Ding Central
Converting Your Consulting Dings Into Offers for Full-Time
Vineeth Subramanyam, '07
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: Perspectives
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Hard to believe that it was a year ago. As I settled into my evening class, I felt different. I was wearing a suit and was oddly aware that my phone could ring at any moment. In violation of class etiquette, I had kept my cell phone turned on. Just a few hours ago, I had interviewed with a consulting firm (let's call them McDaddy for confidentiality) and was promised a call the same day. About an hour into the class, my phone rang. I reached for the phone, scurried out of the classroom and said, "Hello!" with fervent anticipation.
What followed was the first of several dings that I would receive over the next week. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some first round, some second round. Some on time, some late. Some shocking, some expected. Some objective, some subjective. Some genuine, some rehearsed. Some delivered with sensitivity, some with brutal honesty. Some seemingly encouraging, others not even close. Despite this wide spectrum, there was a common thread. Dings always sucked.
If your recruiting train has stalled at ding central, read on. In my love-hate relationship with recruiting last year, I found that most consulting firms are looking to answer three basic questions in the affirmative before they even consider you as a candidate. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I'll list them here: (1) Can this person do the work? (2) Can we put this person in front of a client? and (3) Is this person fun to be with? I was confident that I was covered on these grounds, so assessing the reasons for my failure became more challenging. I realized later that beyond these questions, each firm (and in fact each office) may look for a specific "fit". I also realized that there were some things that were simply not in my control. If you are serious about getting an offer from your dream consulting firm during full-time recruiting later this fall, there's work ahead, but it's doable.
First, get feedback from the dingers. Understand exactly why you were not accepted or passed to second rounds as the case may be. Much like you saw with the dings, expect a wide range of feedback. If there's something you don't understand, politely ask for specific examples from the interview to help clarify what you did differently from what was expected. Read between the lines. Compile all the feedback and look for alarming patterns. In the absence of anything that is consistent and concerning, use your best judgment. And remember that you are two steps ahead by actively seeking feedback - it helps you understand what went wrong and shows the firms that you are serious about improving yourself for next time.
What followed was the first of several dings that I would receive over the next week. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some first round, some second round. Some on time, some late. Some shocking, some expected. Some objective, some subjective. Some genuine, some rehearsed. Some delivered with sensitivity, some with brutal honesty. Some seemingly encouraging, others not even close. Despite this wide spectrum, there was a common thread. Dings always sucked.
If your recruiting train has stalled at ding central, read on. In my love-hate relationship with recruiting last year, I found that most consulting firms are looking to answer three basic questions in the affirmative before they even consider you as a candidate. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I'll list them here: (1) Can this person do the work? (2) Can we put this person in front of a client? and (3) Is this person fun to be with? I was confident that I was covered on these grounds, so assessing the reasons for my failure became more challenging. I realized later that beyond these questions, each firm (and in fact each office) may look for a specific "fit". I also realized that there were some things that were simply not in my control. If you are serious about getting an offer from your dream consulting firm during full-time recruiting later this fall, there's work ahead, but it's doable.
First, get feedback from the dingers. Understand exactly why you were not accepted or passed to second rounds as the case may be. Much like you saw with the dings, expect a wide range of feedback. If there's something you don't understand, politely ask for specific examples from the interview to help clarify what you did differently from what was expected. Read between the lines. Compile all the feedback and look for alarming patterns. In the absence of anything that is consistent and concerning, use your best judgment. And remember that you are two steps ahead by actively seeking feedback - it helps you understand what went wrong and shows the firms that you are serious about improving yourself for next time.
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