Tough consulting interviews? I bring you '300'!

Some interviews can be tough - my first big job interview with a German company had the following stages

a) Initial selection, based on our CV, from a certain region of India (comprising multiple states), and only certain set of schools (IITs/NITs)
b) A test with quantitiative/aptitude sections and electronics/computer engineering questions
c) A group discussion with other groups
d) First interview with a panel of thirteen people (and I was just a kid out of engineering school)
e) Second interview with 10 of the above 13 + General manager of the facility
f) Third interview with the department head + 4 of his team
g) Final interview with HR

Seriously -- what were they thinking? Finally they selected 2 and I was one of them. Really painful experience. My second job interview, with a US electronics giant, was much better, but very competitive again. Looks like I'm headed towards more soon...

After reading some general posts and also those by domodomo - great INSEAD blogger, I already see dings in my McKinsey interviews..and therefore, without much further ado, ladies and gentlement, I bring you....

From the pages of Necromonger's epic retelling of the "battle for the MC job",

(chap:5, "the gates of hell", para:3 - 2008 A.D. the season of the moon)

"And there they were, the barbarian hoardes with their awful CV's. The brave recruiters, for they had the hearts of wolves, look'd on as low GMAT after GMAT was thrust upon them. "Where be the salvation"? said he, of the mane of the lion, for each arrow of case study he shoot upon the barbarian hoardes, they fell by the hundreds. In the end, 300 fell. The hall littered with ding letters, words sharp as the eidolon's sword, and the lonely bard sang by the corner where retreating armies had put rejection letters to fire..."

(you may buy hard copies of the first print, to be out in June 2008)

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