Please help me make sense of this

Based on my experience as a seasoned strategy consultant, it seems that your profiles being put on hold or in the pool indicates that the firm is currently evaluating their quarterly targets and available slots before making final decisions on offers. This is not necessarily a soft rejection or a waitlist, but rather a situation where the firm is assessing their hiring needs and determining if they have the capacity to extend offers to all candidates.

While it can be frustrating to be in this position of uncertainty, it's important to remember that the firm has not rejected your application at this stage. They are still considering your candidacy and are keeping you informed about webinars and events, which suggests that they are maintaining engagement with you.

In my experience, it is possible for candidates in this situation to recover and receive offers. The firm may be waiting to see if additional slots become available or if their hiring needs change. It's important to stay engaged and continue participating in the webinars and events they share with you. This demonstrates your continued interest and commitment to the firm.

In the meantime, it may also be worth exploring other opportunities to keep your options open. The job market can be dynamic, and it's always beneficial to have multiple options available to you.

If you have any specific concerns or questions, I would recommend reaching out to the recruiter for clarification. They can provide more insights into the firm's process and timeline.

Remember to stay positive and proactive during this period of evaluation

Hi,

It means that your candidacies are not a priority for them right now. Either your interview performance wasn't stellar enough or your work experience is not exactly relevant to warrant an immediate offer. It's not a rejection, though, so there is hope. They might get back to you later when they have more demand for consultants.

The decision timeline depends on how quickly the interviewers can meet do discuss your interview results, their staffing needs and your actual interview performance. For example, if you performed really well, your profile is relevant and you have another offer on hand, they'll try to be as quick as possible to reach out to you with an offer. On the other hand, if your performance wasn't stellar, your profile is not a perfect match for their practice and their current staffing needs are low, they'll probably delay getting back to you or can even shelve the decision until a later date in the future.

Ultimately, don't get hung up on this firm and continue applying to other places.

Good luck!
Nick

Hi!

That's rather unusual, but on a spectrum of answers, considering the current market is rather good news than bad. 

Yes, you're basically on a waitlist. 

i.e., they think you have a great profile, they would normally interview you, but realistically they feel they might be able to fill the roles they have available with those who are already in the recruitment pipeline. 

Honestly, you can only wait on this front at this point. In parallel, keep on applying for other roles with other firms. 

Good luck and I hope they call you in for interviewing!
Cristian

———————————————

Practicing for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> CodeWave  

Hi there,

There's no soft rejections, only rejections.

If you haven't been rejected yet, you're still in the pipeline and moving ahead slower than others/currently stagnating.

They basically told you what's going on and it's a simple as that. If they didn't like you as a candidate, they would tell you.

Hope things start moving again soon!

Moritz

_______________________________________________________
>> Need a specialized McKinsey coach & mentor? 
     See my full profile 
>> Need real McKinsey cases?
     Zero Carbon Mine (hard)
     Car Convenience (Intermediate + brand new)

Yes, this is a waitlist.

No, it is not a rejection.

But it is also not an offer. It's a “who knows”.

You have to treat it as a rejection and look for other alternatives.

If you have an offer from someone else, inform them.

But you have to move on. You can't wait for them forever, particularly for an unknown result.

Hi there,

It's essentially what they've said. You're on the waitlist.

If there are more positions than they have offers for, you'll get a callback.

The honest answer is that it is rare to end up getting an offer after this (though it does happen). The “good” news is that it still means you're a good candidate!

Act as if this is a rejection, because, you cannot count on it. Keep networking with and applying to other firms!

Hope for the best, but also plan for the worst.

Hi there,

It sounds to me that your profiles are interesting but your waitlisted until they open positions. Use this time to prepare for interviews and to develop a broader application strategy including other consulting firms to diversify risks.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hi there,

Q: What do I make of this? Is this a soft rejection? Is this a waitlist? What is this and do people recover from this?

It seems you are on a waiting list. 

I would recommend considering this equivalent to a rejection and focusing on other firms, as the chances they continue the process are slim. If they then invite you for interviews/extend an offer, you can consider it as a bonus.

Good luck!

Francesco