Should the "Why consulting?" question mention a desired industry focus

Question

Hi, I have an upcoming MBB Associate interview, and I'm wondering whether it's beneficial to mention a specific industry and project type I'm interested in. In my case, that's aviation. I'm worried this might make me seem too narrow and not like a coachable generalist. Also, the home office I'm targeting doesn't have much aviation work, although the wider region does.

I'm concerned that if I bring it up, they might push back and ask why I didn't just pursue a corporate strategy role at an airline instead or apply to a different office. I think I have a solid story to explain my reasoning, but I'm wondering if it would be safer to avoid mentioning it altogether. I don't want to come across as insincere, though.

Is it appropriate to bring up industry focus if it's not directly asked in the first interview round?

Thanks a lot for any insights.

Answer 1

Hi,

An industry preference is a secondary point, IMO.

The first layer of logic/story is "Why Consulting" - which means you should be answering that question of why this industry (and not other industries).

There are tons of ways to answer the "Why consulting" question without a need to mentioning the industry focus.

Lastly, why the fixation on Aviation? It's definitely good to have industries or topics you are interested in, but given your anxieties and rumination on this issue and how you know it might seem weird but still want to do it - it seems more like a fixation than a passion combined with a grounded and real understanding of how things work in MBB. The reality is that you have very little control over staffing. Speak to more actual MBB consultants, and perhaps you might get a more nuanced perspective.

All the best!