7 months after submitting my initial application, I was recently contacted by a recruiter at The Berkeley Partnership. Despite the delay, I was excited to engage in the interview process. There were some early communication challenges, but we eventually connected for an initial intake assessment via video, followed by a 45-minute phone screen, which went very positively. I was then invited to the NYC office for a first-round interview with one of the Partners (I1) that I covered on my own, as I was going to be in the city during the timeframe. I felt the in-person conversation was engaging and constructive. The Partner asked thoughtful questions about my consulting experience, navigating challenging client relationships, and my cultural fit with the firm. However, toward the end of the interview, I noticed the Partner becoming somewhat disengaged—drawing on his notepad as I spoke—which was disappointing and made me question how the interview had gone while it was still happening. I was told I would receive a decision by the end of the day. After two follow-ups, I finally heard back a week later. The recruiter informed me that I wouldn’t be moving forward and after asking why, she mentioned that even though I was a great fit for the organization culturally, I was rejected due to my specialization and experience in a particular product and concerns about the depth of my change management experience—both of which were reflected in my resume and discussed during earlier stages of the process. The only additional feedback I received was to “switch firms” to broaden my experience outside my area of expertise. This feedback felt dismissive and left me questioning why I was advanced through multiple interview stages if those were seen as disqualifying factors from the outset. While I’m disappointed with the outcome, I remain grateful for the opportunity and would still welcome the chance to work at The Berkeley Partnership in the future, as it is a great organization and seems like a great place to work culturally. That said, for a firm that prides itself on close-knit relationships and professionalism, the significant delay and lack of communication throughout the process along with the Partner disinterest during the interview felt inconsistent with those values. My hope is that my feedback helps future candidates receive the level of respect and consideration that was, unfortunately, lacking in my experience.

The interview process challenged me, yet most importantly, gave me confidence that I was getting to know the true culture of Berkeley from my first round interview. There were three total rounds, and by the third round, I was felt assured that it would be a good fit if I were to be hired. I found the interview process challenging as the interviews were over an hour and required me to really have a concise story of my consulting history and deep knowledge of my past projects.