Been rejected twice from McKinsey for two one day programmes: one was just a case workshop day the other was an insight day. Feel there is no way I even stand a chance with full time positions there.
Should I just focus on tier 2?
For context: resume has been written using guidance from former MBB and has been reviewed by former MBB. I am not from a target school however.
(edited)
Hi there,
Q: Feel there is no way I even stand a chance with full time positions there. Should I just focus on tier 2?
No. You can definitely get an invitation and offer even if you are rejected from an event. Events usually create a preferential channel for applications so it is great if you are invited, but there are other ways to break into consulting.
There are three main things you need to be invited for interviews:
Given you are coming from a non-target school, a referral would be very important in your case.
To find a referral, you should follow three steps:
You can find more information on networking and the steps to follow below:
▶ How to Network in Consulting
▶ How to Get a Referral – The Exact Steps
If you need help with getting invitations or have other questions please PM me, I do a session exactly on that where we can optimize everything you need for an invitation (referrals included).
Best,
Francesco
Great question! Every resume scan is a new opportunity to receive an interview so I would not lose hope, but try to identify the reason why you think you were not selected.
For example:
Taking a step back, I would also strongly encourage you to maximize the number of consulting firms you apply to (e.g. the rest of MBB and Tier 2, and others as well if you are interested). The work is not that dissimilar across many top firms, and there are so many factors going into the final decision that you should not put all your eggs in one basket. Best of luck!
Rejection from an event does not equal rejection for an interview. That being said, if you are not from a target school and have been rejected twice from events then it does get harder to get in. At this point, your best bet is to network really hard and get someone at a partner level to refer you for the role you want.
The other option is to apply for a role for which your school might qualify as a target school. For example, the expert track at McKinsey often has a wider set of target schools vs the generalist track.
All the best,
Udayan
(edited)
Hello!
There is nothing to loose in applying, this for sure. Furthermore, these workshops are extremely competitive, I know people who were rejected for them and then made it through the recruiting process.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
You should apply to a broad range of consulting firms since recruiting is a numbers game - you don’t only want to bet on one horse. Sometimes only nuances can decide on whether someone gets an offer or not. So keep your options open and don’t exclude relevant firms right from the get go.
I wish you the best of luck
A few thoughts:
Recommendation: Focus on breaking into the industry (vs. a specific firm) by (1) polishing resume and cover letter and (2) apply across the board.
As other says, you can still apply, BUT having such experience from the McK event, it may be worthy to get a coach at least for 1 session to mock the interview and get honest feedback where you stand to know who to approach prep for recruiting, eventually to help you think of other alternatives.
Feel free to reach out if interested.
Good luck
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As others have said, being rejected from a day event is not the same as being rejected from a job. It would signal though that perhaps your CV is not as strong as it needs to be, or your cover letters aren't quite hitting the mark.
It's really hard to tell from this whether you ‘stand a chance’ or not - if you share your resume with me I'm happy to give you a more thought through response.
You should focus on multiple options. Most people that get to interview still don't get the job. Most people who get a job… only get one job, but they may get interviews at multiple firms.
So… I am not sure what you really win by giving up from MBB. Particularly because you learn from every interaction and you can leverage that on other interviews.
Hello,
One day programs are very different from full-time jobs. If you would like to work at MBB, I would definitely apply. The worst that can happen is that you don't get an offer, which is the guaranteed outcome if you don't apply anyway. Since you are not from a target school, the best thing you can do is to get networking, as securing a referral will be the best way to maximize your success. Best of luck!
Hi there,
You have no been rejected from McKinsey. You just haven't been invited to some events.
Get networking!
for what it's worth, I got rejected from the one-day program but got interviewed for an internship position in the same cycle with the same resume. so i don't think it's related.
