Employers - Following and Preparing

How to Stay up to Date and Be Prepared for Specific Industries and Employers

Here are some ways to stay up to date on recruiting for your firms of interest:

  • Do an online search to see if the firm has a UVA-specific recruiting page, and if so, bookmark it.

  • From that page, or the company’s Handshake profile, make note of any specific recruiter information. Got questions for that person that aren’t answered on the website? You can reach out—that’s why they’ve made their information available.

  • Make a profile on the firm’s careers page or student careers page and sign up for alerts about the type of position you’re seeking. Some firms will only post on their own website, so this is a must!

  • Follow the firm on your social media channel of choice. This will help you hear about recruiting news and keep up-to-date on what the firm is promoting.

  • Favorite and follow the firm on job boards like Handshake, so you see if they post on Handshake, are participating in on-Grounds interviewing, or coming to UVA recruiting events in the fall.

  • Keep your LinkedIn profile updated with your most recent career-related experiences. This includes volunteer and part-time work.

Be sure you are preparing correctly for each employer/industry. For example in consulting:

Each consulting firm has its own application process, but you can often expect three types of interviews:

  • Behavioral: These interviews seek to learn about your interest in the role and the experience you have that’s transferable to the role. McKinsey, for instance, is known for their unique version of the behavioral interview, the Personal Experience Interview. Here are some sample behavioral interview questions you can use to practice.

  • Case: These interviews seek to understand how you approach a business problem, by presenting you with a business scenario and asking you to walk the interviewer through your approach to it. They test your thinking, communication skills, and adaptability. Learn more about case interviews.

  • Cognitive Ability: These online assessments aim to learn about how you think, without requiring prior business knowledge. For instance, if you apply to a BCG office in the US you’ll be invited to complete a 25-minute, game-based pymetrics assessment within 48 hours of receiving the invitation.