Booz&Co
Kristen Clemmer Meeks
Director of North American Campus Recruiting at Booz&Co
Name: Kristen Clemmer Meeks
Position: Director of North American Campus Recruiting
Education: Baylor University, business, concentration in marketing and corporate communications
Location: Austin, TX
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I was recruited out of Baylor to be a recruiter, and I feel like I’m one of those people who found their dream job right away. In college, I didn’t realize that recruiting was a career. I remember thinking, ‘You want to pay me to help people get jobs? That’s great!’
What “insider tips” do you have for anyone applying to Booz&Co?
It’s not rocket science, but I always advise people to be themselves and to really practice the answer about why you’re interested in Booz. We like people who are able to articulate what is unique about coming onboard here and why it’s a fit for them. We only hire about 100 students each fall, so every individual that comes through the door we think long and hard about if we’d like them on our team. Since we’ve only technically been around for three years, we’re looking for people to help us grow the institution.
Another tip that’s easily overlooked is to make the most of the connections you make with Booz employees. You will most likely have multiple opportunities to meet Booz recruiters or employees on campus, and I encourage students to follow up with them. We aren’t keeping track of how many events you come to, that’s not important, but we’re interested in the quality of the connection you make—the students who really put effort into their interaction with us stand out and will be remembered.
What mistake can a candidate make that will take them out of the running for a position?
I’ve seen this hundreds of times—do not put the wrong name or organization on your cover letter. Students would be shocked to know how many cover letters are addressed incorrectly. As recruiters, we’re a little forgiving because we know things are hectic, but our client services staff, who students interview with, are not as forgiving. The application and interviewing process is the time to put your best foot forward, and if this is your best foot and you can’t get the organization’s name right, our assumption is your detail orientation will only get worse.
Can you give us any sneak peaks into the typical interview?
We give our interviewers a lot of freedom with the interviewing process—they don’t walk in with an agenda. We want our interviewers to be themselves so we allow them to customize their interview process. That said, there’s usually a management consulting case component. There’s also a “behavioral” component, where the interviewer gets to know you as a person and how you’ll mesh with the team. Our first and second round interviews are each two 45-minute interviews, so hopefully you’ll meet four interviewers who approach the conversation in different ways. We like to see students who can be flexible, adapt to the interviewing style, and make a connection with their interviewer.
Position: Director of North American Campus Recruiting
Education: Baylor University, business, concentration in marketing and corporate communications
Location: Austin, TX
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I was recruited out of Baylor to be a recruiter, and I feel like I’m one of those people who found their dream job right away. In college, I didn’t realize that recruiting was a career. I remember thinking, ‘You want to pay me to help people get jobs? That’s great!’
What “insider tips” do you have for anyone applying to Booz&Co?
It’s not rocket science, but I always advise people to be themselves and to really practice the answer about why you’re interested in Booz. We like people who are able to articulate what is unique about coming onboard here and why it’s a fit for them. We only hire about 100 students each fall, so every individual that comes through the door we think long and hard about if we’d like them on our team. Since we’ve only technically been around for three years, we’re looking for people to help us grow the institution.
Another tip that’s easily overlooked is to make the most of the connections you make with Booz employees. You will most likely have multiple opportunities to meet Booz recruiters or employees on campus, and I encourage students to follow up with them. We aren’t keeping track of how many events you come to, that’s not important, but we’re interested in the quality of the connection you make—the students who really put effort into their interaction with us stand out and will be remembered.
What mistake can a candidate make that will take them out of the running for a position?
I’ve seen this hundreds of times—do not put the wrong name or organization on your cover letter. Students would be shocked to know how many cover letters are addressed incorrectly. As recruiters, we’re a little forgiving because we know things are hectic, but our client services staff, who students interview with, are not as forgiving. The application and interviewing process is the time to put your best foot forward, and if this is your best foot and you can’t get the organization’s name right, our assumption is your detail orientation will only get worse.
Can you give us any sneak peaks into the typical interview?
We give our interviewers a lot of freedom with the interviewing process—they don’t walk in with an agenda. We want our interviewers to be themselves so we allow them to customize their interview process. That said, there’s usually a management consulting case component. There’s also a “behavioral” component, where the interviewer gets to know you as a person and how you’ll mesh with the team. Our first and second round interviews are each two 45-minute interviews, so hopefully you’ll meet four interviewers who approach the conversation in different ways. We like to see students who can be flexible, adapt to the interviewing style, and make a connection with their interviewer.
There's no one walk of life that everyone comes from or mold that everyone must fit to work here.
Jennifer Randle
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