaching out encouraging you to apply now? Apply now!

Partner from company y is putting you in touch with HR? HR says you should apply in 2 months to align with their cohorts? Apply in 2 months!

My strong advice is to network extensively and apply when you get referrals. In a vacuum my personal preference is for applications and interviews to be at around the same time (or else you get faced with really tough choices).

Answer 2

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I'm happy to give you my perspective on that:

While I agree with what other coaches said about not becoming the most difficult candidate right from the start by not following certain preferences of the recruiters, chances are very low that you will be narrowed down to specific time frames. Thus, I would advise you to approach and schedule your applications mostly based on your personal preference (i.e. spare time for the interviews and level of readiness).
In my own opinion, I really like your approach of taking your time for one application after another. Both for the case study and the personal fit part, all the three companies seem to differ quite significantly.
Regarding your concerns of not being able to interview with another firm after having received an offer, I would like to encourage you to speak openly in this case with the recruiter and politely ask for a bit more reflection time. Many of my coachees have made very positive experiences with this approach. In best case, you can shimmy from one offer to the next one.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to approach and schedule your MBB applications and interviews best, please feel free to to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Answer 3

Hi!

I tend to think that it's better to apply to all MBB once you have a solid CV and are at a good stage of your preparation.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Anto