4 mistakes to avoid while preparing

As former consultants at McKinsey, BCG and Bain and after helping more than 600 candidates get their permanent contracts or internships at the best firms, we have developed the necessary perspective to identify and describe to you precisely the 4 most common mistakes and which are committed by the candidates. Keep reading this article to keep them in mind and avoid committing them.
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Mistake 1: Rushing your application

The best strategy consulting firms are ultra-selective. Applying for it must be a well-considered decision. Mostly because you have to be aware of the difficulty of the task ahead of you and the many factors to work on (in case studies and in FIT) to be able to qualify for a job or internship offer ofIdeally.
Many candidates contact us after having already planned their interviews, with very little preparation and with less than 3 weeks of preparation time available. Don't fall into the same trap! At the most intense pace, you need at least 6 weeks preparation to reach the level that we think is necessary in order to obtain internship offers/permanent contracts in the best firms. Ideally, we recommend planning 3 to 7 months of preparation. For example, for an integration in September 2022, it is a good idea to start looking into the interview process between December 2021 and April 2022.

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Mistake No. 2: “Quack” frameworks learned by heart in case

This error is probably the most frequent. It is committed by candidates who think that it is enough to learn a framework to each of the types of cases that fall into an interview to be ready to learn any case study. The interviewers who will interview you are very experienced and each see dozens of candidates every month. If you try to stick an approach structure to the case study that is proposed to you without customizing your approach based on the information collected after your various clarifying questions, they will see it right away and it will be a sure failure. The case study is an interview exercise where you must demonstrate your ability to solve a given problem in a structured, factual, and adapted way. So always start with your logical mind and ask yourself the following question: “If I had to solve this problem in real life, what would I do?” Trust yourself and build the most comprehensive approach based on this logical spirit. This is where approach structures learned by heart can be useful: they will allow you to be much faster when writing your approach structure, to gain confidence and to be sure to address the problem to be solved comprehensively.

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Mistake #3: Not preparing enough for your FIT

A large proportion of candidates focus their preparation efforts on the case study. This is a mistake that is often fatal. If you need to prepare your case studies, you should start preparing the various interview questions very quickly. “Why do you want to give advice? Why BCG? Why Bain rather than other cabinets? Tell me about a project within your current experiences. Tell me about an experience where you showed leadership.” Etc. The number of questions that need to be seriously prepared is considerable. Keep in mind that it is very unlikely that you will succeed in being excellent at each of the case studies that you will have to solve about a given recruitment process. Sooner or later, you will have a “bad shot”, a case study that is a little less successful than the others. At that moment, what will make the difference with another candidate at the same level and just as well prepared as you, will be FIT, without a doubt. Preparing for FIT is done in several steps and starting with the networking that you do before you even apply with your CV and cover letter. It requires a lot of method and work. We say it with confidence: we are the best coaches on the market in this area. Our method is precise, clear, easy to implement and has proven its worth. Don't overlook this part and prepare it as seriously as the case study!

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Mistake #4: Not taking care of yourself enough

If “you don't work,” nothing will work. Preparing for your interviews, although it requires a large amount of work, should not make you stop doing the things that make you feel good. Eat healthy, sleep well, exercise, go out with friends to have fun (movies, theater, stand-up). In general, remember that your ability to solve a case will not only be judged. We will recruit people with whom we want to work on a daily basis. We therefore advise you to work on your physical and mental stamina. In addition, after long weeks of preparation, we advise you to cut 24 to 48 hours before your most important interviews to arrive with a fresh mind, not influenced by the last case study you saw, and repeat in the interview what you learned in training. It would be a shame not to get the offer you deserve because you had a bad night's sleep or couldn't manage stress. This self-management is also a skill that will prove fundamental to the success of your professional life and your long-term development, you might as well adopt the right reflexes as soon as possible!

Conclusion

If you surround yourself with people who can provide you with feedback that is specific enough to know where to put your efforts, if you work regularly and if you continue to live a healthy and balanced life, your chances of success will be maximized. In any case, you will not be able to have regrets. In addition, don't forget that consulting firms set annual recruitment goals for each type of position (internship, permanent contract upon entry, manager, etc.). This means that their doors are more or less open depending on the period, even if the current period (spring 2023) is very dynamic in terms of recruitment!

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