Hi all. As you may have read in the comments section for the latest B2BCG and Insight post, I was not selected for Bridge. I am a little frustrated and confused because I had such a positive response from BCG in the past, worked hard to improve myself and my resume this year, and then was rejected. Regardless of the outcome, I am glad that so many of you had success with this process.
Since I will not be attending any of the summer programs this year, I hope that a few of you who do go will be able to add a few comments about the programs and let us know 1) what they were like 2) what you found most useful and 3) anything else you want to add!
To those of you who aren't going to summer programs, keep working on interview prep. There were a lot of people that got jobs last year who didn't get into these programs!
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Hi CC,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that you did not get in. I didn't either. I kind of expected my rejection as I put everything together in a hurry at the last minute for the application and have got little experience in leadership outside academic world to impress the consultants. But still, I was disappointed and sad. My frustration comes from the nonstop lab work seven days a week, leaving me little time to get involved in other activities.
Maybe these are all excuses, I am a shy person and grew up in a culture that encourages being humble and focusing only on academic performance. Apparently, these are not qualities that consulting firms seek in applicants. I now joined the consulting club in our grad school and start to network with people. I wish I had started these prep work earlier... I am also under the pressure of producing another paper, as my demanding supervisor told me after I got my first paper published earlier this year.
I might have a better chance with the McK Insight Asia, but I don't think it is a good idea to leave the US at this point due to personal reasons. So I have to let go this great opportunity.
I'm already a G5. Is it too late to compete with all the G1/2/3s for positions in student organizations? Is it necessary to be a VP or something in a group at this stage for applying to consulting jobs? After all, graduation is the most critical thing for a G5.
Hope we get better luck applying for a full-time position when the fall comes. Let's get to work! We've survived grad school, we can do this.
Wow - you guys have a consulting club? What's that then?
ReplyDeleteAlso - have you actually thought about the career? If you are more quiet/reserved it's not the carer for you. Consulting chews people up and spits them out - a great learning experience if you can cope with it!
CC, I am sorry to hear you didn't make it into Bridge. I didn't make it to Bridge NYC but did make it into Insight Eng. It makes me wonder what BCG was looking for in the resumes. I have heard that Bridge looks for Ivy undergrad and very high test scores/GPA...while I don't know your background - if they are looking for a particular type of resume this might be a reason.
ReplyDeleteCC, from what I heard from a McK recruiter, neither Insight or Bridge take people who have previously applied to the companies. Basically, they say that the idea of the summer programs is to introduce APDs to consulting and previous applicants are clearly aware of what the position entails. So do not get discouraged, the Bridge rejection is not an indication of your chances of landing a job with them.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that a Bridge rejection doesn't mean you can't get a full time offer...I would like to think that I was rejected because I wasn't new to consulting or BCG, but that wasn't indicated in the rejection letter.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely be practicing cases and working towards preparing myself for the fall, but you have to get an interview to get the job and that means going through another resume screen!
Hello CC and others,
ReplyDeleteI am totally new to this, and stumbled upon this blog just yesterday. A search on "Is B2BCG useful?" landed me here :) first things first, great job on the blog!
Now some background: I'm a PhD student looking to finish in 2011, and had randomly applied for B2BCG (Chicago). To my sweet surprise, I got selected as well. Now, I'm a bit clueless w.r.t. a few questions:
What does one need to "prepare" for this workshop? BCG does not advertise the workshop as a tool for screening candidates for future interviews, but I suspect there is some significance to it. For instance, I'm guessing it is completely possible for someone to get selected for B2BCG, and not any future interview - no?
Any advice here is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
-X
I don't think there is a lot or preparation for the workshop, although now that you are in the mix and WILL be offered an interview in the fall (I think all B2BCG-er's get interview offers), I would suggest you start practicing cases and personal interviews NOW. If you don't have any experience, it will take you up until the fall to become really proficient and give yourself the best shot of landing a job.
ReplyDeleteBeyond that, I wouldn't worry tooo much about preparing for Bridge. I don't think it is quite the screening tool you might be suggesting it is...sure you can do something to make them not like you so don't do anything blatantly wrong!
Congratulations on being selected...you should be proud! Please keep us posted on your experience!
CC, thanks for the quick response. And sure thing; happy to share what I experience there.
ReplyDelete-X
CC,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering whether you know - if someone gets dinged by McK/BCG after the first round I have heard that they cannot re-apply for 18 months. Is it also the same situation if you get dinged after the later rounds as well?
This might be a little bit of a different situation. I think it is probably a person by person thing. What I mean by that is after I was "dinged" in the final round of BCG interviews last year, I was strongly encouraged to apply again this next year. If you get to the later rounds you will probably get much more individual feedback about reapplying.
ReplyDeleteHi All, I'll be out of town for a week without much internet access. I'm looking forward to reading about your insight experiences when I get back! Please be sure to give us all of the details!
ReplyDeleteHi CC,
ReplyDeleteConsidering that this might be the time window where preparation for the big four interviews is gaining most momentum, do you think you start a piece with materials and resources listed out? and we readers can also contribute to that.
I know that one way or the other we are all competing against each other, but sharing information and resources can be as useful as sharing experiences (as we are already doing here).
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know whether it is safe to assume that getting into Bridge will guarantee an interview invite? I want to talk to a recruiter about potential scheduling issues (would like to go through interviews as early as possible so if given the opportunity, I could start early) but just thinking of ways to phrase my request without sounding presumptuous.
