Should I ask to do case/fit interviews in English at a French MBB?

Question

Hi everyone,
I am unexpectedly interviewing for two MBB firms in Paris (Retail & Marketing), coming from another consulting firm in the Middle-East. I speak French fluently but I have not used it in my academic/professional life for about 10 years. As a result I am much more comfortable in English when it comes to interviews and case studies (which I have never done in French).
Preparing in French would require at least an additional couple of weeks, as I am working full time and would need to find French-speaking partners to practice with.
Would it be ok to ask the recruiters whether I could do the case/fit interviews in English, or do you think this will come across as a red flag?

Answer 1

Hi Giorgia, I recommend practicing in French and not requesting English as the interview language. They'll have no problem in rescheduling the 1st round by 2 weeks

Best,
Antonello

Answer 2

Hi Giorgia,

You absolulely need to prepare for both French and English cases + fit questions.

Sorry to say, but you're applying to the French office! They need to be confident that they can put you in front of a French client!

In terms of asking them for a specific interview language, please don't do this! They will tell you what language it will be in (and you can inquire as to which language if they don't tell you), but you do not have control over this unfortunately.

Answer 3

Unfortunately, I would think that that's a bit of an issue. I would strongly suggest to do it in French. You might ask to just postpone the interview if you feel you need time to prepare in French.

Answer 4

Hi Giorgia,

I agree with the other comments and I would not recommend to ask – they may feel you may not be suitable to talk in French with a client.

You may have interviews in both French and English, so I believe it is better if you prepare in both languages and if needed reschedule the interview, as mentioned by Antonello and Henning.

Best,
Francesco

Answer 5

I would not suggest it. Quite the contrary where they typically would have one interview in English to test your English language skills!