Prolonged Interview Process and Lack of Clarity – How to Proceed?

Question

Hello everyone,

I've been going through a consulting firm’s interview process for the last 4 months and would appreciate any advice on how to handle my current situation. The firm is a small consulting company with less than 100 employees (not an MBB), but it's supposed to be an established and respectable one based on reputation and Glassdoor reviews. Here’s the detailed breakdown:

1. On-campus interview: This was with a consultant and included fit questions, a brainteaser, and a case structure.

2. HR interview: The HR informed me that I would have two more case interviews, and if I passed, there would be a final interview with the partner.

3. First case interview: I had a case interview with a senior consultant, and I aced it in 30 minutes.

4. Second case interview: I then interviewed with a principal for the second case and passed.

5. Partner interview: I had a 30-minute interview with a partner. He asked about my background, motivation, and gave me several technical questions related to finance, optimization, and simulation. He then gave me a short case to structure (no numerical part). He said I did extremely well and informed me there would be an additional interview related to AI and data, but it would take place in 6 weeks because the person would only be available then.

At this point, I had completed the process according to the HR’s instructions: I was told that the partner interview would be the final one, but then the partner mentioned an additional interview.

6. AI and data-related interview: After 6 weeks, I had a 30-minute interview and was given a take-home case, which I completed and passed.

Again, I thought I had completed the process. But after passing this interview, I received another invitation for yet another technical interview.

7. Invitation for another interview: After completing the take-home case, I received an email for yet another technical interview. I reached out to HR for clarification, but the original HR contact didn’t respond to my calls or emails. Instead, an HR intern responded and told me there would be 2 more interviews in total but gave no specifics on what to prepare for. I was only told that the interview would be related to AI and data.

I’m now at a crossroads. If I continue and go into these next interviews without knowing the topics, I will likely fail because I’ll have zero preparation. On the other hand, if I don’t continue, I will have wasted 4 months on this company with nothing to show for it.

My questions:
1. What do you think about this situation? Should I continue with the process despite the disorganization and lack of transparency?
2. What should I do next given that I’ve completed the process twice and still don’t have clear guidance?

Thanks in advance for your insights!

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with this consulting firm!

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

First of all, I would advise you to seek clarity directly from a higher authority within the recruiting department.
Moreover, consider the benefits and costs of continuing in this prolonged process. If the role aligns significantly with your career goals, it might be worth pursuing further. However, assess whether the disorganization you’ve experienced reflects the company’s usual way of operating, which might influence your decision.
Lastly, I would advise you to keep your options open by applying to other consulting firms.

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

Answer 2

Hi there,

It feels like they are stalling the process due to unclear hiring demands...

If I were in your shoes, I'd deprioritize this company for now while still staying in the process to see what the outcome would be but at the same time I would enter the process with other relevant firms (consulting and or industry).

All the best,

Florian

Answer 3

Hi there,

this does sound strange and misleading. I would agree that it seems to be a stalling tactic by the company. They might not have clarity on how many people they can actually hire and when.

You can continue the process with them to see where it leads but depending on your situation and how urgently you want to find a (another job), you should prioritize applying to more firms. Never put all your hopes on the process of just one firm. Go broad and ideally you get multiple offer of which you can choose the one that suits you the best.

Good luck

Answer 4

This means they are not very well organized (and may even be changing the process as they go).

I would complete the process (what do you have to lose?), but would probably give a higher priority to other companies.