Thank you and good luck to everyone this season. Hopefully we will be colleagues soon!
any word from insight people...i thought some of you were going to share your experience. why hasn't anyone posted yet?
ReplyDeleteI just participated in one of the Insight programs. I found it very valuable, both in terms of speaking with consultants at multiple levels (associates, engagement managers and partners) about what it means to work for McKinsey, and in terms of understanding how to work in a "McKinsey" team to solve a case. Obviously, the cases will be one-on-one during the interviews, but man, was it worth it to work through a complicated case with a McKinsey associate guiding us as our "Engagement Manager" for the weekend. I can write more later, with a few tips, but I just wanted to get the post-Insight conversation going.
ReplyDelete-AM
So, a couple of tips and info specific to McKinsey to get us started...
ReplyDeleteAs an advanced degree candidate, you apply in the normal fall application round (I think it's September for advanced degrees, October for MBAs and undergrads and August for Insight participants) and get an offer around December. You can start pretty much any time you want. The normal start times are the end of the following summer, but the "mini-MBA" programs, at least for McKinsey, are held once a month, so there isn't any real barrier to you starting earlier or later, aside from space in the office you choose.
As far as interview tips, the people at the Insight program strongly recommended that you work through the McKinsey cases on their website, and they said the Case in Point book was good but not perfect. In particular, they said that trying to fit each case to one of the "frameworks" provided in the CIP book has led to problems in the past. So know the frameworks, but don't be a slave to them. You should also try to get together with other people to solve cases in a small group, to get other people's perspectives and approaches.
For the personality interviews, you should have some good experience stories handy that demonstrate your leadership, problem-solving and team-building skills. Make sure to emphasize *your* role in these stories. Practice them out loud so they sound natural, and make sure you can tailor them to multiple possible questions (a "team" story could also be applicable to a question about solving "team member conflicts," etc.).
In terms of the McKinsey lifestyle, most people said that you travel Monday-Thursday and are home in your office on Friday. You do not work weekends in general, only on rare occasions. The normal work week is 60-65 hours/week, and can be more during intense cases and less during light cases or between cases. Between cases, you can have downtime in which you help other people on their cases or work on important but not case-specific tasks for the company or office. However, there's currently a shortage of consultants, so very few people have downtime between cases. There are three weeks of vacation per year the first two years and several paid holidays each year.
Ok, enough for now. I can try to answer specific questions as they come up.
-AM
Thanks AM! I appreciate you taking the initiative to get the "post-insight conversation" going. Sounds like it was very beneficial for you. Any information on what the format of the program was like?
ReplyDeleteHi, AM
ReplyDeleteThanks for the detailed response. One question though: for those interviewing in August, do they still have to wait until December to get an offer or final round rejection?
First question, the format of the program was the following:
ReplyDeleteEvening 1: happy hour, dinner, meet our 5-person case analysis teams, small team-building activity, drinks (another happy hour).
Day 2: We started with some short presentations by consultants about how to approach a case analysis. Then we discussed the case in our teams with a consultant acting as a facilitator. We had some background information about the case and the industry of interest in binders. During this case analysis time, we came up with "interview questions" to get additional information (not in our binders) from people role-playing as employees of the company that we were analyzing. We did our "employee interviews," then we went to the art museum for a tour and dinner, then optional bowling.
Day 3: more presentations about case analysis by consultants, then we finished working out our case analysis, recommendations, and slide presentations that we were going to give later. During this time, our consultant facilitators gave us one-on-one feedback (10 minutes or so) about how we were doing on the case and team dynamics. We made our slides and then went on a scavenger hunt. Afterward, we had dinner followed by a game night.
Day 4: We first had a roundtable discussion with several consultants, asking questions about consulting, what their work and home lives are like, and how the interviewing process works. Then, we finalized our presentations in our teams and decided who would speak about what. We gave the presentations to "(consultants who were) employees of the company," who asked a lot of questions and then gave us presentation feedback. Other teams were also listening to our presentations and giving feedback. Then we had lunch and finished up by going to the airport, train or hotel.
Second question: For those interviewing in August, I believe all of the time lines are pushed up a month, so I think you could have an offer by November. I think it's interview 1 in August, interview 2 in september/october, and interview 3 in october/november, with an offer quickly following. I haven't gotten a detailed time line, though, so I could be off a bit. Interviews 1 and 2 usually happen in the closest office to you, and interview 3 happens in your "office of interest."
-AM
After your final interview, you will receive your offer within a week. Normally, you will receive it on the same day.
ReplyDeleteAt Insight S&E, they said the interview timeframe for August invitees was rounds 1 and 2 in August, round 3 in September. Not sure about when the offers go out.
ReplyDeleteInsight S&E was similar to the healthcare scenario above: social events, etc. were different, but the overall tenor of the program was the same.
Based on my experience reading this site compared with my experience on Insight, I would say not to overthink figuring out what McK is looking for. Be yourself, come up with compelling stories, practice cases...but don't stress so much about exactly what to say and do in every scenario. It seems that McK is pretty good at asking questions in their interview process to figure out the "real you." So embrace it, and be the best version of yourself that you can.
I was just told that both round 1 and round 2 interviews for Insight participants will be happening in August. Not sure about round 3.
ReplyDeleteWhat you're saying is completely true. I know that everybody must say the same thing, but I just think that you put it in a way that everyone can understand. I'm sure you'll reach so many people with what you've got to say.
ReplyDelete