Hi All,
I left a Big 4 and in hopes to join Consulting. I am mainly interested in doing Consulting for CPG and Retail. I had an interview with BCG, one month ago and unfortunately got the Norovirus that has been going around and didn't have enough time to prep for the case interview. Not sure which other firms I should consider. Also does anyone know how many months I would have to wait to reapply?
Thanks!
Sorry to hear the interview didn't go well.
Getting sick is a perfectly fine reason to postpone an interview. So next time, do ask for an extension if you're not ready. I haven't had any candidates bullied into interviewing when they were sick.
Then, in terms of other firms, actually most top firms have a CPG arm.
If I were you, I'd look at the top 20 then get in touch with the recruiter from your target office to understand whether they are accepting applications.
Then start building an application strategy from there. This article might help:
Regarding reapplying, typically the freeze is in place for 12 months.
Best,
Cristian
You got the norovirus…which lasts 1-2 days.
What you're really saying is you didn't plan properly and weren't ready because you had not been prepping like you should for 2-3 months.
^sorry to be direct, but you need to stop making excuses in order to change!
There are dozens and dozens of other firms. Hit google. Hit LinkedIn. Hit your network. Have calls. Ask people on the calls. Look at related companies.
You should be networking extensively and applying to 40+ firms during any recruiting push/job hunt!
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No, I got the interview with BCG through a headhunter on Linkedin, who randomly messaged me. I wasn't expecting to hear back from BCG since their acceptance rate is low...I was surprised they scheduled second round aka case interview within 10 days. I had no consulting background or ideas about case interviews. They gave me access to CaseCoach Enguerran, which is practicing with other potential candidates. A few days after prepping, I got the Norovirus through both of my kids, whom I took care of for 5 days. Afterwards, I got back up and had 10 case interview practices via CaseCoach Enguerran, but obviously not enough given my timeframe prior to the interview and according to CaseCoach Enguerran you need to have 25 practice case interviews. So before you assume something, you can validate..But thanks for your advice otherwise! I wish I knew about prep lounge during my interview prep time and spent less time on CaseCoach Enguerran with potential candidates and here with actual Recruiters.
(edited)
I totally understand! Life is hectic/busy. But my comment does still hold - proper prep requires 2-3 months. You gave yourself 10 days, so norovirus wasn't the problem (it took 1-2 days from you when you needed 60). The problem was you should have been case prepping weeks/months in advance! I know this is direct, and sounds like attacking, but alas that's just how written text unfortunately goes. You did not fail the interview because of norovirus: you failed because you did not have the proper runway for prep - it's important to identify the root cause and fix it... being distracted by a "reason" that isn't the reason does no one any good!
Correct, I agree...I wasn't fully prepared for a case interview since I didn't have a consulting background and wasn't anticipating a recruiter to reach out randomly on LinkedIn for BCG to schedule an interview within 10 days. I will definitely prepare in advance now I am familiar with the process and now I am aware of prep lounge.
Hi there,
1) I am mainly interested in doing Consulting for CPG and Retail. Not sure which other firms I should consider.
Most consulting firms cover CPG and Retail. You can find a list of the top consulting firms by revenue below, most likely they cover them.
▶ Top 15 Consulting Firms by Revenues and Prestige
2) Also does anyone know how many months I would have to wait to reapply?
Normally the ban is 12-18 months. Sometimes if you have a strong interview performance they might offer a ban of 6 months (they should let you know if that's the case).
Good luck!
Francesco
You'll have to wait 12 months. Regarding other companies… it's a long list between MBB; Tier 2, Specialized Boutiques, etc., and that would depend on location.
Thanks, based in NYC
(edited)
It's one of the largest consulting hubs in the world... there's really a very long list of options. Beyond Tier 2 and well-known specialized boutiques, You'll have to do some research :)
Hi there,
Ian is spot on.
Nothing to add except the fact that you would usually be banned from re-applying for 12-24 months, which depends on the office location.
You can shorten it through a strong referral and increase your chances of getting a new invitation by improving your work experience, academia, and extracurriculars on your resume.
All the best,
Florian
Thanks this was helpful...I wanted to ask the BCG recruiter for an extension. However, she mentioned two other candidates were interviewing the same week and they needed someone to start within that month. So I was worried they wouldn't allow me to extend my interview, given my situation and wanted to try since I was able to do 10 live interviews via CaseCoach Enguerran. I didn't know about prep lounge until this week. I would have definitely utilized this more than CaseCoach, the prep BCG provides.