PWC - Partner Round

Hello! I'd recommend:

1. A. They will definitely be tapping a vast talent pool, esp., given the broad consulting lay offs. I doubt this is why your interview was delayed, though. Partners are really (really) busy, esp., at EO year. I'd hypothesise it's a case of lots of people to interview and very busy partners

2. If you don't have an offer, I wouldn't recommend saying you do. The world is small & some consulting firms can cross reference. If you do have an offer, though, I would make this clear and give a deadline, but highlight that you'd prefer to take PwC (if that's the case)

3. Just ask for clarity. Consulting firms are generally clear about pipeline. Always assume as little as possible, unless you've been ghosted for a while.

General advice beyond the above: A. practice more cases and be extremely ready to go if/when the time comes, B. give HR some time & be patient - they will reject you if you're not a fit, but until then, give them room, C. Apply to lots of other positions & companies. It's tough out there at the moment for consulting as an industry. 

I hope this helps!

Hi there,

First of all, good luck with your final round!

Definitely read the following to help with your prep:

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

1- Are they tapping vast talent pool, hence delaying my FaceTime with Partner and giving me other reason that Partner is unavailable during Dec'23?

First, it's the holidays. That's what's happening. Period.

Second, it “doesn't matter”. You have no control over this so try not to think about it (easier said than done, I know)
2- If I tell them that I've an offer to consider in order to create desired traction and time pressure, am afraid if it backfires and puts my candidature in spot? Sometimes, offer shopping led pressure tactics backfires and it's seen as ‘take it or leave it’ from employers!!

Do you have an offer? If so, you can let them know, say there's a due date, but that PwC is preferred. Ask if they can accelerate.

HOW you word this is very important. Tap a coach for help.

3- If Jan'24 month also lapses and I do not get a diary from so called Partner, shall I assume am not in the race? 

I wouldn't assume that. Just depends on schedule. Big firms move slow.

4- Or, I reach out to Partner “directly” mentioning him off this delay since I know him over LinkedIn?

Please DO NOT do this.

Hi there,

1- Are they tapping vast talent pool, hence delaying my FaceTime with Partner and giving me other reason that Partner is unavailable during Dec'23?

They are for sure interviewing other candidates. Reason why they are delaying your interview with the partner, they only know…

2- If I tell them that I've an offer to consider in order to create desired traction and time pressure, am afraid if it backfires and puts my candidature in spot? Sometimes, offer shopping led pressure tactics backfires and it's seen as ‘take it or leave it’ from employers!!

Never lie in these situations. Risk of getting caught are high and that would extremely damage your reputation (this is a small world, reputation is a huge asset).

3- If Jan'24 month also lapses and I do not get a diary from so called Partner, shall I assume am not in the race? 

Never assume anything but I would start in parallel the application with other consulting firms to diversify risks.

4- Or, I reach out to Partner “directly” mentioning him off this delay since I know him over LinkedIn?

I don't suggest this. Recruiters are the contact point for recruiting processes. Keep following with your recruiting contact every 2 weeks, even if they don't answer. It is their job to manage the processes and candidate expectations.

Good luck!

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Sorry to hear about this situation. It must be stressful indeed. 

The important thing is to keep your cool. 

Practically, that means the following:

• Stop following up with HR if you've already done so already
• They are indeed either interviewing other candidates in parallel (which you cannot control) OR they are unsure whether they can still offer the role because of a shift in recruiting priorities (which you cannot control) OR they Partner is actually very busy (which you cannot control). 
• Apply to more consulting firms and start the recruitment with as many as you can that are relevant for you. That will relieve some of the pressure
• Don't claim you have a competitive offer if you don't have one. It's not ethnical, plus, indeed, it tends to backfire. If you do apply to other firms and the process moves quickly, you might find yourself in a situation where do you actually have a competitive offer and then you can use that genuine lever

Good luck!
Cristian

Hi there,

1) Are they tapping vast talent pool, hence delaying my FaceTime with Partner and giving me other reason that Partner is unavailable during Dec'23?

Most likely given the period the delay is due to (i) holiday period or (ii) project pipeline not predictable.

2) If I tell them that I've an offer to consider in order to create desired traction and time pressure, am afraid if it backfires and puts my candidature in spot?

If you do have an offer, there is nothing wrong with mentioning it, as you most likely have a deadline for it. If you don’t have an offer, I would not recommend making up that you have one.

3) If Jan'24 month also lapses and I do not get a diary from so called Partner, shall I assume am not in the race? 

If they said you should interview in January, most likely they will schedule it. If they don’t, it doesn’t mean they won’t consider you – there might be delays from their side.

4) Or, I reach out to Partner “directly” mentioning him off this delay since I know him over LinkedIn?

I would recommend waiting for the scheduling from HR.

5) What should I do and how I convert this to my favour as am just ‘one step' away from the Offer.

I would recommend concentrating on other opportunities. If you do get another offer, you can then contact them and try to speed up the process.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with PwC UAE thus far!

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

• First of all, it's not unusual for scheduling delays to occur, especially with senior staff like Partners who have very demanding calendars. It's possible that they are evaluating multiple candidates, but it could also be a simple case of high workload.
• Moreover, I would advise you to be cautious with leveraging another offer, especially if non-existent. It can indeed create urgency, but it might also be perceived negatively if not handled diplomatically. Transparency is key, but ensure to communicate it as part of your ongoing professional updates rather than an ultimatum.
• Lastly, if January passes without a scheduled meeting, it wouldn't harm to reach out directly to the Partner. Given you have a connection on LinkedIn, a polite and professional message highlighting your continued interest and asking for an update could be beneficial.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hello again,

1. You can assume you are not the only candidate left in the race. However, I would not think that they try to deceive you to buy more time - it might just be their internal scheduling, plus year end shutdown, plus beginning of a new year, etc
2. If you don't actually have another offer, I wouldn't gamble with that
3. You should always assume you are not in the race unless told otherwise. You should therefore apply to many different companies
4. That will likely not be well received by the partner and by the firm

What should you do? 
You should apply to other companies in the meantime and let the PWC people get back to you at their own time. You are clearly too invested into the recruiting process of this one company so that you'll be left empty handed if this doesn't work out for whatever reasons.

Best

Hey there,

Annoying situation. Sorry to hear that!

1) It could be but many other factors could be at play here as well (e.g., holiday season, busy with other projects, hiring slowdown).

2) Never, ever lie in your applications or interviews. There is no upside to this - only a significant downside!

3) No, see reply for question #1.

I just talked to a guy yesterday who is in the same boat as you, passing the first round interview with McK in the Middle East as well, but has yet to hear about the second round (it's been 6+ months for him). There is nothing that you can do at the moment about this situation. You might hear back soon or not; you might progress or be rejected.

Hence, focus on what you can control and work on different opportunities!

All the best,

Florian

Hey,

Unfortunately, you are not a priority for them right now.
Therefore, neither should they be a priority for you.

Continue interviewing with other firms in the meantime and let them know if you've got another offer on your hands.

Good luck!
Nick