Waitlisted at Bain & What to Do?

Hello,

Being waitlisted at Bain is still a positive sign, as it means you were a strong candidate and remain under consideration. A friend of mine who was waitlisted in the London office was able to secure a position in the end! To improve your chances, consider reaching out to your recruiter or point of contact to express your enthusiasm for the role and your commitment to the office you applied to. That said, stay professional and maintain patience, I am sure they will reach out to you whenever they have an outcome. 

Best,
Evelina

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on going through the entire application process with Bain!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, and contrary to what other coaches have said, there's really nothing you can do at this point except wait. I'm sure you've already expressed your enthusiasm for Bain in your interviews, so there's really no need to repeat yourself and risk coming across as pushy. You are still being considered.
• Moreover, as you already have other offers, try to keep them open as long as possible and if you get into a timing conflict, contact the Bain recruiter and talk about your situation.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

Being waitlisted at Bain is a sign that you're a strong candidate, but it also means they're waiting for the right spot to open up. Here are some steps you can take to improve your chances:

1. Express Continued Interest: Reach out to your recruiter or point of contact to reaffirm your enthusiasm for the role and your commitment to Bain. A polite email expressing your continued interest can make a positive impression1.
2. Stay Proactive: Keep in touch with the recruiting team every few weeks to show that you're still interested. Share any notable updates or achievements that strengthen your candidacy.
3. Network: Leverage your network to gather insights or advocacy from current Bain employees. Networking can sometimes help move things along.
4. Stay Flexible: Be open to the possibility of joining a different office if offered. Bain may ask if you're interested in other locations, and showing flexibility can improve your chances.
5. Continue Preparing: Keep preparing for interviews and stay sharp on case studies and business problems. You never know when another opportunity might arise1.
6. Explore Other Opportunities: While you wait, continue applying to other firms and interviewing with other companies. This way, you have multiple options and aren't solely reliant on Bain.

Hope this helps.

Mattijs

Being waitlisted at Bain means they see potential in you but are waiting for the right spot to open up. It's definitely possible to get off the waitlist, so stay proactive—reach out to the recruiter to express your continued interest and ask if there's anything else you can provide. In the meantime, keep preparing for interviews, stay connected with Bain employees, and stay flexible in case other opportunities come up. Best of luck, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need more advice!

I would argue you're still in consideration, so express gratitude and reaffirm your enthusiasm via email. Stay engaged by politely following up every few weeks, sharing any notable updates that strengthen your candidacy. Leverage your network for insights or advocacy and continue exploring other opportunities as a backup plan. Patience and professionalism are key, as decisions depend on office needs and other candidates’ responses.

Good luck! Alessa

Hey there, 

From my experience with candidates applying to Bain that have been waitlisted, many have eventually gotten the offer and them being waitlisted meant that they were still in contention pending (or subject to) further opening of a relevant role. 

So what should you do? Continue preparing for the fit and case portion of interviews, continue to stay close with recruiting and showing interest for the role, and stay optimistic about the opportunity. 

All the best

It's definitely possible to get off the waitlist! As others have mentioned, stay connected to the recruiting team, but continue to recruit and keep your options open should the position not pan out.

Good luck!

Why are you stressing over one company? When you applied to Bain, your odds were 5%. That's everyone's odds. Waitlist doesn't change much.

Treat it like you don’t have an interview invite, because you don’t.

Here’s what you do:

1. Forget about Bain
2. Start networking and applying to dozens of other firms. The goal is to have 10+ interviews lined up.
3. If Bain surprises you and takes you off the waitlist, great—it’s a bonus. But by then, you’re deep into other processes and don’t care.

Stop wasting time and energy on one company when there are so many opportunities out there.

Now go make it happen.

P.S. Sorry if my answers are direct, but there's too much wishy-washiness on here - the truth helps far more....you can do this (consulting recruiting in general) but it's really important that you focus on what matters!