INSEAD With No Formal International Work Stint

Abeer came to us on the recommendation of his brother, who worked with us last year. As he was very focused on INSEAD, we realised in our first interviews that Abeer had a less good profile for INSEAD. Abeer had attended a Tier 3 university in India and had followed the path of an entrepreneur trying to make his startup product fly with the support of investors.

After going through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and not being able to secure funding, Abeer decided to give up on his entrepreneurial dream three years later. The fact that he had no job during the pandemic, while most of his friends were climbing new career ladders, became a bitter truth for Abeer. Being able to support his sick family during this difficult time gave him the motivation to keep striving for success. Luck was on his side and McKinsey recognised his potential, even though he had to compromise and start his career as a junior analyst, which was far below his expectations.

Gradually, he proved himself in the organisation and made such a good name for himself that McKinsey started hiring people from his Tier 3 university. Honestly, we knew that Abeer’s case was risky considering that INSEAD is an extremely competitive school like INSEAD, and Abeer was only an Analyst when he applied without significant global experience but the fact that we were able to get him to the point where he ended up being admitted to INSEAD is a pleasant surprise that we ourselves are proud of.

Aiming for a Shot at The Top B-Schools But Confused About Your Strategy? Reach Out to Us