I applied online. I interviewed at Orbit Partners (London, England) in Feb 2026
Interview
Terribly Disappointing and Unprofessional Experience
My experience with Orbit Partners was extremely disappointing and unprofessional from start to finish.
My interview was cut short just five minutes in (i.e. the interviewer never showed up and then emailed me saying she was too busy at that time despite me choosing the slot 3 weeks in advance) and was then rescheduled by them to the following week. However, after agreeing to postpone politely, I received no further communication. I sent three follow-up emails seeking clarification and confirmation, particularly given that the Assessment Centre was scheduled shortly afterwards, yet I never received a response.
Being left completely without communication after an interview has been rearranged is highly unprofessional and shows a clear lack of respect for candidates’ time and effort. Candidates invest significant preparation into these processes, and basic courtesy, even a short update...should be the minimum standard.
The complete absence of follow-up or explanation reflects poorly on the organisation’s communication and candidate management.
I even emailed one final time to ask at least if I have been officially ruled out as a candidate (just for peace of mind and out of respect, asking for any tips or reasoning as to why, but to no avail).
I would not expect this level of disorganisation from a firm operating in the advisory space.
Terrible experience from start to finish, unprofessional company and by the sounds of other reviews they are not an aspiring firm to work for, they seem toxic and unprofessional .
Other Associate interview reviews for Orbit Partners
Careful interview procedures with multiple stages including an assessment centre. The process is transparent and any questions are answered quickly and clearly. The assessment centre was challenging and a little long but ultimately a suitable insight into the job
I applied online. I interviewed at Orbit Partners in Jan 2026
Interview
First round was an initial screening call with the head of HR. She then passed me through to the next round which was a 3-hour case study with two Associate VPs. If you succeed with the case study round, you'd be invited to a final round with an MD.
I want to raise a red flag as a note of caution for future candidates applying to the Associate role. After completing the case study round, I received a phone call from HR indicating that they were planning to schedule me for the final round with the MD. I was also told that they intended to put me in contact with a current Associate at the firm for an informal chat, seriously signalling to me that I was progressing positively through the process. They told me they'd send me details for the final interview and put me in touch with the Associate directly after the phone call. No follow up email was received on my end, so I followed up politely.
HR then responded with a pretty rude and patronising email basically claiming that during the case study round I sounded nervous and mentioned how I didn't seem to enjoy facing challenges which are traits they would never consider for their Associates. Just FYI - none of that was true, as I specifically asked for feedback from both AVPs at the end of my case round and got extremely positive feedback from them. I finally sent back a rational email listing out my points challenging her, to which she has ignored.
I will always respect an employer's right to reject candidates based on performance or fit. However, I was led on by HR to believing I would proceed to the final round, followed by feedback that conflicted with what I had been told during the case study round - big red flag. Would not recommend this firm if they're going to waste peoples' time, lying to them and then dismissing them with no rational argument.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why this role?
What can you tell us about our business model?
What do you know of PE?
Mainly basic competency and behavioural questions.
