Nailed first-round case interviews, still rejected

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejection!

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

• First of all, I would advise you to seek feedback to find out, even though they initially didn't provide it which is rather unusual.
• Moreover, performance in the case studies obviously is just one part of the evaluation, and personal fit plays an equally important role. Maybe there was something in the personal fit part that didn't align with the firm's criteria.
• Lastly, sometimes decisions are influenced by factors beyond an individual's control, such as a sudden reduction in hiring needs.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

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

Best,

Hagen

Hello,

I'm truly sorry to hear about your interview outcome. I can imagine how frustrating this must be, but please don't lose hope. Being invited to interview means you're already in the top 10%, and you have a strong chance of succeeding at another top consultancy. It's not unusual for firms to withhold feedback to avoid potential disputes, especially in certain legal contexts.

If you felt a good connection with one of the interviewers, consider connecting with them on LinkedIn. This could provide you with some valuable off-the-record insights.

Warm regards, Frederic

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the rejection, this must be disheartening. Also, this situation makes little sense to me the way you describe it. I’ve got a couple of assumptions, though:

1. The case part: they liked your performance in the moment, but when discussing all the candidates who attended the first round, you came short, as there were candidates  stronger than you. The interviewers had to make a tough choice as to whom to advance to the next round, and, unfortunately, given the limited quota, they had to select only the top performers.

2. The fit part: you may have nailed the cases, but they had doubts about you being a part of the team. This could either be that your profile is less relevant for them (especially if it’s a specialist track) or something personality-wise that didn’t sit with them.

One of my students was in a similar situation 6 months ago. He interviewed for a position at a T2 company that specialises in operations and has a very limited intake. He nailed the case interviews and got commended for them, but still got a soft rejection as there was another candidate whose qualifications were more relevant and there was only one position available. Luckily, he has recently managed to get that offer, after there was another opening at the company.

Make sure you get the detailed feedback from your interviewers and / or an HR and keep trying other companies.

Good luck!

Nick

Two possibilities here:

1. You didn't really nailed it. 

2. You did well, but hiring is really narrow for that office.

Hi there,

Sorry to hear, I know it's hard. That being said, you should absolutely try and get feedback, so you don't have to guess as to what went wrong.

As for the reasons, we also have to guess. If the case part was actually that stellar based on your own view and feedback, that only leaves personal fit (leaving aside any internal quota etc.). This part weighs a lot and is highly subjective. Hence, it's entirely possible that this let you down.

If you want to keep pursuing consulting as a career, feel free to reach out for support.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

Sorry to hear.

There are a few possibilities:

1. You did not do as well as you think you did
2. You did well, but not well enough
3. The case was great but they don't see you as a “fit”
4. Hiring is slow and they have very very few spots (there was someone better)

The best way to figure this out, honestly, is to get assessed by a professional. If you have other interviews coming up, get a coach to do a deep-dive assessment! It's very rare that there's nothing wrong!

Hi there! I understand how frustrating it can be to not receive feedback after a rejection. It's important to remember that the hiring process for MBB firms can be quite rigorous and competitive. While you may have performed well in your case interviews, there could be other factors at play that influenced the final decision.

One possibility is that the personal fit aspect of the interview did not meet the firm's expectations. MBB interviews place a significant emphasis on assessing whether candidates align with the firm's values and culture. It's possible that despite your strong performance in the case interviews, there may have been concerns about your fit within the organization.

Another possibility is that the hiring decision was extremely narrow for that particular office. Sometimes, firms have limited spots available and have to make tough decisions among highly qualified candidates. It's important to keep in mind that the competition for these positions can be intense.

To gain more clarity on what may have gone wrong, I would recommend reaching out to your recruiting contact and requesting feedback. Be sure to approach this conversation in a professional manner, expressing your genuine interest in improving for future interviews.

Remember, receiving a rejection does not define your abilities or potential. It's an opportunity to learn and grow. I would also suggest considering working with a coach who can provide a deep-dive assessment of your interview performance and help you identify areas for improvement.

Keep your spirits high and continue to pursue your goal of becoming a strategy consultant. You've already demonstrated your skills, and with the right guidance, you'll be well-prepared for future opportunities.

Wow, that's surprising. 

Honestly, we can't know either :)

The only hypothesis is that your actual perception of how you did was better than how you actually did. Perhaps there were better candidates. 

Aside from this, it could also be because it's towards the end of the year and they're hiring less. 

Sorry to hear about it. Please keep going. If you're reapplying to other firms, sharing with you a guide that you might find helpful:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

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Practicing for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> SoyTechnologies  

Hi there,

Have you also considered the personal fit interview in the equation? It is equally important for the hiring / rejection decision and I've seen several candidates with solid cases not reaching the personal fit bar. Also, when giving feedback, MBB interviews are typically very cautious when covering the personal fit part. 

I would try to get more feedback on the rejection via your recruiting contact. I don't probably need to mention this, but be extra professional when reaching out for this topic to not be perceived as someone “angry” with a recruiting decision. Frame it as something to be better prepared for next interviews.

Best,

Alberto

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about the rejection. In terms of your question:

Q: I recently had my first round at an MBB, and I nailed both of my case interviews.  However, I was still rejected. What could have gone wrong?

There are a few possible reasons. The most likely are:

1. Your performance was actually not that good.
2. Your performance was good in the case part but not good enough in the fit part.
3. Your performance was good in both case and fit, but other candidates had a better performance.
4. The company doesn’t need to hire for internal reasons.

To get clarity, I would recommend reaching out to the company and asking for feedback.

Best,

Francesco