Visiting Associate BCG - Do I stand a chance of getting an offer?

Question

Hi everyone,

I just finished my last interview at BCG and look an for opinion of the more experienced folks that know how evaluating interview performance works.

First 3 interviews went extremely good - I've managed to solve every case, made no mistakes and led the cases very good. The fit part was good as well and in the last part I've managed to ask good questions and connect with the interviewers, so that we often had a longer meeting than planned.

After the first round the feedback was to just keep doing the same and there shouldn't be problems. 3rd interview with the partner also went really well, solved the case before time and checked all the boxes.

However, today in the last case I ran into some difficulties. After the prompt, which was ;"how many/how big factories should a pet company open?", I asked does the client have a certain measure for measuring success of newly opened factories (what purpose should they serve)? The partner liked the question, but asked back what do I think… After 3,4 guesses (revenues, ROI etc.) I got into budget/total costs, which was main KPI, I somehow didn't think of the costs firstly.

Then in the exhibit, we looked at many countries that had different current and projected demand, suggesting that current capacity won't be sufficient.

I started by suggesting expanding capacity, and after some back and forth landed at consolidating factories in the country with cheapest production costs.

Next question was what would you do if you can consolidate everything but one factory? I said to keep it if the profits are still good, but look at some risks such as price inconsistency between 2 factories, which might affect negotiations and image to supermarkets we supply. He replied that that is one approach, but that he would close the factory and accept the lower margin, because management of the 2nd factory requires certain efforts ( don't know if this is a bad thing that I didn't say it)

In the last part, I got some numbers regarding variable costs and how they increase in the next 5 years. I communicated my approach firstly before calculating, but needed 2 or 3 re-adjustment to come up with the final formula because partner wanted the fastest approach, after I calculated everything correctly.

Lastly, the interviewer asked how come is the 2nd overall cost of production cost lower if the labor costs are higher % of the costs. I have said that the factory might be more automated, and therefore require different types of labour, where 2nd is more expensive but there are less of them. I haven't mentioned productivity difference if the employees are the of the same type.

Recommendation was good, although I wasn't allowed any time and he said I want an immediate 20 second elevator pitch :).

I know it is impossible to say, but just curious if these are no go mistakes for a VA role, considering ¾ interviews were really good.

p.s. it might be important to say that I kept positive attitude towards the case and re-adjusted every time the interviewer gave some new data or tried to point me in the other direction.

Answer 1

Hi there,

Needless to say, it's difficult to say based on a short description of the interview, plus it's influenced by your own perception BUT overall, it sounds like it went ok.

You are not expected to have a flawless performance throughout the interview or across all the rounds, so you still have a high chance of passing it.

They should get back to you soon enough. I know it's a painful wait, but it should go by soon.

While you wait, it might make sense to also consider applying to other firms just in case this one doesn't work out. Here's a guide on how to maximize your chances of landing at least one offer.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi there,

As an experienced person who knows how evaluating works, I can assuredly tell you the following: We have no idea of your odds.

You have given us your version of the story.

We were not in the room

And, we are not the interviewers!

If your question is “do I have a chance?" then, absolutely, the answer is yes!

Sit tight, keep that positive attitude of yours….and….don't sit there eagerly for this one company to determine your fate! Get out there and network with and apply to other firms! The # way you can succeed is by having lots of interviews, not by obessing over just one.

Fingers crossed for you :)

Answer 3

It's impossible to say I'm afraid from the story that you gave. It becomes even more challenging when we consider that we don't know how many people the office is hiring, what the other peoples' performance was like - the factors outside of your control are quite large.

I recommend trying (I know that it's so hard to do!) but trying to put this to the back of your mind and either take a break, or think about what else you could do if this one doesn't come through - there is always another option!

Good luck and with my fingers crossed for you!

Answer 4

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on conducting all interviews with BCG!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

First of all, as you mentioned, nobody knows for certain except for your interviewers.
Still, from my perspective, it sounds very much like the typical dynamics in a partner interview, which tend to be less structured and held more like a conversation.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen