I've always seen people talk about failures and how much they go through before they become successful. Would love to hear some stories, especially related to MBB on setback/failures you all went through before becoming successful.
Just seeking some inspiration for myself and the rest of us here :)
It took me three tries to land a job at BCG. The third time was the charm, they say! I was rejected at the resume/CV screen out of undergrad (2012), rejected after the first round after three years at another consulting firm (2016), and received an offer on the third try (2020). Let's break it down:
First unsuccessful attempt: I was a mediocre applicant out of undergrad—average grades, limited brand-name internships, and non-target school. A Partner I networked with told me to expect a rejection this time around, land an offer at a brand-name company (consulting or otherwise) out of school, work for 2-3 years, and apply as an experienced hire with a strong referral from my desired office. I did just that!
Second unsuccessful attempt: After three years at the Energy practice at Charles River Associates (CRA is a renowned economic consulting firm), I applied as an experienced hire to BCG's Boston office. I had a strong referral from a Consultant in the office, networked with 15+ BCGers, met key recruiting team members at onsite and online events, and felt ready to secure the offer. My nerves got to me during the first-round interviews, and I didn't move to the decision-making round. The recruiting team shared positive feedback overall and said I needed a little bit more case prep to secure the offer. They said they would be happy to re-interview me in 6 months (unusual, as most of you know) to give me time to prepare. Case prep was my #1 focus after that.
Securing the offer on the third attempt: Even though I was crushed to have gotten so close and not close the deal, I spent little time on self-pity. I took a little break from case prep to identify what was wrong with my approach, select the best case prep resources, and map out a more effective plan to break into consulting. Through that experience, I developed a streamlined approach to securing the offer.
I learned invaluable lessons about MBB application strategy, effective networking, resume/cover letter drafting, and interview preparation (case + fit). Please reach out if you would like to discuss how I can help overcome the challenges and setbacks. Don't lose hope because things didn't go your way the first (or second) time—perseverance will help you land that dream job.
Hi there,
Failure is a natural part of life.
Without getting too philosophical here, the most successful people in business, sports, etc. also fail the most since they try the most, learn, then iterate and eventually succeed (given they persist).
See SpaceX as an example how they always aim to fail at a later stage of the rocket launch until they fully succeed - with spectacular results in terms of speed and performance compared to public and other private competitors who use a much more cautious approach and try to get it right the first time.
The issue (at least in European culture) is that failure is frowned upon and seen as something negative instead of a steppingstone.
In any case, I failed my McKinsey internship interviews a good year before my successful FT applications, which was not just the steppingstone to my McKinsey career but also to starting my own case coaching business and website, writing a book about the topic, etc. later on.
If I had not failed the first time, not sure this all would have unfolded the way it did.
Cheers,
Florian
Right out of college: I did not get invited to any MBB, because my CV was too weak (no internships)
At Kearney, applying to MBB: Failed McK first round.
Eventually I made it to BCG.
Don't give up - and remember, there are many paths to consulting.
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