After finishing his first semester at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Ryan Fleer (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘22) began interviewing for management consulting internships. Despite the challenges of the virtual recruiting and interviewing process, Ryan was able to land a summer internship. During this interview Ryan shared his reflections on the virtual recruiting and interview process, and his advice to other MBA students who are navigating the virtual MBA internship recruiting process.
MBASchooled: What was the virtual recruiting process like for you?
After navigating the entirety of the MBA application process virtually, I went into recruiting with that experience under my belt. That said, the virtual recruiting process was strangely relaxing while notoriously arduous at the same time. Since employers and MBA candidates were going through this for the first time for the most part, it was comforting to know we were all in the same boat.
MBASchooled: What did you like about it? What were some of the challenging parts with it?
Obviously I loved the ability to wear sweats or jeans on bottom and business on top, but what I really enjoyed about virtual recruiting was the ability to connect with so many people at the same time. Specifically, this was the case when I attended ROMBA. Traditionally, ROMBA’s career fair is stressful and there’s less chance for one-on-one conversations. Due to the virtual nature of the conference, I was able to not only reach more companies than expected, but have many one-on-one conversations!
On the flip side, there were certainly many challenging parts of recruiting. First, navigating the “coffee chat” process was difficult especially when the only medium to connect was over email or LinkedIn. Second, it was hard to get a sense where my classmates stood in the process as interview decisions were communicated and offers given out. Since we are in our own apartments, it was an isolating experience. Nevertheless, we made the best of it! KF students are very open with one another and this was apparent in the recruiting process.
MBASchooled: How did you end up at the company where you accepted an offer?
PwC has been part of my life before I even considered applying there! Not only did I work across the street from their 300 Madison Office, but I volunteered there weekly as part of a mentoring program called StreetWise Partners. That said, I chose PwC in the end based on their genuine care for social justice, flexibility in career development, and Shine LGBT+ network.
MBASchooled: Talk about the Management consulting interview process? What was that like? What were some of the challenging parts?
I’m sure someone else will say this too, but preparing to interview for consulting will prepare you for anything! I was fortunate to have the ability to interview early for a consulting firm in the fall, so I had the chance to get my toes wet in the process ahead of January when a majority would take place. What I liked about the interview process was using the case as a way to display more of my personality beyond what a behavioral interview shows.
On the other hand, what I did find challenging was taking apart my STAR stories bit by bit (much like a consultant would) to understand the true impact of my experiences. Also, the quantitative component of casing did not come natural to me, so I spent many hours on RocketBlocks (highly recommend it!).
MBASchooled: What was virtual casing like?
Since I do not know how to do a case in person, I can only guess virtual casing is not as enjoyable as doing it in person. While virtual casing wasn’t overly difficult, at times it was hard to take in an exhibit. Traditionally, the interviewer shares the exhibit with you and you have the ability to touch and feel it. Unfortunately, you do not have that luxury in virtual casing. I’m curious how my performance will change once we can case in person again!
MBASchooled: How did you manage the fact that companies have different timelines, and thus you could be at different stages in interviewing with different companies?
For starters, you must stay organized during recruiting. I had multiple spreadsheets, calendar reminders, etc. to make sure I was on top of deadlines. Most of my recruiting was oriented around the typical January consulting interview season, but I did have a couple interviews in the fall. While I didn’t advance to offer with any of them, they were what I needed to get myself organized on recruiting.
MBASchooled: What was the hardest interview you had?
Yes, I had a couple hard cases, but my hardest interview was actually a behavioral interview. I’m the classic extrovert, extremely outgoing and easy to connect with in most scenarios. Sadly, this was one of those atypical scenarios. I struggled to build rapport with my interviewer at the start which made answering questions inorganic and awkward at times.
MBASchooled: What did you learn from the interviewing process?
Companies are rooting for you! Interviewers want to see you succeed. They are taking time out of their busy day to get to know the candidates, so let them enjoy you! Interviews are given out because they are interested in getting to you more. It’s very easy to forget this when you are preoccupied with the stress of preparing for an interview..
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for others who are trying to navigate the virtual recruiting process?
There’s a delicate balance of give and receive in the recruiting process. Yes, it’s your career, so you should 100% control what you are doing to get that offer. However, there’s an element where you need to allow the process to work itself out. Tunnel vision is a common issue in recruiting, and if you don’t allow yourself to consider all the opportunities around you, you might miss out on something that could take your career in an unexpected, but exciting direction.
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