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Skype Interview with Consulting firm - is it ever a good idea not to meet f2f?

Anonymous C

on Jul 06, 2018

Global

Video interview or pay to fly there?

i have a final round MBB Interview coming up. It is scheduled for a video call.

I am considering paying myself to fly there, do you believe there is any benefit in doing it face to face ? Does this benefit warrant paying for a $140 return flight ?

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Top answer

Dorothea

Coach

on Jul 06, 2018

Ex-Oliver Wyman with 100% interview success rate - specialized in female career coaching

Hi Anonymous,

there are indeed benefits of a face-to-face interview:

More natural interaction - less perceived distance, sometimes you experience technical difficulties in video / phone interviews like delays or disruptions of the video transmission
Easier to get a feeling for the fit - it is not only often a bit diffifult to build a connection with your interviewer if you are solely interacting via video, it is also more difficult to figure out how well you get along with your interviewer
Show strong commitment - flying there is likely to show your interviewer an increased level of commitment and how serious you are about this job

All these figures may indeed give you an advantage over candidates who have only interviewed via phone or video. However, the most important part of the interview is still how you perform on cases and during the personal fit part. If you feel secure about those things there is no real need to show up to the interview in person (and btw, if MBB would think so, they would invite you to the office). However, if you feel you get a better idea of the firm and of the people working there if you go and see the office, then go for it.

Best

Dorothea

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Vlad

Coach

edited on Jul 06, 2018

McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I personally had a skype interview - it worked well. Although I recommend having a live interview:

A Personal meeting is definitely better than online experience since you can connect better with the interviewer (you can notice his emotions and case tips better, you can be more persuasive in your fit stories, etc)
140$ is a small amount of money compared to the returns of working for an MBB company

If you still want to have an interview on skype, here are some general recommendations:

First of all, check whether they are providing a conference room in a local office
If not - find a place with good internet speed and test it multiple times before the interview. Also, think of nice room / proper light for the video conference if you do it from home
You should be dressed the same as for the regular interview
Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions if there are problems with connection or you were not able to hear something
Don't forget to look at the camera and smile - same as you do on a regular interview

Best

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Gero

Coach

Ex-BCG │200+ Interviews & Interview Coachings @ BCG │ 25+ candidates coached into MBB │WHU/LSE/Nova │ Teacher & Trainer

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