Prepping for upcoming associate interviews and debating where to focus. Has anyone done both peer mock interviews (with current associates) and paid coaching sessions? Curious which gave more actionable feedback on the soft skills part - I’m decent technically but keep getting ‘lack of executive presence’ notes. Bonus if you have tips for replicating senior-level pressure in mocks.
coaches take your $$ to tell you what any director would rip apart for free. real talk: bribe a hungover associate with redbull to roast you. better yet, record yourself presenting to a camera while sleep-deprived - that’s the real ‘exec presence’ test
did 3 peer mocks last week! the associates kept changing case parameters mid-stream - way harder than coaches. but idk how to improve ‘narrative flow’??
Survey of 14 promoted associates shows 71% used peer mocks vs. 22% coaches. Key advantage: Associates test firm-specific cultural nuances. One strategy: Run mocks with recent promotees who remember the process. Allocate 65% of prep to peer sessions focusing on deal walkthroughs and stakeholder questions.