I have EY Parthenon 2nd round interview coming up - How different is it from the first round?

Question

I already had 1 case study + Fit in the first interview (although I believe they have split the first round into 2 separate interviews) - only 1 case study till date. This is the first time I am interviewing with a strategy consulting company hence I wanted to know a bit more about the process from the experienced people

1) I wanted to know if this is a second-round or just another part of round 1. Either way, what difference could I expect in terms of skills tested
2) From what I have gathered. EY-P generally tests market sizing, profitability, market entry and due diligence/investment decision. What else could I focus majorly on?
3) What others things could I prepare for the fit part?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Well done getting past the first round (or first part of the first round!)

1) You need to confirm with HR! EY is known to do written and group cases. So, double check whether it will be a standard interview (case + fit) or if you should be prepared for something else

2) This is correct, but also don't forget to have a deep understanding of their core industry expertise: Healthcare, Retail, PE, Consumer Products, Education

You are also missing Growth and Portfolio Optimization

3)

Resume walkthrough
Why Consulting
Why EY
Stories

For your Stories

Create 4-6...make sure they can be adapted/adjusted based on the question asked
Stories should cover the following key themes:
- Taking / Showing initiative
- Big Achievement
- Leadership
- Challenge
- Change Direction
- Initial Failure
- Persuading / Influencing Others
- Proudest Moment
- Teamwork
Stories should follow the general flow of:
- Here’s a problem
- Here’s what was going to happen (bad)
- Here’s what I did (and why)
- Here's the ending (saved the day, everyone happy)

Good luck!

Answer 2

Dear A,

Whether it's final round or just one more round you have to remember the following:

1. The structure of the interview is the same - FIT questions, case, your questions to the interviewer

2. Coming to the end the interview you have to be prepared to more precise fit part, since you will be tested on your integration with the values of the company and the case will be more and more difficult.

Also to keep your level for case preparation up, just check the case “Deep Water rescue” (available in English & German) here on Preplounge:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/advanced/deep-water-rescue-206

It's a very real case in a very advanced level. I used similar cases when I was interviewing candidates on my own in Central Europe (Germany & DACH Region), Eastern Europe (Ukraine & Russia) as well as Middle East (Dubai, KSA, Lebanon, and Qatar). So, this case is very advanced and could be typically used in the 2nd or 3rd interview rounds by the leading consulting firms.

Wish you best of luck,

André

Answer 3

Hi there,

Please find my answers below.

1) I wanted to know if this is a second-round or just another part of round 1. Either way, what difference could I expect in terms of skills tested

The structure of the rounds is the same (fit + case+ your questions); however in a final round there is usually more emphasis on communication and fit.

Specifically, the main differences you may find in a final round with partners is that at that stage they:

Spend more time on fit questions and your alignment with the company
Check more closely your communication (eg how you react to challenging questions)
May not have a “proper” structured case to present – during one of my MBB finals I had one interview which was made by two market sizing questions and a brainteaser, without any business case. That's because during the final they know you can structure and crack a case (you passed 1 or 2 rounds already) and are more interested in your logic, personality and fit with the company

So in order to prepare I would concentrate on:

Review in detail your fit stories – they will matter more than in the first round. In some finals I had almost exclusively behavioral questions
Work on your communication (reaction under pressure, how to gain time when you do not have a structure ready, connect with the interviewer, etc). This is something you can do almost exclusively in interviews with peers.
Prepare cases as you did for the first round. More market sizing practice may be useful to think outside the box if you get unusual questions.

2) From what I have gathered. EY-P generally tests market sizing, profitability, market entry and due diligence/investment decision. What else could I focus majorly on?

Agree with your list. In general you should be prepared on every case, but those you listed tend to appear more with Parthenon

3) What others things could I prepare for the fit part?

It depends on what you have done already. At the bare minimum you should be prepared on the following:

Tell me about yourself
Why consulting
Why EY-P
Give me an example when you led a team
Tell me about a time when you had to convince someone not agreeing with you
What has been your major achievement so far
Why should we hire you

Best,

Francesco

Answer 4

Hi there,

I am a former recruiter from EY-P. On the second round it depends on whether you are interviewing with a partner or not. If you are, expect a FIT interview. If not, focus on the case.

Please note I am assuming this will be a Corporate Growth Strategy role (if it is Transaction Strategy Execution then it is technical interview + fit interview, but not a case).

The case is most likely to focus on:

Structure
Market Size
Growth Drivers
Chart interpretation

Of course there are many types of cases and also there are some variations across countries.

I have halped candidates with both types of interviews. I actually have some real retired cases from EY-Parthenon, and organize coaching sessions around those to candidates applying there, so let me know if you are interested (you or any candidate reading this post).

Answer 5

Hello!

Congrats for moving to final round!

As it has been outlined, its very similar, but :

Cases you can expect are more "free riding" - less organized than the ones your found in the 1st round or most prep pages
Stronger emphasis in the FIT part, as outlined before by other coaches.

If you are interested in deepening your knowledge and preparation on the FIT part, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

- Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200

- Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201

- Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!