Hi there, 

By all means, postpone the interview.

No, that won't look bad on you. Basically, once you've passed screening, HR is there only in their capacity to help with scheduling. The consultants are the ones who interview you and decide whether you get an offer. The consultants have no idea whether you've never postponed or postponed 3 times. 

The one thing you should care about is making sure that you feel prepared before the actual interview. 

Happy to coach you through how to discuss the postponement with HR.

All the best,
Cristian

Hi there,

To be honest, I don't think you need more than 5 days to prepare (if you prepare right, and if you have already been case prepping).

That said, if you feel you need more time, it's ok to politely ask for it. But, getting prepping now! The recruiter might say no, or they might just fail to respond!

Ask for an extension, but prepare as if it's in 5 days.

Good luck!

Dear,

absolutely not. I recommended this several times. Arrive at the “big day” at the top of your shape. 

And if this requires additional time, point it out to the company. I see it as a way of demonstrating (i) interest in the company and (ii) maturity to say, "I care about being successful at interviews, which is why I need a few more weeks."

If the company invited you to the interviews, they saw potential in you and it would be counterproductive for them as well.

Hello,

Congratulations on your invitation to interview! I think it's absolutely fine to reach out and politely ask for extra time to prepare if you feel like it would significantly improve your performance (particularly if you have existing commitments, are working full-time, etc., in those 5 days). 5 days is not a lot of time to prepare. The worst they can say is no (in which case, the interviewers should be aware that you haven't had much time to prep, and should tailor their expectations accordingly!).

Hi,

Just ask for a postponement - especially if you are an experienced hire, this is fairly common (as they understand people have a day job etc).

In my 5+ years of interviewing at BCG, i've seen too many candidates fail simply because they rushed the interview or were interviewed sooner than they expected and were not prepared.

All the best!

Hi there,

ask them if you need extra time. No need to jeopardize your interview chances if you know that you won't have enough time to sufficiently prepare over the next days.

However, I would recommend to only really apply to firms once you feel ready to actually do the interviews and assessment tests. In many cases (like in your case) there is not a lot of lead time between hearing back and the scheduled interviews or test deadlines. So it would be best to continually prepare from here on out.

Good luck

First off, congratulations on receiving an interview invitation from BCG!

Now, to your question - it's absolutely fine to ask for additional time to prepare, especially if you feel it will significantly improve your performance. However, it's also important to remember that interviewers understand that you may not have had ample time to prepare. That said, the online assessment is typically designed to test your inherent problem-solving skills, which may not necessarily require specific preparation.

If you still feel the need for more preparation time, here's how you can handle it:

1. Polite Inquiry:

Send a polite email to the recruiter explaining your situation. You might say something like:

"I am very excited about this opportunity and want to give it my best shot. However, due to some unforeseen commitments, I'm concerned that I may not be able to adequately prepare for the online assessment in the timeframe provided. Would it be possible to extend the deadline by a few days? I believe this will enable me to better showcase my abilities."

2. Consider your request:

While it's okay to ask, bear in mind that the recruiters might not be able to provide an extension due to their own schedules and processes. It's important to be prepared for this outcome and plan accordingly.

3. Plan your preparation:

Since you're not new to casing, a refresher over the next five days might be all you need. The online assessment is typically less about specific case knowledge and more about problem-solving ability, data interpretation, and strategic thinking.

Good luck with your assessment!

If this was about the interview, I would definitely suggest that you ask for more time. Regarding the online assessment, it should not require extensive preparation - but if you really feel you need extra time, then yes, ask them for that.