[680] 1st GMAT failed - need help with analysis!

Hi,

I just had a very frustrating GMAT experience this week as I tried the GMAT for the first time. Now I'm considering taking it a 2nd time and this time I need a huge improvement. Maybe you guys can help me to analyze why I failed and what I should do to improve next time.

The hard numbers
unofficial score:
IR 7 (82%)
Q 43 (50%)
V 40 (91%)

Total: 680 (83%)

I chose to do Quant at start because I did so in all my mock exams. During the Q-section I felt pretty good, had a good pace, the questions were ok, nothing really new, rather common questions.
The V-section didn't feel great, I lost some time on sentence correction questions, because I couldn't see any patterns to cross off 2-3 choices right from the start. It felt harder than it did in the mock exams. I lost so much time, that I couldn't read the last 2 questions and I just clicked random answers.
IR was ok, had one annoying question that took like forever to compare 3 tables... but the score doesn't matter that much so it's ok.
Same for the AWA, it was a good topic, but it took me a little bit too much time (flimsy keyboard and qwerty layout - really annoying for someone who is used to have qwertz layout on a perfect Mac keyboard), still curious to see my score although it doesn't matter that much to me.

my background
For my personal background:
I am turning 30 in a few month and I'm living in Germany. I'm currently working at one of the Big4 companies in the Transaction Advisory (M&A and Valuation/Business Modelling). Before that I spent 6 months at a M&A Boutique in Frankfurt which I joined after I got my Masters Degree in Finance, Accounting & Taxation. All in all I have 2 years of experience in the M&A/Transaction Advisory Industry (Work and internships) and 3 years experience in retail banking.

My plan is to "survive" the 3 junior years at the Big4 and then get my MBA from one of the Tier II B-Schools in the US, my first preference is UT Austin McCombs, but USC Marshall and ASU Carey are also on my target list.

Preparing for the GMAT
I started preparing for the GMAT in April and after I knew how the GMAT works in general I took my first GMATprep exam and scored a 590 (Q37 V34)

I used the Manhattan GMAT guides as well as the OG Guides (+ Quant + Verbal review) to study but unfortunately I don't have too much time during the week due to my job and I have only the weekends to get things done. My routine was like this: I read the guide books during the week before or after work and on the weekend I did the OG questions related to the guide. After I did all Quant guides I did the same with the verbal guides. I took 4 weeks off before the GMAT and I focussed on the errors I made (I have an error log for quant and verbal). I did 2 mock exams (GMATprep) every week before the Test and I scored okay:

Exam 2 710 (Q47 V41)
Exam 3 710 (Q47 V41)
Exam 4 690 (Q47 V37)
Exam 5 730 (Q47 V42)
Exam 6 720 (Q47 V42)

I assumed I could score 700+ on the real test, although my aim is actually 730+ to get safely into the program I want. It's hard to describe the feelings I had when I saw the 680 score, feeling like a total failure and being furious as hell.

What to do now?

So I want to do the GMAT again and this time I need a huge improvement on my score, I just want the 730+ so badly (it's an ego thing I guess). The problem is, I don't have much time due to my work and I have to take my CFA Level 1 in December. Good thing is, I have 1 more year until Round 1 applications (as you might remember, I want to gain full 3 years junior experience).

When do you think I should take the next GMAT? As soon as possible or should I take my time until spring and give it a 2nd shot? All help is appreciated, feel free to ask me anything you need to know!

Have a productive weekend!
- Tommy