Rejected from Bain - should I bother applying again?

Question

I had my first round with Bain 18 months ago and did not pass. I was told I was 90% of the way there but there was just a little more practice needed and was recommended to reapply in 6-12 months. I reapplied in 12 months after speaking to the recruiter but received a generic rejection email.

Recent life events have changed and I am now moving to another country with my partner. Am I black listed if I apply to Bain now in a different country/office only 6 months after the generic rejection I received?

Answer 1

Hi there. To be honest, I think 18 months is long enough to pass the “freezing period”, which is usually 12 months. Nonetheless, if Bain is your dream company, finding a referral will largely increase your chance of being invited to the interview again. I suggest you be honest with your referral about the fact that you've been rejected 18 months ago and get his/her opinion on how to best proceed with your application this time.

Alternatively, there are lots of other great consulting firms besides Bain. Since you've moved into another country, why not try the other firms, for example BCG, Oliver Wyman, etc. In this case, you don't need to worry about your history with Bain :)

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Hey there,

Yeah, in theory, you would be blacklisted but it does not hurt to reach out again to the HR of your new local office to discuss your situation + the improvement levers needed to secure an interview invitation.

All the best!

Florian

Answer 3

Hi there,

In theory MBB have a centralized system in most countries. In practice, I know cases where candidates applied after a few months from the rejection to an office in a different continent with referral and have been accepted for interviews.

I would recommend the following:

Look for a referral if you don’t have one already. You can find some tips here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176
Explain the situation to the person referring you. Ideally they may talk internally with HR and see if there is a match now
If you get a green light, apply now, otherwise wait the recommended period before a new application

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Answer 4

Hi there,

I think you should reach out and talk to someone!

Explain the situation and ask if there's a possibility of trying again.

Your best bet is to literally reach out to the person who told you that you were 90% of the way there (you should have done this in the first place!). Your second option is to reach out to someone else with decision-making power and explain the content (also, feel free to name-drop).

Good luck!

Answer 5

Hello,

I agree with Francesco's advice on this - look for a referral and be sure to talk to HR to explain your situation.